Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-08-20
STORY OF LOVE AND MURDER
 REVEALED BY HERMIT'S DEATH
Queer Character Of Whom Little Was knovn, Dies in Montana Cabin--kiils Rual in Germany and
 Flees to America.

Twin Bridges. Mont-Letters and papers discovered in rusty old tin box hidden beneath a board in the floor of little old weather.beaten. dilapidated miners cabin clinging to rnountainside not far from here tell one of the strangest stories that has come to light in this region in many years.
 The story is of an eccentric old her nit who died in the cabin in which the papers and letters were discov. cred. The name of this hermit was Roscoe Overhardt. For years before he died Overhardt lived alone in the little old cabin and wandered over the mountains hereabout in quest of game and gold.
 It was always supposed by those who knew him, or rather by those who saw him, for no one hereabouts knew him. that Overhardt was mentally un- balanced and that he was extremely poor. In the twenty-odd years that he made his home in the little old cabin on the mountainside he never spoke of his own free will to any person, never raised his eyes to look into those of man or woman with whom he met face to face and never bought groceries or clothing at a store in Twin Bridges or any other town in this part of Montana.
 The furniture in the one room of his cabin was of the meanest sort. The clothing upon the old mans back was shabbier than the furniture in his cabin. A dog was the hermit's only friend and companion. For the dog he seemed to cherish deep, warm af- lection, while the faithful animals love for him was well.nigh human in its tenderness and constancy
 The strange. silent old man fell i'll a few weeks ago in his shabby little cabin on the mountain side and could not leave his bed thereafter No one knew he was i'll until the day he died, when prospector, happening to pass that way, stopped at his door to ash for drink of water and found him dying. Before a doctor could be reached the hermit went to his final rest.
 A careful search of the dead mans cabin brought to light rusty tin box containing few gold coins and the letters and papers which tell in part the story of his life before he came west to spend his declining years in loneliness.
 Roscoe Overhardt was born in Ger. many, according to the story these letters and papers tell. His father was well-to-do merchant in Berlin and he gave his son university edu. catioh, intending him to adopt the pro fession of medicine. in his student days young Overhardt paid court to pretty Katherine Meller, and finally won her consent to marry him.
 Katherine Meller had had another suitor before she met Overhardt. His name was Matthew Schoenfeldt, and he belonged to a dlgnifed family at Frankfort. Schoenfeldt flew into high passion when he learned of Miss Meller's engagement to Overhardt, sought out the girls Accepted lover and picked a quarrel with him. Tn the quarrel Overhardt stabbed Schoen- feldt, who died of his wounds soon afterward revealing the identity of his slayer. ....
 Overhardt, well-night crazed with grief, went immediately to his sweet heart and confessed his crime to her. She begged him to fee to the United States, promising to join him in this