Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-01-02
jeff McCoy's Life One Long
Tragedy, From Which Soil
tude is Escape
ONCE AN INMATE OF ASYLUM
Civil War Veteran, Adjudged More
Insane Than He Really Was, Made
His Escape Twenty three Years
Ago, and Since Then Has Lived in
a Dusout in the Forest, Near JEFF
ferson.
Special to es-Rcpublican.

Special to Times-Rcpublican.
Jefferson, Jan. 2.-Down near the
Coon river, in the dense forest, Jeff.
Mccoy, soldier Of the civil war, lives
alone. Many people in this community
have probably often wondered why
country would take. himself far from
friends and loved ones, and for twen-
ty-three years hide away and endeavor
to forget the world as he has done,
The pathway leading to his dugout
takes one thru tangled mass of for
est, and winds around high bluffs, into
deep ravines and over hills from the
top Of which one can see hundreds of
feet below.
A small house has been erected by
Mccoy, in which he Keeps his store Of
ee-hives, and the place where he lives
and sleeps consists Of hole dug in the
ground. over which a few boards have
been laid, and for roof dirt has been
packed overhead. An old tumble down
bed, the bed clothes dirty and soiled,
cover him at night. An old stove long
ago practically useless, is crowded into
one corner, and boxes and trash lay
tumbled in all kinds of shape about the
cave. Not far from the cave the river
rushes and roars over waterfall, and
as one stands near listening to the
noises of the forest, it is little wonder
that the man who has lived here for
so many years has forgotten that there
really is great wide world beyond.
Forty three years ago, at the close
of the civil war, Mccoy came home,
having been discharged from the army
on account of disability, a little feeble
in mind, and broken down in health.
His people lived at that time not far
from Jefferson upon farm, and We're
then well-to-do. Mccoy made his home
with them and for several months
worked upon the farm. But people be-
gan to talk about him. They suspect
ed that his mind was even worse than
1t really was The young boys ridi-
culed him upon the streets when he
came to town. and life became mis-
cradle to him.
One night JEFF made up his mind
to leave, so, packing up a few
clothes, he started cross country for
Des Moines. AT Des Moines he was
arrested when trying to get work, and
after being held in Jail for several
weeks he was adjudged insane and
sent to the asylum at Clarinda. The
terrible stories told of the suffering
which Mccoy endured while at the
hospital are pitiful in the extreme. He
believed that he had been wrongly
Judged, and aside perhaps from slight
mental difficulty, Mccoy was never in
sane He tells of the beatings and tor
ture that his jailers inflicted upon him,
and Of the long sleepless nights in
which he reviewed his life and thought
bitterly of his unfortunate existence.
Many months flew by and Mccoy
watched for chance to escape. One
night the opportunity came, and he
stole into the timber, where he kept
on berries. Mccoy travelled at night.
His only desire was to get back to his
home. The officers were hot upon his
trail, and many times he was almost
taken.
Three months after his escape from
the asylum he made his way to JEFF
ferson. He hid in the home Of James
May, an old friend, who sheltered and
fed him for many months. But Nc
Coy was ever on the alert for the
officers. Every town and hamlet in the
country was on the lookout for the
escaped maniac. But Mccoy stayed
hid in his friends home and no trace
of him was found But Mccoy longed
to be alone and have a home of his
own. Under cover of the night he
stole away to the timber and with the
exception Of coming to town once
month he has livedi trapping in the
winter time and fishing in the summer.
Mccoy is past 20 years of age. His
outdoor life has made him strong and
robust. He draws large pension from
the government, and the officers, who
know of his whereabouts, say nothing.
and in all probability he will be left
alone the rest of his life.