The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1856-06-11
From tho Cincinnati Commercial.
THE WILD WOMAN.


Yesterday We were called at tho United
States Hotel to see the Wild Woman
Of Wachita Mountains" Mr.. w. j. G..
Northcott, her captor, introduced us into
the room where she is prisoner. We
saw tall, gracefully formed young white
girl, scantily but neatly clothed, standing
with stout rope about her waist and at.
tached 10 a bed-post. The first im pres.
sion was similar to that of being in the
presence Of q fierce maniac.
She stood at the foot Of the bed, par
tally hiding behind it and rocking slowly,
but with nervous uneasiness, from one foot
to the ether, and staring fixedly upon us
with great bright unwinking eyes, so
widely opened that ring Of white sur
rounded the pupil, which with the wild
and intense glare Of the orb, gave il a
strange and frightful expression. Be-
meath the eyes were deep circles, showing
long continued and excessive excitement
or exertion, mental or physical.
Her hair was long and thick, hanging
in heavy matted masses and wiry tangles
about her face, neck and shoulders, and
in color dark brown. Her complexion
was fair, even delicate, and her features
decidedly handsome. Her mouth is
small and finely formed, her lips thin and
red, but tightly compressed, and her teeth
even and white. But there was not, that
we could discover, any trace OF humor in
her face, and We were informed by he,
captor that he had never seen her smile
The woman employed by Mr.. North
colt to he attendant Of his "pet," as he
calls her, says that she has seen the gir
look pleased, even seemed to be amused
but her lips never curled in smile, and
nothing like a laugh ever found utterancc
We need hardly say that she does no,
talk. The only sign she makes with hel
mouth is mumbling, moaning grum
bling, with which, when hungry or thirsty
she expresses desire to eat or drink.
But sometimes, her attendant saws, she
looks with the most animated curiosity a,
her the attendant, and Mr.. Nor,hco,,
when they are talking in her presence, and
seems to wonder how they make sucl
noises with their mouths, but they hay,
not succeeded in inducing her to imitat.
them. Her nose is handsome, and he,
profile we'll cut and striking, but the only
indication of character in it is a kind Of
untamed audacity.
There is nothing like timidity in he,
looks, only the discomposure mingled
with defiance which CLEANS in the eve O
sPan.her. The appearance of maniac
which, to our glance, she wore when W.
entered her apartment, gradually passed
away, and there was softer expression
and something like gentle glow of intel
ligence in her ttill vived eve. BECOMING
more composed, she sat down, and hei
nurse, at our request, brushed back the
tangles of her hair, showing her cheeks
and forehead.
These were fair. The cheek was thin
but its outlines quito womanly, and hel
brow and temples show intellectually ol
no mean or common order. Whatever
she is or may have been, she was by ma.
ture gifted with capacities for higher in
tellgence.
STORY OF HER CAPTURE.
The story Of her capture, related by Mr..
Northco!t, is quite remarkable. In the
Spring Of 1855, Mr.. ~, with party Of
eight gold hunters, was sojourning in
the Wachita Mountains, on branch of
the False Wacbita river, campcd near an
extensive and almost impenetrable thick.
ct. They were gold seekers, having been
attracted thither by false alarm that
there was gold in hat region, which our
readers will remember had much newsps
per circulation, and as nearly as could be
calculated, their camp was three hundred
miles distant s:e.n the frontier sattlement.
OF Texas, and what is famiharly called the
Camanche country.
Ono night in March it was his turn 10
watch, and there was bright, uncIouded
moonlight. In the middle Of tue night,
he saw figure approaching that seemed
to him 10 be Camanche, and he Law
close and at full length on the ground.---
The figure approached, walking briskly,
and passing within twenty yards of him,
entered the thicket, and he saw by the
moonlight thas it was no Indian, but a
young white woman, dressed in a robe of
skins. lie was amazed beyond conce,.
ton, and told his companions of his dis
eovery. but they hooted at the idea, and
contended taat he had seen Camanche.
aud that they would no longer be safe in
that locality, and so next day they pack.
ed their mules and hurried of for Texas
in spite OF eDtreaties. They were all green
in the lore Of backwoodsmen, but he had
spent twenty years oa the frontisrs and
knew what he was about.
So strong an impression did this incl
dent make on his mind, that late this vim
ter he enlisted half dozen hardy fellows
TO accompany him, and set forth on trip
to the Wachita Mountains on hunt afte,
the wild woman. so many difficulties
we're encountered, and the weather was SO
severe, that all his companions but one
Lacked out he pressed forward, howey
er, and early in March reached the en-.
campment where he had seen the woman
enter the thicket. The first thing in or
der Was 10 search the thickst--and they