The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-11-30
a Terrible Episode.
FEARFUL STRUGGLE WITH MANIAC IN THE
BIrIlSISl WOODa.

IA APtAo0'A
FEARFUL STRUGGLE WITH A MANIAC IN THE
BURNING woods.
One Of the survivors and victims Of the
late lire in Wisconsin, relates some THRILLING
Incidents CT these disasters. Subjoined is
the experience OF a lady:
Night was coming on, and siace noon we
bad nothing TO eat. did not feel hungry.
hut was tormcntcd with thoughts Of what
might happen iT we should not reach a
place of safety, for l feared that Louis
would give out, and that was one OF the
reasons thut made me carry him. hy erals
ached, and my limbs were scratched,
bruised, and bleeding. Still, made good
Roadway, and soon came TO natural clear
log, on the thitler side Of which wa sat
down TO rest.
BY this time night had come on, and
what night No moon, no stare, but tho
cloudy heavens lighted up afaT with The
horrible tires OF the burning woods. TIE
clearing in which we sat was the dried-up
bed OF \ stream, which for some unaccount.
sDe reason had not tI ickly-wo0ded sh0rcs,
and we were at least 200 leet from the edge
of The forcs. III Il mes. All this time Louis.
manly l;tt!c fellow hat he was, aad not
ever a>sct Tor food, no- had he cried e!nce
iinySsif ruoti.1ly frightened him.
had heard my husband speak OF n stream
which had run dry, but that %aS IL north
etstcrlr direction from our house, and MOI
understanding the tact that Vas lost, yet
had u general notion that was arproach-
iur Wolf river. The stars could give ne no
information, for could not SEQ them.
What 10 do ! scarcely knew and when tue
heat Of The fire became such that could
hot doubt that it was near determined 10
press on away from it, and taklu. Louis 9
hand set out.
hardly had ! risen from The ground
when, il the direction of the woods on the
other side Of the clearing, | heard crash
iYc noi>e-a mingled CRUSHING and !iosr3e
l,sl kng-whyh instantly recognized as
that Of w0iycr. scarcely had tame TO
snatch up Louis and ruu behind 4 pine
tree, whose trunk WAS at least six feet IN
diameter, before beard them scramJling
uD the side Of The hill, and felt them III II
by ME.
/ looked out aud could sec thcir eyes
coming toward me Ike the wind. Ines
did not stop for III instant, and when they
Dussed, there came in their track herd Ut
deer, utlerin. cries that seemed almost
human in their intense agony. They ran
tlind!y, for something more terrible than
wolves WAS bchiud them Trey struck the
tree and were hurled buck by the shock,
some Ui them falling back upoc those be-
~.
yhe stampede seemed 10 last ten minutes,
and when j. was over, ard !, trembling
with fear, dared once more o emerge from
nv refuge and lock across the clearing,
[ saw the woods st its edge already burl-
fng-saw il LUZ id through the smoke, and |
felt its terrible heat upon my face. L
turned and fed in the wake Of the wolves.
Nv Shoes were stripped from my feet, and
nv ankles were torn and bloody, Fallen
trees lay in INV way, but | clambcred over
and crSwled under them i'll my desperate
flight. 1 was agonized with terror and
despair. aud finally sunk to the ground with
my boy i'll my arms.
I must have fAinted, for ! knew nothing
OF what passed until was rudcly shaken
by The shoulder aud heard wild, g Dber-
ing laugh. / opened my eyes. aud above
me stood nv mother with drawn knife IN
her band. The woods seemed all aDlaze,
although the air Was not SO intolera5lS hot
As il had been. The forest beyond the
clearing must have teen burning at its
edge, and the strong wind carrying tue
smoke upward and over our heads. Ey
mother looked down upon me with eyes
pl4ziog with insanity.
"Eo, no !" said she, Cline time OF
night for mother and child to be running
through the woods! Fine night, TINS
Night! lit is day Look at the red light
It's the light Of dawn! Lejour, le Jour du
;udyen1 eat est ar77re! Anu The ROCKS are
purnlng! Call on them to TALL upon you
The clouds of thunder and the day OF
doom The Lord is coming, and the
wheels OF his chariot burn with bis mighty
driving, Let us 20 up TO meet him in The
mia-uir, Let lis ride on The smoke and
thunder and sweep the stars from Inc
heayeus. Come, you shall SO with Inc &"
and she seized Louis, who hud tlloWn
himself upon me, and was clinging i'll terror
TO my breast.
sprang at her, and with all the strength
Of ten ,notlers IN my arms struggled
with her. Torn, worn, and bleeding, as
was. tie tGought OF my child and my nus
band gave me the strength OF giant.
oyerpowered the mad woman, ana, forget
TIM that she Was my molher-that she was
ANYTHING but the would-De murderess OF
my boy-I seized her by the throat when
she was down rolling on the ground, and
would have strangied her.
Her insanity had almost made me mad.
I felt then what murderous maniac ieels.
But when thought my mother was lying
almost dead and pc "erless, and the IRE
would soon advance and perhaps over.
whelm us all, my hand was stayed, and
when my mother rose to her feet ail her
wildness was gone.
She was ready and willing to do anything
hat told her but kept that knife fast in
INV hand. Tie Sind had fallen, aud
slight rain was dropping among the leaves
overhead, as we went Oh for an hour or
TWO logger, and then, overpowered with
exhaustion, and no longer greatly drssdlng
the fire, we lay down III hollow and leil
aseeps