New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-31
CONNECTICUT HERMITS.
SOME ODD CHARACTERS WHO HAVE HAUNTs
IN THE NUTMEG STATE.

IN THE NUTMEG STATE.
Norwich Conn, March 30 (SpeeIall.Tbe recent death
Of the WeI-lnOwu Leather Man." who was frequent
ystor TO haunts Of his In Eastern Connecticut has drawn
attention number Of other eccentric characters who are
often to be met In this part Of the State
At regular Intervals these many years there has
passed through tho suburban town Of Bean HILL on his
way 10 Lebanon and the North queer old clad in 0
blue jeans jumper and known BY other title than the
"Blue Jeans Tramp His nsme. however. is Dwight
Hicks and 10 said that astsr's perndy drove the men,
Org OF homo and family from hts mind fifty yeass ego
he and his sister Jennie lived with their wealthy passnss
In IN the northern section Of the State Shn Wsa OF
penurOus disposition and he Of directly the opposite Tae
father died and the daughter then began sohsing 10 ruin
her brother She took dislike his aianced bEtds and
poisoned her mind pncr the gusc Of friendship thereby
causing the match 70 be broken o. Ths proved dis
asrous to Dwight and be took TO drink panaeea TOR
his griOf Tipping weakened his intellect and he was
elected IRON the homo Of bis childhood and has since been
homeless harmless wandereF. few years ago his sis
Ter was thrown from carriage and killed
Another Interesting character Is zebulon Haneock
StoningtOn. Ho II little shFiyeiledup old Usher
By vocation and he sticks 10 the regulation nsherIaan
costume. zeb lives In ahanty down upon the beach,
thirty years has gos along upon e25 year
The derived from his hshng aggregates between
$500 and $500 annually This he invests In real
estate deposits IN the savings bank zeb owns most
Of tho land known the Point" which projects out into
TIA for soms distance He has already built ten
tenement houses and Is breaking ground for two
With = pickaxe spade and wheelbaIrow be has sxes
vased CELLARS and then walled them with stone
sea wall some 500 feet IN length which protects the
property ths waves also stands monument OF hts
work IL Is estimated that zeb Is worth $4,000 He s
extremely deyou and when not fshing building Sts 10
diiapidated chair reading aloud in rich musical voice
from his tme-woFn Bible book with both covers gone
aud the leaves badly soed. He has read this book
we that he can repeat entirely By heart Zeb Is said
10 be connected by birth WIKI Of the best families Of
storinRon but he has long since been Ostrseted He
also claims relationship 70 General w. s. Haneeeh AZ
ono time he ans In the choir Of sassOnaole church
No. Unsuccessful IN love anaR and tnen feuSca
70 hermirs life
Another victim of Cupid is Isaac Pafdse. the wild
Man Of the Dranford Woods" Some years ago not
brighter esteemed young man could DC fooha N
all East Haven the bellies there however amused
herself with affections end then Tilted him. Ne dis
appeared from tho prrouBdngs which had known him 20
long laid asde dress suit for rags and now weird
looking creature haggara and gaunt-a verble Wild man.
In an old hOuss IN what is known as the "siFatford
Swamp lives ''san' GFeonrOd Epsiishman By eirh
This peculiar character spends virtually hernies NE
although he makes occasional trips 70 bridgeport Tns
vehicle IL OF his manufacture, having one cart Whesi
and one buggy wheel and Is drawn By an OF. wearing
set OF harness similar that used for horses msds OF
rones chains and strips Of leather GrcenFod has aush'
the OK 10 obey the rens. Sam II tsxdermsb ana nis
house is . museum Of curiostes. Animals ana phos
stuffed BY himself sre In different portions Of the
Il
occunled BY collection Of liyH snakes com
pr,slug all the different varieties found IN tAis
mart Of tho country. he has no fear o.
and although ay hiss and sourm when the door
Of the room IS opened no enters and picks w 10 bis care
hands whatever snske ne desires show visitor lie p
ofsn es returning from trps 10 the woods with MS eoas
and rousers pockets filed with living reptiles which 20 mas
eantired and is about 70 add 70 his collection,
Croenrod has contemporary who. until lev days
400 lived I'm cave near BY and who IL now prepaons
ncr boms for himself His 10 James ouigey' Duh Is
o-e amlllariy known nap' having "saured' on tne
yurji and its Inhabitants lie Is recent addition 70 ths
oroup Of eecentrles arriving IN July 1881 Az that tme
he sent In the hollow trunk Of big chestnut 1ee pna
lIyrd entirely on Sh which caught from stman Pond
Later in the year. however took HIS abode In cave
IN the woods belonging the Thompson Brothers, nF'
ulshsd k with broken chair and apology for carpet
and invited the curious public to enter az cents head
snap7 ssys fully 900 people have visited him since
no began hia secluded lfe Tho comprising the
eayo and hlref became such nuisanca that the Aesrs
Thompson eyiced him days and burned his home
Paths had been odden In several directions 10 his dasout
| BY the people Of the surrounding eountry.
unsuceeSstul speculation has added another 10 the ss
formerly we.to-do merchant. named Stevens. Of New
| Haven Both his fortune aud bis mind were
| lost In wall Street, and bis peculiar
| hobby Is walking plank eight inches
wide and ten feet long For years he has daily at
o'clock In tho morning. eaten his breakfast and then begun
the seli.mposod task Of walking back aud forth N
uank which he continues 10 do slowly and necessarily