Year: 1867




Not being Disposed TO work, and suE-
EeEIng a Matrimonial DIsapPOInT-
ment, n Healthy man OF Thirty Goes
TO Bed and stays there Forty. Mime


Years


On a recent occasion were consigned
to their final resting place, in the
churchyard OF Keighley, in England
the mortal remains OF one of the most


eccentric individuals that ever lived
In fact, parallel seems scarcely possi-
BILE of man going to bed In good
health and remaining there for peri
cd OF forty-nine years The subject of
The following remarks, who went by
the cognomen of "Old ThreelRps," but


whose name was WIN. Sharp, lived at


place called Worlds, not far from


BraithwaiIe, in the parish of Keighley.


He was the son OF small farmer, aud
from an early age never showed much
inclination to steady work. For
while he followed the trade of a WeaV.
er, but more frequently neglected his
loom to range the neighboring moors


with his gun, often spending whole


nights in the open air. When thirty
years OF age he took to his bed


and the room which he never


left until carried thence on the day


of his funeral. The cause of this extra


ordinary conduct, owing to his great


age, and the very few of his oW n stand


ing who survive him retaining no more


than slight recollection of the events of


that period, is difficult to ascertain with


any degree OF certainty. But the prin-


cipHl reason seems to be a matrimonial


disappointment. The wedding day was


fixed. This singular character, then a


young and doubtless ardent lover, ac-


companied by friend, wended his way


down to the parish church, and there


patiently awaited the arrival of the


bride elect. But the bride never came.


The father of the damsel sternly and
steadily refused his consent.


This, combined, 1t may have been,


with other grievances, imaginary and


real, preyed heavily on mind certainly
not endowed with more than average
intellect, and bearing unmistakable
traces of hereditary singularity; and
the result was that the young man con-
signed himself to a small room, meas


uring about nine feet in every direction,


with the determination OF spending the


remainder of his existence between the


blankets, which resolution he kept


most unfllnchingly. The floor Of his


room was covered with stone flags; GER


tainly not too dry, in one corner was a


fireplace which could only be used


when the wind blew from one or two


points OF the compass; the window was


permanently fastened, and where some


OF the squares had been broken was


carefully patched with wood. at the


time of his death this window had


never been opened for thirty-etght


yearsI The sole furniture comprised


an antique clock, minus weight and


pendulum, the hands and face of which


was covered with a thick network of


oobwebs, a small round table OF dark
oak, and a plain, unvaruished four
post bedstead, entirely without hang
ings. In this dreAry cell, whose only
inlet for fresh air during thirty-eIght


years was the door occasionally left
open, did this strange being immure


himself. He obstinately refused to
speak to any one, and, If spoken to,
never answered those who were his at
tendants. In fact, all trace of intellec-


tuRl development seemed 10 nave De-
come either dormant or extinct, and the
only faculties which remained In ac-
tive exercise were those which man
holds in common with the animal.
His father by his will made provi-
! sion for the temporal wants OF his CO.
centric son, and so secured him con-


slant attendant. His meals he ate reg
ulnrly when brought to him, and lat


process OF time his legs became con-


tracted and drawnup toward his body,
and when about to eat his food he used


10 roll himself over and 80 take his


meals in a kneeling posture. He was


generally oleRnly in his habits. Du-
Int hHOl6 PGEAOa LIS


posed confinement he never had any
serious illDess-the only case of indis-
position those connected with him can
remember being a slight loss OF aPPe-
tite, caused apparently by indigestion,


for two or three dAys-and this, not,


withstanding he ate on the average as
much as any farm laborer. He GER
tainly, physically at least, did credit to


his food; for, though arrived at the
long age of seventy-nine years, his
flesh was firm, fair and unwrinkled,


save with fat, and the estimate of his


weight was 240 pounds or therabouts.
As a matter of course the curious came
and whenever a stranger was uHhered
into his den he immediately buried his
head in the bed clothes. About week
before his death his appetite began TO
fail. His limbs became partially be-
numbed, SO that he could not take his
food in his accustomed manner.


From this attack he seemed to rally,
and not until the evening of his death
were any Rpprehensions entertained
that the attack would prove ultim ately
fatal. Shortly before he expired, he


was heard to exclaim, Poor Bill


Poor Bill Sharp l"-the most connected
sentence he had been known to utter
for many a year. His remains were
inferred in the graveyard OF the parish
church of the district in which he bad


resided. The greatest curiosity pre-


vailed to see the last of this singular
being, and the church and churchyard


were denseIy crowded. the cottin ex-
cited considerable attention from its
extraordinary shape, being more ike
great oak chest than a cofhn. II was
two feet four inches in depth and so
great was the weight that il required
eight men with strong ropes to lower. II
! into the grave. The weight of the cof-
fin and its contents was estimated at
$50 pounds,