The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-13
SILENT HBRMITS LIFE ENDS
NORMAN SPOkE BUT ONCE IN
JIYEiRS AND THEN PAINTED.
became Voluntarily Mute while ab'e 70
speak and rOok to Hi- bed when In
Perfect IIeaIth-Before That tie Was
slnr Of BeslInlnster'u Gay Young Men.

SoMERvIlE, y. J.. July l2.-Silas Hon.
man. the hermit Of Bedminster who
whil- apparently in perfect health had
! kept his ted aud refused to speak Tor
thIrty-une years. ~ dead. He passed
way Last night. maintaining the silence
which h,. had steadfa-tly preserved 'or
more than quarter OF a century. lie
was o. years old just before he died he
Inld. an effort to speak To his devoted
sister. Mrs. Margaret Lane. who has
cared for him IN his lonely habitation
throughout his eccentric CareeT. but II
was too late Through long years OF ST.
lenc.. IN which he never uttered a word.
he had lost his power of articulation.
HOFFMAN remarkable conduct had b.sen
"A matter 81 comment among the country
people 90 Bedminster township for 50
many years that he had ceased tn bs All
object OF curiosity to his nelghbors, who
were inclined to- shield him from the
public gaze aud even nov are attempting
To keep his death n secret out ~ fear that
4 curious crowd will gather from all the
countrywide ~ his funeral. which viii be
held on rhprsd1y from the house where
b.. died
Whether Hoffman was insane was never
determined. although he had been eX-
ahmed Nv a score Uf physicians with a
V'-w - ascrrialning his mental condition. |
HIS continual silence and his blank smile |
lGIfiieJ Sl'-nlsts Up 10 the time Of his death ,
At various times during hls hf. needles !
had l-'en thrust INTO has flesh 10y phys |
Clans ~ithuut making him vince or att. = (
"A sound
Hoffman was one uf five sons d pros I
ferrous farmer of Bedminstsr township. !
laV..N al
prominent IN the agricultural aud business /
llf. ~ Somerset county. lie spent his /
early years like his brothers. On his I
fathers farm At the age of ~ he pos
ss'-S''d = farm aud was the owner Ut
spanking team 81 gray horses OF which |
he was very proud He was fond Of
srcieiH and VAS known the country |
around as "A gay Young man.
Misfortune overlook him. He lOet his ,
farm and finally his pet team OF horses.
Ih.s seemed to break his heart. He went 1
to bed and turned his face to the wall
and for a long tim etused to speak |
or to partake Of food. Food was left |
ON table near hls bs-d. and when he
and at. "A meal and took stroll out Of
doors He continued for "a number OF /
Years to ariss, each night and eat meal
and then take "A short walk IN his garden.
tine winter night more than fifteen years
ago while waking IN hIs garden IN the
dark b. slipped on the icr and broke
an arm. Alter that accident he never
aros.. from his bed
la all the years that hs:s since passed
Hoffman has been cared or like AN infant
bV his widowed sister. Mrs Margaret A.
ane who has shared her Scanty income
with hum and has also received - a week
tor his maintenance from Bedminster
township. He broke his silence just
once IN thrty-on wears. and that was
more than twenty years ago. when Peter
! ans his sisters husband, died. Mrs
| ane was weeping over the death Of her
husband when Hoffman staggered from
his bed and IN voice that was almost
nCanny eN claimed
Don't cry. Margaret: I will protect
vou'- Then he fell IN the floor IN a faint
and was assisted hack To his bed. which
he kept for the reuHNinder Of his life.
Physicians have been expecting Hon
man To die every wear for the last decade
from sheer inactivity. His vitality for
n mifntp.r II wears has been ~ low that
A. times his heart almost failed To beat
and for several DAYS before his death
his attending physician could not detect
any p'Ilse.