Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1874-12-17

IN q cen Tor any length OF q 1Ho-
" question which studente tura]
history and even practical amen
might settle for US once for While
the documentary evidence i ~ oi
the existence of such wolf chi might
exercise the ingenuity of d = ou1
cleverest lawyers. When have
done their work, and NOT then,
the work of the comparatiy (holo-
gist will begin. / therefore bed to
put together some Of the then
ticated cases of wolf child zput,
any opinion, eithef xdse 81 =
ble.
The following extract is from letter
received from the Rev. Mr.. Erhardt.
Superintendent of the Orphanage ut
Secundra, in reply to his request for in
formation regarding boy in that insti-
tuition, who was alleged to have been
found living with wolves:
We have had two such boys here, but
fancy You refer to the one who was
brought to us on March 5, 1872. He
was found by Hindus, who had gone
hunting wolves in the neighborhood of
Mynpurl. Had been burnt out of the
den, and was brought here with the
scars and wounds still on him. In his
habits he was a perfect wild animal in
every point of view. He drank like a
dog. and liked bone and raw meat
better than anything else. He would
not remain with the other BOYS, but
hide away in a dark corner. Clothes
he never would wear, but tore them up
into fine shreds. He was only a few
months among us. as be got the fever
and gave up eating. We kept him for
time by artificial means, but eventu-
ally he died.
The other boy found among wolves
is about thirteen or fourteen years old,
and has been here almost six. He has
learned to make sounds, speak he can
not; but he freely expresses his anger
and JOY; work he will at times, a little,
but he likes eating better. His civili-
zation has progressed so far that he
likes raw meat less, though he still will
pick up bones and sharpen his teeth on
them.
Vt he Lucknow maihouse there was
an elderly fellow only four years ago,
and he may be alive now, who had been
dug out of a wclves' den by European
doct when, forget, but it must be
good number of years ago.
The facility with which they get along
on four feet-hands and feetz-is sur
prising. Before they eat q taste food
they smell it, and when they don't like
the smell they throw it away.
A remarkable feature in all the sto-
ries is. that the wolves are invariably
alleged to have communicated much of
their natural fcrocity and notably un-
tamable disposition to their foster chill
dren, and this accounts for their some
wha. unwolf- like treatment of them.
Stories of the same kind, and suppor-
ted by much more business-like witness
ses, have appeared in Indian papers du-
ring the last fifty years. The most i'm
Portant witness is the late Col. Slee-
man. man of unimpeachable charac-
ter, one of those truly great men whose
names are less known than their works.
He was commissioner for putting down
Thuggee. and probably knew more of
the real life and character of the people
of India than any Indian officer.
! According to Col. Sleeman, the num-
Der of the little victims carried off by
wolves to be devoured is so great in
some parts of India that people make a
living by collecting from the dens of
wild animals the gold ornaments with
which children in India are always deck
ed ont by their parents. 1t is said even
that the people are unwilling TO take
part in any wholesale destruction of
wolves for fear of losing their liveli-
| hood
From a number Of cases, more or less
fully attested, of wolves taking compass
sion on child, and bringing it up to-
Sether with their own cubs, select TIE
following:
A trooper, sent by the native Govern.
or Of Chandour to demand payment OF
some revenue, was passing along the
bank of the river about noon, when he
saw large female wolf leave her den.
followed by three whelps and little
boy. The boy went on all fours, and
when the trooper tried to catch him, he
ran as fast as the whelps, and kept UP
with the old one. They all entered the
den. but were dug out by the people
with pickaxes. and the boy was secured.
He struggled hard to rush into every
hole or den they came near. He be-
came alarmed when he saw a grown w
person. but tried to fly ut children and
bite them. He rejected cooked mea.
with disgust, but delighted in raw flesh
and bones, putting them on the ground
under his paws, ike dog. They tried
to make him speak, but could get moth
ing from him but an angry growl OF
snarl.
So far the evidence rests on native
witnesses, and might be considered as
more or less doubtful. But the boy,
after having spent short time with the
Rajah of Hasunpoor, was arterward
forwarded to Capt. Nicholetts. the Eu.
ropean officer commanding the First
Regiment of Dude Local Infantry a;
Sultanpoor. Captain Nicholetts made
him over to the charge of his servants,
and their accounts completely confirm
what was stated before. The wolf child
would devour anything. but preferred
raw meat. He once ate half a laml
without any effort. He never kept or
any kind of clothing, and q quilt stuff
ed with cotton, given to him in coli