The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-06-19
STRANGE HERMIT OF
MARSHALL COUNTY
DR.. Lazarus Carried Secret to
His Grave
WAS VERY LEARNED MAN
BEAD and Wrote in Many Languages
But Lived in squaIor In DeIaP-
dated Mountain Cabin.
Led HermIt's Life.
WAS VERY LEARNED MAN
ay WALTER HARPER.

rs..tlv,an June I.-(SpeclaiJ--
o,,,,o,,nitv has It's human curiosi-
~ A few years ago Marshall county
I'D one of these strange beings that in
4arested me very much. He is dead now
80 buried with him in his solitary grave
Is the great secret of his lie. lie was
a hermit. There are hundreds OF her-
mits in America, but each one has as
tinctive history that Is of peculiar inter-
when II is known. Perhaps 1t is the
studied effort of the recluse to hide his
,,fa that creates so much curiosity on
the part of the public.
"Dr. Lazarus" lived on the crest Oh
Sand mountain above Guntersville In
small, tumbled-down hut in the center OF
a clearing This hut was about Il by IL
feet in a very dilapidated condition, and
the interior was always kept in extreme
disorder. The old man kept as his only
eomnanions a herd of goats that shared
his bed and board on an equality with
their master.
Appearance Was Peculiar.
pr r,aaar1s at the time knew him,
twelve years ago, was about 60 years Oh
age and was of peculiar personal APP
pearance. His hair was long, black anu
as coarse as an Indians lie was Oh
small stature and bony. HIS Skin was
dark his eyes black and piercing buI
over all there was look OF strong IN
tellipence that was almost always dis.
tinesiishable. The four walls of his mis-
cradle habitation were literally lined with
hooks printed in ten or twelve different
languages. all of which he read huently,
and his floor was always strewn with pa
ners and manuscripts, the latter his own
work and executed in as many different
languages as the books on the walls lie
was fluent in the use of many languages
and was a regular correspondent to sew
eral socialistic periodicals In different
parts of the world. He was a socialist
and an atheist, and his writings were
mainly on these subjects, though he was
able to handle with remarkable skill al
most any subject brought to his atten-
ton.
Whether "Dr. Lazarus was the mans
correct name, I have never been able to
learn. He came from New York city to
Marshall county more than thirty years
ago, ostensibly to spend a summer wtr
a friend he had met In New York who
lived at Guntersville at that time. He
never returned home afterward. 1t Is
said that at one time he was member
of the board of health of New York city,
and was one of the most successful ply
sicians there He did some little practice
among his mountain neighbors, but most
people were afraid to put themselves in
his hands.
Wife Changed Her Mind.
Some time before the man died he got
in correspondence with lady in New
York who was a contributor of eminence
to sociallstic journals. After brief cor
respondence they became engaged and
appointed time of meeting in Chatta-
nooga They met here for the first time
and were promptly married. Returning
to Guntersville on a river steamer they
| took carriage for their mountain home.
! On arriving at the torn-down howell in the
wilderness it only took the lady two
| her geese to a very poor market. She
promptly decamped, and going to a neigh
boring house she spent the night Next
morning she returned to New York, and
the romance ended.
| DIR. Lazarus made no protest, but quiet
! ly returned to his old avocation of feed
| ing goats and ploughing through his con-
| glomeration of strange literature
| One day he died while alone like he
had lived. He was buried with his secret
untold, and very likely 1t will never be
| known.