The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-07
DIED ALONE, AS HE LIVED.
JOHNSON, THE HERMIT OF USION-
VILLE, FOUND DEAD IN HIS COTTAGE.
AFTER ForsaLinE HIS wife ne Eerseok Man.
Kind, and nuiit . Hens which No One
was Allowed to Enter-Buiit . Stairway
TO . Treetap, where ne sang asa Prayed.

AFTER ForsnLing His wife ne Rorseok Man.
Kind, and Built . Hone Whioh No One
was Allowed to Enter-Buiit . Stairway
to . Trsstsp, where ne sang asa Prayed.
ELIZABETH, n. j., Sept 6.-Charles Pearson
Johnson. a hermit who was known to all who
had travelled past Unionville, . hamlet be-
tween Union and Hilton, died alone In his
small house Saturday evening. Few besides
his neishbors knew him except as tho Her
nit" johnson had lived the life Of a recluse
many years. Ha was married when q young
man, but became estrangcd from his wife and
after sending her to her parents homo built
for himself the little cottage in which he lived
thereafter. This he named Tho Hermitage"
and = largo sign painted by himself announced
tho name TO all passerS
johnson seldom allowed any person 10 enter
the small gate that opened from the road to the
yard surrounding the cottage and never during
his life did any one but himself enter the cot
tase. His relatives. were the most abhorred Of
all. and the mention Of their names In his pres
enco drove johnson into q frenzy.
johnson served In tho First Connecticut
Heavy Artillery during the war, and there was
pension money enough duo him to pay the
funeral expenses aud to-day he received . Chris
tian burial. johnson was q protesting Chris
t!an all his life, and when he became a hermit
his rclizious beliefs took an aggressive turn.
FOR sins printed on small cards. and would
stand at his gate for hours at o time watch
ins for persons. to whom he would hand, a
card. He painted religious notices all over his
rounded the cottage. some Of them. were:
"lnddelity Is q through ticket to he'll with
pride shuts tho door of heaven and opens
wide the gates of hell"
Deal Justly; love mercy; and walk humbly
some Of the notices were not religious One
OF them was:
"Ir You hitch here, III cut you clear"
TAere is u tses sixty feet high in front OF the
cottage. A few years ago johnson bad a stair
intended to ascend the stairs to heaven on the
day OK judgment. He frequently went to the
top OF the tree to sing ana pray. Although he
P Prspspsd @ to Zeal ana an RSaSsif lis With Wit % ang b %ss
WHO intruded on his seclusion. He always car
rted a large %revo!ver and pra rticed shooting
cottage. He was pract!cing at an imaginary
Intruder, he explained, 80 that he could Do sure
to hit a real visitor.
Johnson had considerable property, and there
Is likely to be n lawsuit over the estate. No
will has been found, but johnson declared fire.
quently that none Of his property shonid pass
into the possession OF his relatives. lie left
orc daughter. who lives in NeS Haven. Conn,
but he did not ike her. She visited him q few
months ago. but Johnson drove her away from
tue hermitage, saying that she had come To get
possession OF his pension papers. lie threat
ensd TO shoot her or any one else who dared to
even touch tho papers.
He was a member OF Admiral Foote Post. q.
4. r.. Of New Haven, Conn. His army dis
charge papers and a memorial conveying thanks
To- him from the Connecticut legislature for
bravery during the war were found among his
There was a large gathering of nelshbors at
the funera! services. which were held this after
noon in the Cnionyille Church. and q large
number followed the hernits body 20 the old
IOuaeGt4GGL FARMS bUrytnS srouut-