Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1899-12-01
MORE ABOUT DIR. ALLSUPE.
j. D. B. Tells Something of The
Ellington Hermit.

The Queer Old Man Has Not Been at
His Accustomed Haunts For Several
Months Spent The Past Summer at
M0undsTille Living in a Little Shanty
ON The River Bank.
A short time ago the NEW DoMlN-
ION told Of the whereabouts of DR..
Allsupe the Ellington hermit who has
been absert from his usual habitst for
several months He has been near
Moundsyille the past summer. A
correspondent of the Fairmont Free
Press gives something of his history
that may be forgotten TO some extent
which we reproduce below:
| was interested in short sketch
in last weeks Free Press about CALI
supe, the Ellington Hermit Short
items about him and his abode and
mode of living have appeared in differ
ent papers under the caption, 1.-THE
Ellington Hermit, and hermit he
most surely is. His story in the
hands Stanley Weyman would form
the foundation of quite romance,
and indeed If the story told by the old
er residents of Ellington be true there
has been much both of romance and
tragedy in his life. His name as given
by himself is .Bonaparte Alsup. Old
people tell story of his first appear
ance in that neighborhood many years
ago, dressed in the latest fashion of
that time and driving pair of as fine
horses as had ever been seen in those
parts. The story told of him is to the
effect that he was a son of a wealthy
Virginia planter and slave owner, well
educated and with diploma from a
we'll known medical college, but that
he fell in love beneath his station in
life, and having quarrel with his
father over it, he was driven from
home and disinherited. From his
first appearance at Ellington he was
very eccentric and held but little COM
munication with his neighbors.
He got possession of the island just
above Ellington, which is still locally
known as '.Allsupe Island, 4" and plant
ed it every year in corn and other
truck.
Now there was living in that neigh
borhood man named Philip Shuttles-
worth, who had but little respect for
the rights of others, and his cows
often pastured on Allsupe's corn.
People said he had often been seen
driving them across the little strip of
water separating the island from the
main land, and hard feelings resulted.
One day Allsupe was out hunting and
met Shuttlesworth in a little hollow
opposite the island and about couple
of hundred yards from the river. ALI
supe demanded Of him why he pastur-
ed his cattle on his (Allsupe's) corn, to
which Shuttlesworth replied haunting
ly, and high words followed. Proba-
bly, no one will ever know exactly how
it was, but Allsupe says Shuttles-
worth picked up stone to throw at
him. Anyway there was the report
of rifle and a cry, and when some
persons who were near ran to the spot,
they found Allsupe with a smoking
rifle in his hands and Shuttlesworth
on the ground breathing his last.
Allsupe was arrested and put in Jail
at Morgantown. He told lawyer
there that if he could clear him he
would give him the island, which was
all he owned. The trial came on and
Allsupe was sentenced. / think, to
twelve years at hard labor, but was
pardoned for good behavior long before
his time expired. When he returned
he was mental wreck. He built a
small ''iean to" against the side of a
large rock, and there he has lived
since like a woodchuck or muskrat,
dirty and ragged. About year ago
he was sent to the county poor farm
at Cassville. How he comes to be at
Moundsville is mystery Probably
| the thoughts of old associations drew
| him there.
The story of his having wealthy
| friends in New York is probably a
| Pigment of his own imagination. His
principal hobby is that he has discov-
cred sure cure for leprosy, and il en-
couraged little will talk INCREASINGLY
about it. Altogether it is sad story
of rocked life.
/
For Rent.