Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1868-04-04
The What is IL Outdone.

Truth Stranger than Fiction The
following extraordinary story-whIch lof
want OF space we have been compelled to
condense-we have received from a per.
feclly reliable source. About twenty five
miles from this city, bu! IN this county,
is a small stream known as Bear Creek,
which emplies into Big Black river. The
margin oil both these streams. in ,ha, vi
cinily, for miles back is an almost impen-
etrable swamp, grown up with cane
brakes and wild, tangled vines. but filled
with all kinds of game, including bear,
deer and turkeys. In pursui, of this
game many young men resort TO this spot
with their hounds. For some time past,
strange stories have been told by tire ne
eroes of an extraordinary animal seen
near these swamps. The negroes, in
their usual manner, gave graphic and start
ling descriptions o: his appearance, but
usually winding up with the declaration
that it was the devil which had been seen
by them. One peculiarly, as described
by the negroes, was that from his tracks
he seemed TO be going both ways al once.
Ths, is, one foo, pointed 10 The front and
The other 10 the rear. These stories
were laughed at and derided by the clll-
zens. no one believing in any such stale
men,s. This extraordinary creature had
often suddenly presented himself among
the negroes in the early twilight, causing
great CONSERVATION among them. He Is
described by the negroes as being about
eight feet high, each eye, in their LAM
gusge, las large as hens egg" with
no nose and no upper lip, his teeth as
large as mans thumb, extending down
over his chin about eight inches; his rig ghi
foot points directly to The front and the
LETT to the rear, and the measurement Of
the track is. just tweniy-lhree inches in
length; his finger nails sTe perfectly hard
and solid. and are about six inches long;
the hair on his head-which is stiff and
wiry-sweeps the ground as he walks,
and is parted in the rear and brought down
in from, on each side Of his siDgularly-
formed chest, which is not round or fat,
bu, is an angular like that Of fowl. The
hair on the body of this singular being is
very stiff and grows to the rear, parting
a. the angle Of The breast bone, growing
back and uniting with long stiff growth
on his spine which extends back about
one foot like The spinal fin Of fish. or
The brislles on The back Of a bosr-ibs
hair on his arms is parted and grows in
the same way, making long thick brush
on The back OF tie arms, extending from
the shoulders TO the point Of his middle
finger; the same peculiarly is observable
on his legs. This singular and horrible
ohiec, the negroes represent. has been
seen by them at different times for sever
al m onths. and that night has been rem
dered hldeous by the unesr'hly bowling
OF this unknown animal. No white per-
son has ever seen him until recently,
when he was discovered by hunting
party. Several neutrality-suspicious.
ces of ours-met on last Thursday week
with view Of bear hunting in the swamp.
They were accompanied by shout fifteen
well trained bear dogs. They prepared
for the hun, early in the morning. and
when about commencing, their sttention
was attracted to an unusually large hu-