The Portland daily press., 1897-06-18
THE "WOMAN HERMIT"
Tragic History of Mrs. Polly Blake of
Kentucky.

kentucky.
Correspondence of the St. Louis Globe
Democrat.)
Bardstown, KY, June "A log cabin
situated in the depths of an almost I'M
broken forest, twelve miles east of this
place, near the Rolling Fork River, in
Washington county, is an object of inter-
est, it being the home of Mrs. Polly
Blake, known throughout the section in
which she dwells as the woman hermit. +"
The story of her life would furnish ma
lerial for a thrilling novel. For fifty
years Mrs. Blake has lived in this lone
~ cabin her only companions being a
dog and two cats.
In 1885 Polly Andrews was a lovely
near Springfield, Ky. They were we'll
to-do, respectable people, and Polly, be-
ing an unusually pretty girl, industrious,
modest and amiable naturally had many
suitors for her hand Among them was
one Stephen Lection, prosperous young
farmer of the neighborhood. This man
was conceded to be Polly's accepted sweet
heart. The Andrews residence was sit
uated near the public highway, and tray
elers were frequently entertained there.
During the summer of 1885, stranger,
giving his name as Thomas Blake,
stopped over night with the Andrews.
He stated that he was from Boyle Coun-
ty, and was in quest of mules, which he
was buying for the Southern market.
He was handsome man, and to all ap-
pearances a gentleman of high standing.
An attachment sprang up between him
and Polly, which resulted in marriage in
the spring of 1886, not before Mr.. An
drews had, however, satisfied himself that
Blake was all he had represented himself
to be.
After the wedding Blake took I'D his
residence with his father-in- law, and,
strange as it may seem, a strong intima-
cy was formed between him and young
Lection, Polly's rejected lover If Lection
felt any resentment at his treatment by
the young lady, he gave no evidence Of
1t, but continued on the most friendly
terms with the whole family. In the au-
tumn following Polly's marriage to
Blake, Letton sold his property and an
nounced his intention of emigrating to
what is now West Virginia, alleging he
had purchased an interest in coal mine
there. About this time Blake decided
to return to Boyle county to settle up
some unfinished business, and then to
journey to Eastern Kentucky in search Of
mules. AS Lotions route led him in
that direction, the two men decided to
Danville few days the friends continued
their journey. On arriving in Boyle
county they repaired to the home of a
wealthy drover, with whom Blake had
frequently transacted business, and here
the travellers separated. Before Lection
took his leave of Blake, however, he bor-
rowed from the latter sum Of money,
which he promised to pay on reaching his
destination, claiming that his money had
all been invested there.
The night following Blake's departure
from the drover's house in Boyle county
it was entered by an assassin, who killed
the inmates and secured a package con-
tanning $500 in bank notes. In order to
conceal his crime the murderer set fire to
the house. The building burned slowly,
and the neighborS were enabled to eXtin-
guish the flames and discover the murder
bus work which had been done. The as
sassin, before leaving the yard, had torn
open the wrapper on the package of mon
ey and flung it on the ground. This was
picked up by officers of the law, and
marks of blood were found upon it. This
Was the only clew in their possession.
Shortly after Blake's return to Spring
field he received the money which Letton
owed him. Detectives suspected Blake
of numbering the drover, because he was
known to have been intimate with him,
and had stopped at his house shortly be-
fore the commission of the crime Conse-
quently, he was kept under constant sur
Vigilance for four months. In the mean
time Mrs. Blake's health began to fail,
and her husband decided to take her on a
southern trip. The detectives followed
them. Whenever Blake paid hotel bill
or offered money for any purpose the
officer secured the bank note which had
been in the formers possession. Finally
the Swallowed man paid out $40 bill
which had a red mark in one corner
The detective Immediately arrested him.
At the trial. the torn wrapper, with its
smear of blood, was identified as having
been in the drover's possession. The
banknote which had been traced to Blake
was also shown. The stain on the wrap
per correspondent precisely with the mark
on the banknote. A strong magnifying
glass revealed unerringly that the muir
derer's thumb, in tearing open the en-
velope, had touched3the topmost bank
note. Blake stoutly protested his inno-
cence, averring that the blood stained
money had been paid him by Stephen
Letton; that he (Blake) had plenty of
money without resorting to robbery and
murder; that the drover and himself were
the best of friends, and he could have no
motive to murder him. A thorough
search was made for Lection, but he could
not be found, and Blake was given a life
sentence in the penitentiary. Mrs. Blake
never doubted her husbands innocence,
and after his imprisonment made re-
peated efforts to secure his pardon, but
they were of no avail, and ten years after
his conviction Blake died of consump-
ton.
A few days after the death of her hus-
band, Mrs. Blake received letter bear
ing the postmark of San Francisco, Cal
Tt was signed by a notary public and a
minister Of the Gospel The contents of
the letter were remarkable. 1t stated
that Stephen Letton was fatally wounded
in bar room brawl, and had made a
death bed confession, in which he stated
he had rnI1r6er.pd drnunr in L er1t11clxu