"Immortal J.N." Free

"Immortal J.N." Free

Jacob Newman Free
"Immortal J.N."
Gold Rush of '49
Cincinnati, OH
lawyer
wanderer
insane asylum
Abraham Lincoln
Decatur Herald and Review
Decatur, IL
1906
Photo File: Biography
photograph

Photograph of "Immortal J.N." (Jacob Newman) Free (d. 6/27/1906). Free was a wanderer who traveled throughout the United States for 50 years by riding for free on every railroad, and staying in hotels at their expense. He was considered harmlessly crazy, and was placed in an insane asylum a short time before his death. By the age of 4, he had read almost all of the Bible, and in his teens, he learned to read and speak 13 languages. He went west during the Gold Rush of '49, and made $50,000. The money was stolen by a partner. He came back to Ohio, and started studying law. Within a few years, he was at the top of the bar in Cincinnati, but lost his mind after a court case and became "Immortal J.N". During his wanderings, he promised to "lift the veil" and "remove the pressure", as he believed he had the power to wipe out everything on earth, or straighten out all differences. Free was acquainted with Abraham Lincoln and other notables of the time, and visited Decatur many times. The photo ran in the Decatur Herald or Daily Review on April 1, 1906.

unknown

Photo File: Biography - Free, Jacob Newman

Decatur Herald and Review, Decatur, IL
Decatur Public Library, Decatur, IL

4/1/1906

Jacob Newman Free

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English

photograph

BIO160

Jacob Newman Free, "Immortal J.N.", wanderer, Gold Rush of '49, lawyer, Cincinnati OH, insane asylum, Decatur Herald and Review, Decatur IL

photograph

3.75x2.75"