Fire destroys cabin of New Hampshire man forced out of woods

CANTERBURY, N.H. – For astir 3 decades, 81-year-old David Lidstone has lived successful the woods of New Hampshire on the Merrimack River successful a tiny compartment adorned with star panels. He has grown his ain food, chopped his ain firewood, and tended to his pets and chickens.

But his off-the-grid beingness has been challenged successful tribunal by a spot proprietor who says he’s been squatting for each those years. And to marque Lidstone’s matters worse, his compartment was burned to the crushed Wednesday day successful a blaze that is being investigated by section authorities.

Lidstone, oregon “River Dave” arsenic he’s known by boaters and kayakers, was jailed July 15 connected a civilian contempt sanction. He was told he’d beryllium released if helium agreed to permission the cabin, but helium has stayed put.

“You came with your guns, you arrested me, brought maine successful here, you’ve got each my possessions. You support ’em,” Lidstone told a justice successful a tribunal quality Wednesday morning. “I’ll beryllium present with your azygous connected until I rot, sir.”

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Lidstone is accused of squatting for 27 years successful the compartment connected backstage spot successful Canterbury. The wooden, two-level A-frame compartment had a small, cluttered room with pots hanging from the ceiling, immoderate appliances, and curtains connected the windows. His structure had a footstool with a basal made of stacked brew cans. He converted a wood stove into a beehive. He attached lights, a reflector and a pulley for a clothesline to logs supporting the cabin. There were piles of firewood.

Nearby was a gravel way starring to rootlike plot plots outlined by logs and immoderate berry bushes. Lidstone got his h2o from a stream.

In court, Merrimack County Superior Court Judge Andrew Schulman agreed that Lidstone wasn’t hurting anyone, but said the instrumentality was intelligibly connected the landowner’s side.

“You’re doing your ain happening successful the ‘Live Free oregon Die’ state, truthful there’s a batch of sympathy to you for that,” helium said. “But there’s a batch of value connected the different broadside of the equilibrium sheet, and not conscionable astir what the (landowner) wants to bash with the land, but the value I consciousness to uphold the judgement of the tribunal and the regularisation of law.”

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Jodie Gedeon, an avid kayaker who befriended Lidstone astir 20 years ago, had been moving with different supporters to assistance him, including organizing a petition thrust and collecting wealth to screen spot taxes.

“I’m devastated,” she said erstwhile she learned astir the fire.

“He’s conscionable a really, really, large caring guy, and conscionable chooses to unrecorded disconnected the grid,” she said successful an interrogation past week. “It truly is astir humanity, it truly is astir compassion, empathy ... he’s not hurting anybody.”

Gedeon and different supporters came retired to a municipality selectboard gathering connected Monday. Board members had said the municipality presently has nary lasting successful the spot dispute.

But adjacent if determination were a mode to let Lidstone to stay, it would beryllium an uphill battle. His location was successful usurpation of section and authorities zoning and biology regulations, and determination was nary entree to a road.

“You guys are successful a quandary. So are we,” selectman Robert Steenson said.

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The woodlot Lidstone called location was conscionable a fewer miles distant from Interstate 93. But it was hidden by the trees; it’s connected 73 acres that’s been utilized for timber harvests. The spot has been owned by the aforesaid household since 1963. There are nary plans astatine this clip to make it.

The proprietor of the onshore had been seeking to teardrop down the compartment earlier the fire.

Lidstone has claimed that years ago, the proprietor gave his connection — but thing successful penning — allowing him to unrecorded there. But successful the eyes of the existent owner, he’s a squatter and needs to go.

Property proprietor Leonard Giles, 86, of South Burlington, Vermont, didn’t adjacent cognize Lidstone was determination until the municipality head recovered retired successful 2015 and told him, expressing interest “with respect to the coagulated and septic discarded disposal and the imaginable zoning violations created by the structure,” according to Giles’ ailment successful 2016.

Lidstone, a bearded, small-framed, spritely man, has resisted efforts to permission since a justice issued an bid for him to vacate successful 2017. Following that, some sides had attempted to scope immoderate benignant of statement for him, but were unsuccessful, according to tribunal documents.

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The justice suggested Wednesday that Giles and municipality officials enactment with a mediator, but Giles’ lawyer said the logistics would beryllium excessively daunting.

The immense bulk of Lidstone’s idiosyncratic items had been removed from the compartment earlier the fire, Giles’ lawyer Lisa Snow Wade said Wednesday night. Several outbuildings remained, and nary animals were found, either moving astir oregon deceased, Canterbury Fire Chief Michael Gamache said.

Lidstone, who doesn’t person an attorney, insisted that his compartment is simply a hunting and sportfishing camp, not a home. He besides argued that Giles doesn’t ain the spot but is being pressured by the town.

“He’s a heck of a bully aged man, I’ve talked with him a mates of times. This is not his fault, this is not my fault,” helium said astatine the hearing. “It’s lying, cheating corrupt judges similar you that are stepping connected small radical similar me. But I’m telling you, sir, you measurement connected me, I’m going to wound your ankle.”

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Before the fire, Lidstone could beryllium released if 1 of 3 things happened: helium agreed to leave, the compartment was demolished by Giles, oregon 30 days had passed since helium was jailed. Another proceeding was scheduled for adjacent week, but Lidstone’s presumption wasn’t instantly clear.

Gamache said the compartment “had mostly collapsed upon itself" arsenic firefighters arrived successful an off-road inferior conveyance 2 miles into the woods. He said the State Fire Marshal's Office has been asked to analyse the origin of the fire.

Lidstone hasn’t had immoderate different interaction with instrumentality enforcement, dissimilar the lawsuit of a antheral successful Maine called the “North Pond Hermit,” who besides lived successful the woods for astir 3 decades and pleaded blameworthy successful 2013 to aggregate burglary and theft charges.

Over the years, Lidstone, a U.S. Air Force seasoned and a begetter of 4 who has made wealth arsenic a woodsman, has been known to invitation kayakers and boaters into his home, sharing stories astir his beingness successful the wild.

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Lidstone’s determination to unrecorded successful the woods is “exactly the manner helium wants,” said his brother, Vincent Lidstone, 77, of Lafayette, Georgia.

“What they’re doing to him isn’t close for anybody, whether he’s my member oregon anybody’s brother,” helium said. “He’s 81 years old. Leave him alone.”

Vincent Lidstone said helium mislaid interaction with his member done the years, but described however the 2 of them and a relative enjoyed spending clip outdoors. They grew up successful Wilton, Maine.

“We lived successful the woods,” helium said. “We camped, fishing, hunting. The 3 of america did everything unneurotic for a batch of years.”

It’s unclear wherever Lidstone would go. Vincent Lidstone said helium doesn’t person the resources to assistance him. The Associated Press reached 2 of his 3 sons, who said they haven’t been successful interaction with their begetter recently. His girl didn’t respond to a connection seeking comment.

Before the fire, Gedeon had said the substance hasn’t been discussed by her radical yet.

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“We privation to spot him beryllium capable to unrecorded retired his remaining years wherever helium is,” she said.

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Associated Press writer Holly Ramer contributed to this report.

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