The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-03-05

USE FORCE TO Battle olD HERMIT

forsake his miserable and unsanitary
cabin in the mountains near here and
live with a niece who has offered him a
comfortable home, Hiram Francis,
nonagenarian, is starving and suffering
from cold and exposure. At last ac-
counts he was nursing a frozen foot
and fighting neighbors who were trying
to care for him and the sheep and cat
tie shivering in his barnyard.
The case is most unusual one and
greatly distresses the kind-hearted
country folk, who would gladly take
NIT them to do so. They have fed
his cattle surreptitiously, left food at his
door when he wasn't looking, and have
twice attempted to have the old man
placed in the care of a guardian. All
efforts to dislodge him have failed, and
it is likely that he will stick to the
cabin until he dies.
Lived as Hermit.
Francis has lived the life of her
nit for years, caring for his stock when
he was physically able to do so. and
letting them find food as best they
might when illness beset him and he
was unable to get about his small farm.
Whenever he was sickand neighbors Of
fered to attend to his duties he refused
all aid, declaring that the good people
were trying to put him in the poor
house. On such occasions farmers
would take grain and hay to his barn
yard at night and dump it over the
fence. Had it not been for this unwel-
come charity the sheep and COWS would
have starved long ago.
Last year some of the neighbOrS
die if he didn't battle. They are clean
ly folks, and the unwashed condition
of Francis sorely distressed them. So
they preached the subject. The result
was so nerve wrecking that they in
stantly withdrew But they didn't give
up. Down to the poor house went the
delegation and sought the aid of the
poor master. He said that the case GER
tainly demanded the Intervention Of the
authorities, and sent two husky en-
ployes to wash the old man if they had
to tie him to a bed to do it. Just what
happened in the cabin has never been
made public, but the watchful neigh
bors hardly knew Francis when they
saw him next day.
Mrs. Burton, niece Of the hermit, has
done her utmost to improve the aged
mans condition, but without avail.
Twice she has attempted to have a
amounted to nothing, as the papers
were imperfect She has tried all her
arts to take her uncle into her own
home but he has steadfast1y refused to
either move or be cared for in his I'M
healthy cabin.
About 10 days ago Francis journeyed
to town. 1t was bitterly cold, the ther-
mometer registering far below the zero
mark, and the hermit froze one foot.
Neighbors offered to care for him then,
but he said if he could freeze himself
he could thaw himself out, and would
have none of them about. So he tried
the thawing process, but with mighty
small success.
Everything Neglected.
1t was at this time that some one hit
upon the ida of invoking the aid of the
Vermont Humane society. The nearest
officer of the society was w. w. Tower,
who lived in Rutland. He is 76 years
old and lame, but he managed to get
UP the mountain and make a careful
investigation. He found condition
Of affairs remarkable in a civilized
country. There were so sheep, COWS
and yearlings which had not been fed
for four days. He called this fact to the
attention of Grand Juror Carpenter and
a further investigation was then made
by the both men. The shanty was found
to be literally falling to pieces. and
ed when the wind blew it down from
near the ridge pole.
The officers pounded on the door and
shortly out hobbled Francis on one foot.
The other foot was not thoroughly
thawed out and was in a terrible state.
The old man was suffering intense pain
and his clothing was hanging on him
in mere shreds, but he growled when
aid was offered him. He looked to be
about five feet tall and to weigh about
80 pounds, and from his voice and gen.
eral appearance the officers judged him
to be exceedingly weak. The only heat
was furnished by a small fire in the
center of the main room. After vainly
trying to induce the man to live with
his niece the officers withdrew.
On returning to Wells Officer Tower
placed the matter in the hands of
Health Officer Lake, and he says that
he will see what legal action can be
taken. Francis was born in this town.
and is bachelor. The farm on which
his cabin is situated is owned by a man
named Manchester, who resides in Fair
Haven.