The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1906-05-31
PALSIED AND BENT WITH YEARS,
The " Immortal J. N" Dying in BOyhOOd
Home For Hall Century He Was
on the FreeIaist of All IIO-
L d L.
tells and Railroads,

the pike midway between Tiffin aud
Upper Sandusky, habitation which
in the early days of the county was al
most pI etentious enough to be called
mansion, the clouds of eternal darkness
are settling down upon life which for
its strange vagaries, its tragic fate and
abnormal tendencies constitutes a char
acter without a known parallel. 1t is
the closing scene upon the career of
Jacob N. Free, known throughout the
length and breadth of the United States
as the Immortal j. N" Now an old
and decrepit man, palsied and bent
with the winters of SO years, this cease
less wanderer has turned his tottering
steps to seek shelter beneath the roof
tree which knew his childish prattle.
His eyes will close in death upon the
scenes among which his once brilliant
intellect developed and expanded into
breadth that was akin to genius. This
man is apparently without a counter
part in human history. Other great
minds have been schattered just as they
were about to shed their influences up
on the destinies of mankind, but they
at once sunk into oblivion. Not so with
that of Jacob N. Free. By the very
power of his warped and distorted men
tai faculties, and without the aid of
money or influence of friends, he carri-
ed himself into national prominence
aud retained his unique position for
period of 50 years, carried on, il almost
seems, by some invisible and relentless
guiding hand that inspired him to wan
der, ever wander, and forever proclaim
the principles of his philosophy"
j. N. Free was the son of DIR. John
Free, manof high character and great
intellectual force. For a period of So
years he was a minister and physician.
ae resided upon farm near McCutch-
envllle, aud, in addition to his other
professional duties, taught the country
schools in that vicinity. 1t was upon
this farm that the Immortal j. N. :"
was born in the year 1923, and the
house is today pointed out by people
passing as place of especial interest.
1t was to this home that the weary
wanderer has now returned to spend
his few remaining days.
There were three brothers and two
sisters John N, a major in the civil
war; Henry n, a colonel in the same
service, and Jacob N; Mrs. John w.
Cooley, whose home is now also that of
her aged brother, and sister, who
died in Columbus several years ago.
Major Free now resides in New Lex
ington, and it was there that the errat-
Ic brother sometimes found haven of
rest when wearied with his travels. In
deed, it is said that he more often
sought the hearthstone of this brother
than he did that of his boyhood home.
It was very seldom that be came to M
Cutchenvlle after this peculiar blight
fell upon his mind in his early man.
hood The father of this family died
in 1872; the mother many years before.
OF their children all were we'll educated
and all were highly intellectual. The
two brother each became lawyers, anG
brilliant ones.
After attending the country schools
of his neighborhood J. N. was sent t.
the famous old academy at Republic
where he was graduated with the high
est honors of his class. At this time
fired with desire for wealth, he joineC
with party of friends and journeyet
to California in search of gold. Their
be struck it rich and was rapidly build
ing up fortune in the city of Maysfiel'
when, one night in 1852, fire destroy
ed practically the entire business sec
tion Of the city and rendered him pen
niless.
Discouraged by this loss he returne
to Ohio and soon thereafter entered tn
law school of Cincinnati, which he al
tended for ten weeks, and during whic
he and Col Cyrus Sears, still living i
Wyandot county, occupied the sam
room.
1t appears that it was here that thos
strange vagaries which so dominate
his after life first manifested then
n selves. OF his association with,J. N.
this period Col Sears says; "Mr. Ere
remained student of the Institute
for about ten weeks, eight of which |
appeared to be a fair student of mo-
E than average brightness, prone to a:
leading questions, and insisting upo
satisfactory-to him-answers. b
during this time there was nothing
notably abnormal about him as to su
gest an unbalanced mind, He was
good conversationalist, and, being OF
u of the original forty-nlners, was armt
u with a large fund of interesting stori
J always on tap at the slightest provoc
A. tion.
i s'At the end of about eight weeks
began to vfsibly put on immortaliI
~ and became mot as other men. 3
X mania rapidly developed. 1t was n
Is then in the form of veil litter, but
an ability to move towns and cities a
money. By a simple presto will ord
he thought he could move Cincinn
over to the Covington or Newport sit,
ct. and them to the Cincinnati side; cor