The Portland daily press., 1896-02-29

SI1EN1DAN
Statuette by James E. Kelly, Presented I
watching for his divinity to appear
When she did appear he would dog her
footsteps or follow her carriage for
miles through the streets of the city. He
was finally arrested and thrown into
| the Tombs.
| While there the prison was visited by
Colonel E. q. G. Judson, "Ned Bunt-
line, who knew him and his people and
who interceded with Justice McWattors
for him and secured his release. "Boots''
then tearfullly told Colonel Judson of
his futile efforts to see Miss Lind after she
had invited him to New York, and ex-
hibited the letters which he had received
at Kingston, and which Colonel Jud-
son at once declared were forgeries. He
then took Boots and put him and his
hand organ on board of the old steamer
Henry Clay and sent him home TO Kings
| ton.
He soon became in measure imbecile
and never worked at his trade thereafter
He would travel all over the village play
ing his hand organ until he became as
great nuisance to his old neighbors as
he had been to Miss Lind. He also had an
uncomfortable way of rising from bed in
the middle of the night aud treating his
brothers and sisters to midnight con-
cert on his hand organ. A few well-di-
rected blows from an axe, welded by his
brother and directed at the organ pipes,
put an end, however, to the midnight as
we'll as the daylight concerts.
| just before the civil war broke out
'Boots'' became violently insane and
| tried to kill his mother. He was thrown
| in jail and after some months was al
lowed to go, but he never went back to
! his old home. Instead, he went out a
| few miles from the city and built him
self hut, where for nearly forty years
| ing for his only companion a NANCY cur
of dog. He has built around his hut
stone wall from which protrude, like the
muzzles of cannon from the embrasures
of fort, logs, to represent guns. With
| in the hut hang no less than hundred
pictures of his lost love, Jenny Lind.
These he worships with worship akin
to idolatry. He has never forgotten her,
and the dearest subject to his poor crazed
fmind today is the memory of the woman
1 he expected to maryland didn't.
"Boots" is well known character in
all the river towns. He goes off on
long tramps from home, walking as far
south as Yonkers and far north as Troy.
He is intensely patriotic and is always
readyEto mount a horse block and make
a political speech for a few pennies. He
never misses an Inauguration in Wash
ington and has walked from his hut on
the banks of the Hudson to Washington
to see every President inaugurated since
the second Inauguration of Lincoln. He
generally starts some time in January
and makes speeches in every town along
the route.
1 A few years ago "Boots's" crank took
another turn. He discarded the dress
suit, which he generally wore and which
was made from red and white striped
awning stuff, and bought himself full
Grand Army uniform. Then he provided
himself with paint box and started on
his travels. He visited nearly every por-
tion Of the country through the river
counties and must have painted thous-
ands Of Soriptural quotations on the
looks and stone walls. His visit to
!, Ophir Farm, where resides the Hon.
Whitelaw Reide, near White Plains, New
| York, was perhaps the most noticeable
He painted on everything that would
|. take paint such awful warnings as the
, following: Escape a burning he'll! ~
"Fles from the wrath to comep' "Pre-
, pare to meet thy God !" Skinner, re-
pent, believe and be saved" and many
others Just as startling. These were taken
, up as an omen that Hon. Mr.. Reid, who
was then candidate for the Vice Presi-
, denoy OF the United States, was not
, pleasing to Deity and that he would be
defeated. If this was sudden inspira-
ton of prophecy awakened in Boots"
1t came true as far as the defeat of Reid
went. 1t is likely that the largo number
Of flat stones in the walls about Ophir
Farm had moro to do. however, with
"Boots" lavish ornamentation than any
suddenly awakened spirit Of prophecy.
Although "Boots" generally wears very
picturesque clothing, oftener than other
wise very greasy, dirty and ragged, he is
not poor by any means. His wants are
, few and they are m ostly supplied by his
| charitable neighbors, and his pennies.
which he gathers not few, all find their
way into the Saugerties Savings Bank,
where at last account he had several
mortgages on deposit and nearly the
| limit of deposit of $4,000. There is q
!. legend that he buries his money, but this
, is improbable from the fact that he has
an abiding faith in the bank, where an
t uncle of his was one time trustee.
r Nevertheless his shanty has been burned
n a number Of times while he was absent,