The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1874-02-19

aud his wife believed that it was use
less to olothe their children out in
the wilderness where they lived.
Neither of the children ever spoke .
word beyond their strange gibberish,
which they apparently understood.
They ran wild in the woods, living
on roots, beech nuts. berries, and
sometimes killing aud eating snakes
and toads. Walking 80 much on
their hands and knees, hunting their
food, occasioned the distortion Of
their legs. Melvina had always been
OF a docile, gentle disposition, and
easily managed.
William was quito the contrary.
He WAS vicious and ugly from the
time he could creep, and, at the time
the hunters discovered the family,
was getting quite unmanageable.
The farm was used merely TO
raise enough potatoes and pumpkins
to furnish food for the mother and
father The children seldom ate ut
home. and slept in the woods when
the weather was not too cold
sometimes being gone for days at
time.
In 1867 the wife of Parks left him,
stating as a reason that "Bill" was
getting so unmanageable and ugly
that she was afraid of him. She took
with her another child baby, and
had never returned. Up to the time
of the visit of the hunters Parks Ia I
livel alone in the mountains with his
wild, mute, idiotic children. II bo
had occasion to go away ho always
tied Bill up i'll tho house with u
strong rope, for fear he might kill
Melvina Parks said he found them
a great burden, and their care inter-
feared with his studies. Surround.
ell by wretchedness and filth, the IA
ther of these brutelike offsprings had
learned the Bible almost by heart,
being able to repeat whole chapters
at will from any portion of it. He
was also versod in history and math.
ematics, and had invented system
of short hand writing, which he used
with wonderful dexterity. He ex-
hibited specimens of penmanship OK.
ecuted by himself which we're really
elegant. He also recitcd selections
from Shakespeare in u manner that
astonished his hearers. He said he
regretted his wife's absence very
much, as it prevented him from in-
vestigating an important etymologi-
cal theory OF his.
The huntersloft, finding it difficult
to credit eWn what they had seen
aud heard. When the news Of tho
existence of the wild family" be-
came known tho "farm" was besieged
with callers, and two enterprising in.
dividuals conceived the idea of secur-
ing the family and exhibiting the
wild muses. about the country.
Parks Yas willing to engage in the
and leased his unfortu.
nate offspring for tho purpose. He
accompanied the exhibition, "lectur-
ing" upon the circumstances attend
ing the lives of his children and HIM
self. The 'mutes' were taken about
the country for few weeks, but the
speculation proved failure, and
they were returned to the wilder
ness. Removed from restraint, they
tore to pieces the clothing that hal
been placed upon them as soon as
they reached home
After the first excitement created
by the discovery of the family had
died away they were forgotten. Tho
arrest and incarceration of one of
them asagain bro't them forward,
and revealed still more sickening
chapter in their history.
Parks, the father, says that after
their return home from the exhibition
tour Bill became more and moro vio-
lent in his temper. He made several
deadly assaults on both his sister and
father. A few months after their re
turn Melvina gave birth to a child.
This child she and Bill killed in the
woods and tore it to pieces. Notloug
Bill attacked his sister and
killed her with an old knife that
Parks used to cut up pumpkins with.
Parks buried his daughter and ever
since that time has lived in deadly
fear of his son.
One day last week he attacked his
father, knocking him down with q
club. The old man got away from
him, however, and came to this place
for an officer to arrest him. Two
men went TO Parks place, aud sue
ceeded after struggle in capturing
him. They put o suit of clothes on
him and brought him to Tuukhan-
mock, and lodged him in jail. As
soon as he was placed in the cell he.
tore OF his clothing, and is now per-
fectly naked. Hundreds haSe flock-
ed to the Jail to SEQ. him. Parks
soon afterwards retuHSed home, and
is now living entirely ysSsone, and pro
bably finds ample time for his stud
les. Tho wild. mute, maniac son
will doubtless. be sent to the insane
asylum to spspd the rest Of his days.
1t seems incredible that in this en-
lightenod age, within the sound. as il
were, of the church bells of a popu-
lous town, such case Of utter de-
pnvity and wrctchedness could ex-
list, But the above arc the facts,
which can be substantiated by plenty
Of reliable witnesses
HYRg ia n Boston bows oomposi.