Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1869-12-03
The Man.BeaSt.

"A PORTLAND correspondent says: 1t is
not little strange that SO few people in
the vicinity know of the wonderful case
of Jimmy" The keeper of the West
brook (Me.) Poor-house will tell you that,
twenty years ago, and the day following
the arrival of the Sarah Sands in Portland
from LiverpOol-the first iron steamship
that ever came to this eastern shore from
across the water-a strangely destitute and
stOlid creature was found in barn in
that town, with his limbs so terribly
frozen that his feet were almost literally
shapeless, and the life nearly gone out of
him. He was, of course, taken to the
charity farm; and there, in the old,
weather stained buildings, in an outstand-
ing novel in summer, and in warm quar-
ters in winter, he has lived these twenty
years, attracting some curiosity at first,
but, for fifteen years, apparently forgot
ten. After his removal thither his feet
were cut of, one at the ankle, and one
straight down across the instep.
In appearance he was about 20 years
old when found, but every attempt to
trace out his history failed. Not even a
guess was ever made as to his former sta
ton in life, his habitation, or even race,
except that he came over in the Sands as
a stowawav, or was cast adrift here to get
him out of the way, as has been done by
interested parties many time before,
mayhap. When found on the hay in the
barn he was almost totally naked, what
clothing he had being torn into shreds,
and his whole person bearing tokens half
way between lunacy and idiocy. Nor
could he speak word, though every trial
was made to make him do so. At times
he was very fierce, and is so still, striking
savagely at the keeper, who is obliged to
watch his moods pretty carefully but, in
no one of his varying moods has he ever
articulated word, and evidently has no
power to do SO. He pays no attention to
visitors except by an occasional bravado,
and Immediately crouching away.
His hair is black and very thick and
coarse, giving him a wild air. In features
be is not so repulsive as would be sup
posed, but all his habits are of the basest
and most beastly kind. On the cold and
raw October day when l went to see him,
he was crouched away in an immense
bunk of his hovel, with two large air
spaces Immediately over him, and nothing
on him but tattered blue drilling shirt
or frock, and this the keeper said had not
been on him an hour. He had quilt which
was new two or three months before,
which was picked and torn to tatters,
hanging together by few shreds, like a
tern fleece of wool, or chafed and broken
net. He is thrust out into the yard oc-
casionally and exercised" but he soon
hobbies back to his filthy abode When
the severe weather of winter comes, they
take him into a warmer place, but this is
intolerable except in the reign of the
frosts
He has little beard except on his upper
lip, and this makes becoming moustache,
though never touched for twenty years at
least. He eats very voraciously, like a
wild animal, and while his limbs are some
what cramped and withered, he is ap-
parently strong and healthy. There NAV
be found, possibly, as curious cases as this
in some of the charity houses in the land,
but when it is remembered that no pos
sible hint can be given of the first half of
his strange life, it has seemed to me to
surpass in interest any case have seen
Boston Nesos, Nouember %.