The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1910-02-09
STRANGE CAREER
OF JEAN AUDREY
Kentucky's Noted Female
NOmad.
WAS A HOMELESS WANDERED
Would Not Sleep Indoors
Always in Company of
Dogs and Pony.

hulIOIf f1eidlu. -Ohuci eho uc<tu
ing of" Jean Audrey Frozen TO Death,
The Herald Of January 10, gave al
account Of her death at Bardwell, Ky.
and short sketch of the life OF
this fanatical woman. During the
years that she was in this part OF
the State her history was but lit
tie known and she was considered by
maLy as being but little better than
a Wild woman. She was arrested sew
eral times as such, but was always
acquitted on the ground that she had
in no way committed an unlawful Of
ferse. IN the fall of 1908 she was at
Fordsville and was arrested for camp
Ing in a meadow without permission
and terrifying the citizens, who mis-
/ took her for wild or crazy woman,
but was released at the xamining
trial as she had not violated any
law or trespassed upon any one.
After she was acquitted she applied
to DR.. Matthews for surgical treat
ment, telling him that in arresting
her the constable and his posse fired
upon her and her dogs and she was
wounded in the right shoulder. DR..
Matthews removed three shot from
her shoulder and after he had
dressed the wounds, she gave him
an account of her life, travels and ad-
ventures which was better material
for a dime novel than an authentic
history of life on the western plains.
She also showed him a collection OF
drawings she had made which showed
she was an artist of considerable abil-
ity. These drawings represented her
former homes, landscapes and such
other scenery that had attracted her
attention during her wanderings. 1t
is very evident that Jean Audrey's
account of her life was net all ro-
nance. Her general and fluent con-
versations showed that she was of
good class of people and had received
good city education and her draw
ings showed that she was an artist OF
of uncommon talents. DR.. Matthews
saws Jean was but little over four
feet high and appeared to be about
81 yearr old and besides being a fine
artist, he was told she was the best
musician that was ever in this part
Of the State. The doctor very much
regrets that while she was in his Of
flee that a reporter was not pres
ent that could have obtained a more
complete history of this strange wo-
man.
Jean, like many other talented city
girls that had read dime novels and
gone to the western frontier, had be-
come enamored with the wild life Yon
the western plains and though, during
the years that she was among us she
conversed fluently with our best in
formed citizens and sat at the table
with all the etiquette of city refine
ment, yet when it came ~ retire for
the night, no persuasion could in
duce her to accept their further hos
pitality. Wrapping herself in q com
mon quilt surrounded by har pony and
dogs. she lay down on the damp and
frozen ground during the most inelem
cnt weather, till her frail constitution
gave way 10 the laws of nature, About
one year ago Jean, her pony and dogs
were taken across the river az. Owens
boro where the citizens of that part
Of Indiana became alarmed Il what
they thought was a wild woman and
she was arrested as such and sent
across the river at Rockport, Ind,
when she returned to her old haunts
in Hancock and Davies counties, and
from there it appears she wandered
to Bardwell, KY, where the citizens
of the town awoke to hear the an
nouncement that Jean Audrey was
found among them, a frozen corpse.
! EDWIN FORBES