The story of a man who wandered around in a homemade leather outfit weighing 27 kg (7 photos)

The hermit, who was popularly nicknamed "Leather Man", attracted attention around 1857, when he wandered around Novyi Svet in a handmade outfit made of rough leather.





The whole set, consisting of pants, shirt, jacket, scarf, hat and giant boots weighed over 27 kilograms! Also he had huge leather bag (see lower right corner in the photo)

Despite his most strange appearance and clothes, reminiscent of something from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the locals quickly realized that the uncle, in general, is harmless. In the Burlington Free Press dated April 7, 1870, it is noted that the "Leather Man" rarely spoke, usually in monosyllables, muttering and gesticulating, but still owning a broken English.



At the same time, he spoke fluent French, and in his bag always had a prayer book in French. There were rumors that he was from from France or Canada.



After a while, people began to notice that this character a little crazy and walks the same route! Approximately for for a little over a month he traveled 365 miles between the Connecticut and Hudson rivers and immediately turned in the opposite direction. In any season.

Other Civil War vagrants tried to find at least some work and a roof over his head, but our hero preferred to spend the night in one of the many caves along his route.



But in search of food, he also looked at local farms. It is reported that some housewives are so accustomed to his visits, that they even baked extra bread for the date it was supposed to arrive.

In The History of the Town of Lewisboro, Miss M. Louise Bouton, born in 1889, recalls:

“The leather man came once a year ... always to east side of the house. And knocked on the drainpipe. Mom gave him coffee and sandwiches. He said, "Thank you very much, lady," but never looked into our eyes. He was all in brown skin, but no one afraid."



Gradually, this strange "traveler" became in the cities on way of his journey as something like a local celebrity. There even adopted local ordinances exempting it from the effect of the law on vagabonds in 1879.



However, one day, in 1888, the Leather Man was arrested and sent for medical examination. However, doctors soon recognized he was "normal, except for emotional ailment" and released.

How exactly did a man earn his living for sure unknown. But he had some money, since a record of purchase in one of the shops where he bought goods:

"A loaf of bread, a can of sardines, a pound of crackers, a pie, two liters of coffee, one jill (1/4 pint) of brandy, and a bottle of beer."

The body of the Leather Man was found on March 24, 1889 in cave where he stayed for the night. Cause of death was oral cancer cavities caused by the constant use of chewing tobacco.

He was buried in the village cemetery nearby, and remaining a mysterious nameless vagabond. The name that was first written on the gravestone (Jules Bourglay), turned out to be erroneous.

In 2011, due to the commencement of construction work on site burial, the authorities decided to exhume and rebury the body Leather Man in a new location. It was also planned to study it, to possibly help determine Leathery's true origins Human.



But nothing was found in the grave but a few rusty nails. They were buried in a new place, and along its route so far tourists regularly go, spending the night in the same caves.