The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1873-05-20
fFrem the Wheeling Register, May 13.]
A wild Girl In Green County
Pennaylv0nias
Eighteen Years In the woods.


We are indebted to John Messenger.
Esq, of Windridge, Green county, Pa,
for the following account of . young
woman, who for eighteen years has been
running wild in the woods n his neigh.
borhood We know Mr. Messenger to
be o truthful and reliable man and every
word of his statement can be depended
on. In fact he so enters into particu-
lars and gives names and dates, that it
is impossible to disbelieve his statement,
extraordinary as it is. He writes:
A man living near Windridge, Green
County, Pennsylvania had born to him
five children, four girls and one boy
His name is Daniel Lewis. When quite
young the boy and second daughter,
named Lucinda Lewis, developed quite
a fondness for hunting and were out
nearly all the time, roaming the woods
in search of game. They seemed to
delight in nothing SO much as the fell
| life of hunter, and would be gone
from home for weeks at time After
some four or five years. the boy quit it
and entered on tile more Industrious
pursuits of life, but the girl continued
in the chase Drawing herself more
and more from human intercourse and
restraint she has become wild woman
| fleeing from the approach of her kind
with the speed of a deer ).
During the early years of her solitary
life she used to approach her fathers
house and ehtice the dogs to follow her,
learning almost my breed OF dogs %
become gocd hasteis II ste hqpe q
bringing her back TO her hofhe and to
civilization, her brother followed her
and shot the dog she had taken away
using every inducement to get her to go
hack with him. But all in vain.
For eighteen years, since she was
twelve years Of age, she has lived this
wild life,sleeping In the centres of straw
stacks during the night and hiding in
them during the summer the Wild and
cultivated fruits she intends for her win
ter's st0re of provisions She is now
thirty years old, and is as wild ss the
most untamed denisen of the forest.
Mr.. Messenger says he at one time
while out hunting, met her in the woods
Her long black hair, covering her face
and eyes, was matted with burs and
leaves. and her black flashing eyes madS
her d startling picture. She remained
perfectly still until he got within twenty
feet Of her when she tdrned and led
with swiftness no Ilah could hope to
rival. .aseas
A few days since she was seen again
and then had in her hand three pheas:
ants and four rabbits, but although these
encountered her, she eluded every d.
tempt to capture her. She has been 90
long in the woods that she has bscom6
perfectly wild. Her dress is made of
i the skins of wild animals and . blanket
that she has taken somewhere during
some of her nocturnal predatory tours:
i The case is most extraordinary one:
That girl Of twelve years old could
/ thus give up the endearments OF home,
the pleasures of human intercourse and
the delights of civilized life,. and for
! eighteen years live like wild animal a,
i Lucinda Lewis has done, seems to- us
something beyond possibility, and moth
i ing but our having the fullest confidence
in our informant, wotld induce us ts
ask the public to believe such thing
possible.