Montgomery County Sentinel

The Last of a Hermit
Hermits are commonly held to be creatures
of romance rather than reality, yet there are
such beings even in this prosaic age. A re-
cluse died in Saline county, Kansas, a week
or two ago, who for twenty long years had
lived absolutely alone. He dwelt in a large
cave, some ten miles from the town of Petra.
and nothing was known of his early career
until after his death. That career then proved
to have been very touching and mournful.
The hermit's name was Franklin Elliott.
During the years of his solitary existence in
the cave he was an object of constant specula-
tion and curiosity. Once or twice only in the
year he came into the town. He would then
barter game or pelts for powder, shot and salt,
seldom anything else, speaking as few words
as might be, and then hastening away. Some-
times he would be seen in the woods carrying
a long rifle and quantities of game. If he saw
people approaching, he would try to avoid
them by turning aside into the forest. If that
happened to be impracticable, he would stalk
moodily straight on. When spoken to he
would reply briefly and coldly, and at once
depart. He had "a commanding air. a proud,
set face, and, in spite of squalid attire, long
elfin locks, and singular mode of life, inspired
as much respect as curiosity." The cave in
which he lived was commodious, having been
enlarged, evidently by himself. from a small
hole to an apartment twenty-five feet square
and ten or twelve feet high." When examined
after his death it was quite void of furniture.
Pieces of stone and niches in the rocky walls
apparently served as chairs, tables and shelves.
A rifle and fowling-piece were found, a long,
broad bowie knife. fishing tackle, cooking
utensils, and a number of books. Among the
latter were copies of Shakespeare, Sterne,
Addison, Schiller. Southey and Spenser. In
one corner was a heap of blankets and skins.
and on these lay the solitary occupant of the
retreat-dead.
Two gentlemen had been hunting near by
and were overtaken by a storm. Seeking
refuge at the cave, they knocked at its heavy,
iron-bound door. No response being made to
their repeated summons, they pressed cautious-
ly to the inside, and saw what we have de-
scribed. They also found a small tin box,
such as is used by lawyers, and in this were
papers that made clear the unhappy man's
history. He had been well born. educated
and affluent. It would appear that he must
have been early in life elected to the Legisla-
ture of his native State. Kentucky. Before this
he had become passionately attached to a young
girl. A likeness of her. showing that she
must have possessed remarkable beauty. qual-
ified by a rather sensual and cruel expression,
was also found in the box. Sets of letters. in
different hands. make the whole drama clear.
"Olive." for such was her name was written
on the portrait and in letters. had led Elliott at
first to think his love for her returned. In
other words, she amused herself with him af-
ter the fashion of many of her sex without hav-
ing any real feeling. While the game was
going on some one crossed her path for whom
she conceived a veritable passion, She cor-
responded with this fresh admirer, but lacked
moral courage to tell the other the truth. Ei-
ther for this reason. or out of contemptible
vanity. she kept up her affairs with both.
Elliott discovered all. as in the tin box, writ-
proved; such letters, bearing the same date,
written by "Olive." to both himself and his rival
were found side by side and stained with blood,
in the same package.
In the same package was a yellow-printed
slip cut from an old newspaper. It gave an
account of a frightful duel fought between the
two men with rifles at twenty-five paces El-
liott shot his antagonist through the head.
The cause of the duel, as described by the slip.
was a dispute at cards. It described the slain
man, Bailey, as " handsome, brave and lack
of principle " What happened afterwards as
regards "Olive," is unknown. He went
abroad, and seems to have remained in Europe
two or three years. It is only known that he
did return, that he abandoned friends and so-
ciety forever. and lived like the melancholy
Jacques. in an 'abandoned cave" until death
mercifully closed his eyes.-New York Times.