Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-12-15

"1ld Wan on the big SiOuxs--As
Agile as n Cat, and as Fleet as a
Deer.
From the Sioux City Times.
We are indebted TO NJ Thompson, who
resides on the Dakota side of the Biz
Sioux, about fifteen miles northwest of
this city, for the particulars of the facts
which we are about 10 narTate.
About one month since, farmer named
Evans, who resides few miles north of
Mr.. Thompson, was engaged in hauling
fire-wOod from the timber on the Big
Sioux, when he was startled by seeing
what at first glance appeared to be some
wild animal, bound out from hollow
log but a few yards from where he was
standing. A close observation of the OBJ
ject while it was decamping satisfied Mr..
Evans that IL was "A wild man. He
Immediately made pursuit, but the
rapid;ty with which the wild man
ran, soon put him out of either sight or
reach. A small party Of well-mOuntcd
men started the next day on the trail of
the wild man. The party first ransackcd
the woods in the neighborhoOd. In a
secluded spot, entirely Obscured from
DAI5tL otlbAl ltN AAAt AlllChllGNS Oh
the underbrush, they discovered a fissure
between two rocks. This fissure penc-
trated into the rocks about eight fecl on
top was large lot Of underbrush, limbs
Of trees, and several pieces or portions of
hides of animals. There were no indica-
tons that there had been a fire kindlcd
anywhere near the place, but from the
pieces Of rags, long grass, and other mat
ter found on the ground, they were salts
ned that It was the habitatiOn of the wild
man. Not being able TO see anything of
the object Of Their search, they went 10
their homes
A few days aftCTWard another party Of
hOrsemen started out on the same mission
"a their predecessors While following
up a ravine few miles from the place
where the strange being was first discOv-
cred, the party were attracted by the bark
ing of one of their dogs Immediately
afterWand the wild man crossed an open
space, closely followed by two of the
dogs. The men put spurs to their horses
and for a short distance gained rapidly on
the object of their search but, coming to
deep ravine or gully, skirted on either
side by underbrush, their progress was
impcded, and during the delay caused by
getting out of their situation, the man
escaped. We understand that party of
gentlemen from this city propose starting
out in a few days for the purpose of
catching this man, or, rather, monde
script, dead or alive. From a conversation
with Mr.. Thompson, we learn that this
singular being is entirely covered with a
seemingly heavy coat of dark-colored
hair; That he is as agile as a cat and as
fleet as a deer. Old settlers in the region
where the wild man has been seen, state
that about twenty-three years since, a
Frenchman with his wife and three
children, settled down upon a piece Of
land on the banks of the Big Sioux. At
that time the only occupants of this sec
ton consisted Of the Indians, who were
the sole owners OF Dakota, and some
half-brcgls and a few French settlers,
most of whom took sqUaws for wives
|; is related that the Frcnchman we have
alluded to did not live agrccably with his
family: that his affections were laviShcd
upon the dusl,y daughter of an Indian
chief; that the white wife, learning Of this
upbraided her husband for the symptoms
Of Ais waning affections; and that one
morning friendly Indian visiting the
claim of the Frcnchman, discovered the
dead bodies OF the wife and children ly-
IRg on the floor An examination discov-
cred the fact that the throat of the wo-
man had been cui from ear to ear, and
that the children had been dubbed to
death by blows on the head with the stock
OF gun or some similar weapon. No
clGc to the murderer was ever discovered.
The Frrnchman has never been seen in
The country since. The supposilion now
is that he committed triple murder;
That, rejecting on the horror of his crime,
he became insane, took to the woods, and
resided there since, and that the wild man
that has lately been seen and the French
settler o. twcnty-scycn years since, Is one
and the same person.