Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-16
A HOPELESS BEING.
The Awful Fate to Which Young
Alleghenian Is Doomed.
MUST LIVE IN EXILE TILL DEATH.
Hls Terrible Malformation Renders Him
Too Frightful to Be Seen.
HIS FACE LIKE UNTO THAT OF A HOG

HIS FACE LIKE UNTO THAT OF A HUI
Buried in the very heart of throbbing
business city as completely as though with
out the pale of civilization, ostracized from
men of every class and condition, an object
of terror to children, and doomed beyond
| the hope of salvation to so exist until the
! spark of life has left the body, is the awful
fate of Leonard Stegman, of No. II High
street, Allegheny.
The pathetic story of the young mans
exile was told to a DISPATCH man yester-
day, and visit to the battered old house at
the number given proved the state to be
too awful for exaggeration. A frightful
malformation of nature and the terrible
ravages of rheumatism have so completely
changed the appearance of the poor unfort-
unate that nearly all traces of humanity
have been eliminated and he more resem-
bles beast than a son of man.
The domicile of this strange being, which
he touchingly calls his home, sets some
distance back from the rough, hilly street a
few steps from California avenue. 1t has
withstood the ravages of the elements for so
long that the paint is but noticeable in
patches and the boarders are warped and
old. A crazy looking porch, worn and sadly
out OF balance extends from the yellow,
clayey ground to the green old shutters that
are before the two small windows in the
young mans rooms To the right Of the
house leads rocky path up steep incline
to the rear where it meets the door Of the
second story, the home of Mrs. Stegman and
her unfortunate son.
Home of This Social Exile.
From this, the only entrance, extend
three rooms all scrupulously clean, but
furnished so scantily and poorly that any
que estions regarding the finances of the
family are entirely unnecessary. A sweet
faced old German woman, past the prime of
life, met THE DISPATCH man and led the
way into the hot, close room wherein the
doubly afflicted being continually remains
"Do not be frightened," said the old
lady as though custom had made the words
familiar to her tongue, che is only de-
formed in looks"
AS the reporter entered the darkened
room, the man, a small being which the
semi-gloom rendered almost shapeless,
raised his head and peered about him with
strange expression upon his face.
81 am so glad you have come" he said,
quickly, as he extended his hand. "Who
are you? 1 am so glad when any one comes
to see me. You are not afraid of me, are
you?" His voice was soft and womanly,
and he talked in the most pathetic tones.
Without awaiting an answer he continued
asking about the world, the people,
and how it felt to be running
around all of the time. "You see," he
continued, 81 can read of all these things
and can think Of them, but can never see
them" And a sob choked him for mo-
ment "Tell me about the parks" he went
on a moment later, 81 always love to hear
summer time; and the people who can 60 in
them must be so happy. And tell ME Of the
people who can have flowers and ride in
street cars that must all be so pleasing"
And so he talked on like some child curious
to learn Of all things that have been
talked of.
Longed to Look at the Outside Word.
He turned to the closed blinds after lis
'tening eagerly for aishort time, and throw
ing one of them open, pointed to the hot,
dusty street, where an occasional car sped
by and then beyond to the ugly uninteresting
railroad yards of the Ft. Wayne road. Not
a blade of grass, not a tree or any small bit
of shrubbery met the eye. All was bare,
dusty and hot 81 have all of this to look
at" said he, 'but sometimes get tired and
wish for something else, but I guess I'll
never get to see it," and he sighed sadly.
His face is shaped so horribly as to be
almost loathsome. 1t resembles that of q
his head, with the flesh of dark tinge
hanging loosely about it. The nose is
broad and extends across the entire hairy
face. while the mouth is only visible by
looking from beneath. The teeth are
normal, but they and his right
eye are the only natural features of his en-
tire face. His ears are like those of the
same animal being pointed and of great
length. His form is like that of child of
but 10 years Of age. The arms and legs are
scarce more than bones covered with skin
and in size are no larger than small wrist
His back bears great hump and his chest
is unable to stand, and only moves about BY
someone carrying him or by his rolling
from place to place.
"For five long years have remained in
this room." said he, after his curiosity had
been somewhat appeased. 81 have been
waiting for one thing, and it seems that it
will never come"
"And that is-?" asked THE DISPATCH
man.
eyes, that is DEATH" replied the un-
fortunate, anticipating the query. and in his
ordinary tone, as though the remark had
frequently been expressed before. 'It must
be pleasant to be dead, as nothing is
pleasant here, although dear mother is so
good and does all she can for me-" and he
tenderly caressed the thin, wrinkled hand
of the old lady beside him.
PIaintive Hope of the Unfortunate.
ssThey tell me will be like everyone
else when am dead and that those whom I
meet will not be afraid of me, and that alone
will be pleasant" Then he continued in
the same sad tone and told how he had been
born % years ago, with his face in the same |
awfnl shape it has been ever since He re-
lated the experience of his early boyhood, |
how the children would not play with him |
and ran screaming to their mothers because |
he twas so ugly" Then how he grew up |
in the same way, always an unwanted COM |
panion to everyone, and of the |
dread attack of rheumatism that |
warped and drew his body into the frightful |
shape it is. and of the hours, days, weeks
and months of terrible suffering and how
been extinguished by the physicians telling
system was too delicate to Withstand the
treatment.
His lite story was simply told and was
far more pitiful on that account. His fate
is more awful than was that OF the victims
Of the horrible comprachicoes who made
for English royalty, for his
lite is utterly hopeless. He prays for
death.
HUGHES DIAMOND DISCOVERED.