Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1892-03-12
THE STRANGE RECLUsE.
oil . ROBERT SANDERS AND HIS
CRAZY HABITS.
uapdsoms Furniture Used for Firswood
Robbed and Deprived ofsn Eye
by ThIsves--A Fortune la
Ills Pocket.

blessed or cursed. as may be. with an /
especially odd lot OF peculiar people \
SAYS the san Francisco Chronicle. Is I
an old man who lives all alone in a |
misunderstanding two-stOry building on .
the north east corner OF Larlfin street (
and Broadway. Crazy Sanders" is .
the appellation by which he is known
10 the neighborhoOd but there are .
many old-limers and business men 70
whom Tie name OF Robert Sanders was
familiar a good many years ago,
sanders was in the drug business
and prospered. He had wife 10
whom he was devoted The couple
were never blessed with any children.
but lived contentedly Ia handsomely
furnished rooms over the store.
Nothing that money could buy was
deemed TOO good for his wife Fine
clothes iewelry elegant furniture
we're bestowed upon her But ali her
husbands love could not keep her
from The grave. and some fourteen or
fifteen years ago she Was attacked
with d fatal illness. Her death seemed
10 change her holpmatc's nature al
most 10 moment No sooner was
she pa. beneath the sod than he closed
the slosa and resolutely cut himself
on from AN communication with his
ucighbors What went OF within that
tightly shat house no one knows for Il
certainty, but strange stories crept
around.
II WIS said that sanders deliberate
II chopped up the fine plano and all
the rest 81 the elegant furniture and
used Il Tor hrewood The handsome
clo,hc. d ulg dcud woman went tho
samc way. The iewclry alone was
saved ana many times sanders might
have been seen with dozen rings Oh
hi. fingers and with ladys hand
some gold chain about his seek. lie
became cBrelcss ia his personal habits
and tha Hnc juwclry that he wore con.
ira,lcd sharply with his grimy hands
AND face uud a!lhy clothes
His cccynirlCiiics naturally attract
Cd attention and tho children IN the
y.c.a.tt soon fell Into the habit Of
yelling There goes crazy Sanders"
Whenever ho passed along the street
This - suiarialed him that he began
10 chose hls iortncutcrs threatening
ihum with The stout cane that he car
rlcd Tho boys rvtaliAted BY throw.
Tag st5nos nj him whcrcupun he
would retreat int his house and lock
the door Then they smashed the
window glass. and sanders obtained
heavy planks and covered all the
doors anA windows Of tho lower story
with ;Hru. mailing up every crcyice
20 lightly ,ha; not ray Of light could
penetrate
Finally 5; became impossible tor tho
mnu 20 appear on the street without
being followed by gang OF cbildrcn.
yelling and hooting aud throwing ciods
and stones at him. Sanders became
80 cxAspcvatsd that at last he pur-
chased Is revolver and when next he
WAS tormruled ho drew II and threat
onCd to shoot his youthful nssatlaiitA
The youngsters fed in terror with
Sanders in fnllpursuit his cane IN one
hand ngG tho weapon In the other.
Tho screams Of the frightened chill.
drcn attracted the attention Of an o n
Ger and Sanders was put under arrest
Upon searching him at the station
hauk-notas. bonds and securities worth
o good many thousand dollars worI
found upon his person. lie was de-
priycd ~ his weapon. fined heavily
for making a threatening display OF II
and then discharged.
The fact that Sanders carried
largo amount OF portable wealth with
him thus became known. He was
credited by popular report with This
possession OF vast sums much lnrgei
than the actually. though Il was true
that he was comparatively we'll OF
These reports excited tho cupiditl
OF some youthful criminals, and they
determined to nolp themselves 70 som'
or all OF sanders wealth. One nigh
they broke in the door OF tho boarded
up house and made combined on
slOught upon It's inmate The!
knocked him down and kicked hin
and beat him in n terrible manner
Ono OF his eyes was gouged or kicke'
out and he was badly bruised and Gu
besides How much they obtained !
not known for Sanders made no com
plant 20 tho police and no arrest
followed That they stole n consider
able sum however, is believed In
decd Sanders acknowledged as much
For long while the poor fello.
has kept himself secluded and has sci
dom been seen on the streets FOR
morly his figure was we'll known dow
town. rIc IS short, stout walks wit
peculiar roll TO his gnit wears a
unkempt sandy mustnche and beard
now much stroalted with gray ma
full rcd checks and deep-set twinklin
eyes, He exercises no care whateye
about his personal appearance III
clothes arc filthy and on his hands an
face is the accumulated dirt appar
emily OF months Whether or ne
Sanders has any relatives on Tn
coast is not known, II such be u
case he ia certainly q fit subject f'
thoir care.
Tho houea IN which no lives show