Year: 1875

SON OF GERMAN COUNT ROAMING THE


FORESTS LIKE WILD BEAsT-H1s FATE


MISTAKEN FOR DEER AND KILLED BY A


HUNTER.


Moscow, Pa, Oct %, 1876


Among the scattered families inhabiting the wild
region skrting the Poceno range of mountains In the
northern part of Monroe country this State that OF
q German named Goteib Schcibel He came into the
section five years ago. and settled the border
of Luzerne and Monroe counties, in the midst of a
wilderness almost primitive, and commenced with the
energy and industry characteristic of his race the
liberal hewipg of farm out of the wild tract he had
purchased. His family consisted of himself his wife,
three rugged and fourth boy, of finer cast of
features than the rest and with very little re-
sembance to the family. This child was about four
years old when the family settled in this
region, and being OF weak mind allowed every free
dom that pertaned to the isolated life the family led
The boy developed strange passion for the woods and
spent most of his time roaming about the mountains
gathering berries and nuts During the past years
his excursions became more extended the forests
cleared away in the immediate vicinity of his homo
by Shebel and other German families who moved in
the vicinity subsequent to the formers occupancy The
boy called Johnny, and since he began to extend
his visits deeper into the Wilderness would sometimes
be absent days at time, sustaining himself by eating
nuts berries and roots and sleeping in and ho
low logs, or In the open air weather. He often
on his return home related wild stories.


Once he reached home with his flesh lacerated and
his body almost denuded of clothing, bearing young
catamount which he had attempted to capture and
finally killed with club after terrible struggle It
useless for his friends to attempt to keep him
home and for years he roamed the forests with only

for his companions the lamp of his reason burning too
dimly to show him the danger of the life he was lead
ing.


1t was while away OF these solitary visits to
the woods he loved SO we'll that be was made an actor
In the


SHOCKING TRAGEDY,


following which the history of the waif became known
On Sunday morning last he took small basket and
started Off into the forest He said he going TO
bring in some beech nuts for pet squirrel which
he had captured when 1t young, in It's nest and
which he sometimes took with him into the woods.
He had not returned Monday noon but the fact created
no apprehension in the minds of his relatives who
were busy huskng corn in a field some distance from
the house that day. About O'Clock IN the after
man in hunters garb appeared in the field and
startled the family with the announcement that little
Johnny dead the hunter himself having shot him
in mistake for deer The body he said, at tho
house. he having carried from the spot where the
shooting occurred, about three miles away, in the
mountain scneibel and his wife accompanied the
hunter, who gave his name as James Phillips to the
house, and there, lying on the floor rddled with buck
shot and covered with blood the dead body Of the
poor half witted boy The grief OF the honest German
and his wife demonsraeive, but touching in the
extreme When the first burst was over, Phillips gave
the following


He, with two others, were camped on the south
branch of Brights Brook, few miles north of the
German clearing, and early on Monday morning they
started out to hunt deer Phillips driving ridge
with the hounds aud started deer which made of in
the direction of the great swamp which borders the
counties of Luzcrne Monroe and Carbon and is known
as the Shades of Death The hounds followed it. and
he hastened to get runaway in ridge mile or so
away where he thought the deer would eventually be
and had been there but few minutes wnen he
heard the cry of the hounds distance away but
the moment he discovered peculiar agitation
in laurels about 100 yards away TO his right
After watching the spot moment he came to the con-
clusion that the motion of the bushes was caused by
deer and without moments further thought he fired
his buckshot barrel into the clump. The movement
ceased, and Phillips walked to the spot and pulled
stretched upon the ground, in an open space among
the bushes, the body of boy, with blood pouring
| from his side, into which several buckshot
/ had entered, killing him instantly. basket,
nearly filled with beechnuts, stood near, and
the boys hands full Of wntergreen berries which
he was picking when the fatal shot was fred Phillips
had heard from local hunters Of the eccentric Johnny
Sheibe and he had doubt that the boy he bad killed
the poor halt wtted child Knowing that the Ger
| man clearing somewhere in that locality, he took
| the body in his arms and started TO find 1t AS luck
| would have IL he reached ii without difficulty.
/ A STORY


AT investigation held Tuesday by the Justice or
the Peace whom Phillips repaired and asked ior an
! examination, the following history of the boy was
| elected from theI Sheibels-Before coming TO
this country Sheibel gardener Ia the
1 employ Of German nobeman, living in
! KronIg In his family then living a sister
OF his Katharine Scheibel According 70 the testimony
OF the German she must have been woman Of CON
| siderable beauty and was at the time he mentioned,
about twenty years old The Count by whom Ssheibel
was employed saw Katharine day and sent for her
TO become a servant in his house She went and be-
came, in short time, mistress Of her employer.
She lived In that way for year. when she returned to
her brothers. house. saying that she was soon 10 be-
come mother, and that the Count had sent her away
until after her child born The child was born in
few weeks after her return but the mother did not live
to see IT, dying four days afterward The child was
taken in charge by Mrs. Schebe and II not long
before It's deficiency in intellect was discovered,
| AS the child grew in years It's resemblance TO
its highborn father in features became marked that
the fact grew be gossip in the vicinity This
circumstance led to the emigration Of the Scheibels 10
America the Count paying his gardener 81 600 and his
massage TO this country aud agreeing 10 annually send
5000 10 pay for the support OF the child This had
been received regularly by Schcibe who obstinately
refused to state what the Of the nobleman is hi
merely saying that ho is man al present high In thC
confidence OF the German government


The Jury, after dellberang for some Time returned
n verdict OF accidental death in the case and reprl
manded Phius for carelessncsS