The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1874-02-19
Remarkable and Horrible History Of a
wild Human Family.

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William Parks, aged about twenty
one years, has boen lodged in Jail at
this place for repeated attempts to
take the life Of his father, Stephen
Wells Parks, of the town Of Monroe.
this county. This brings into promi
nence the history Of the Parks family
known as the wild Family of Mon.
roe, which, without exceeding the
bounds of truth in the least, is one
of the most singular on record.
In the fall Of 1871 n party from
Pittston, Luzerne County, were hunt.
ing in the mountains of this county.
In wild, lonely spot, miles from
any habitation. one of them, hearing
q rustling in the leaves and bushes
on one side OF him, was astounded TO
see young woman, perfectly nude,
digging among the leaves, apparent.
ly for beech nuts. She was on her
hands and knees, and was not aware
of the hunters presence for some
time. When she saw him she utter
ed harsh cry and started of like
u deer through the wood and was
soon out of sight. Determined. il
possible, to find out something more
in regard to this singular apparition,
tho hunter smmoned his companions
together, told them what he had seen
and proposed that they follow in the
direction she had taken, and endeavor
to learn where she came from.
Tho party walked for about mile
through the woods and came 10 a
small clearing In one corner of this
clearing was miserable hovel, built
of logs and with n roof of straw
They went toward it. Before they
reached it the girl who had been
seen by their companion came out of
the door, and following after her was
a boy, also entirely naked. They
jumped about the door as if playing,
on all fours, picking up something
from the ground occasionally and
eating it. The hunters stood for u
moment speechless with surprise at
the most singular spectacle, and then
approached nearer. They were soon
seen by tho wild beings wild
they surely were-who ut one ran
swiftly off aud hid in the woods.
Coming up to the door Of the hut,
the hunters looked in. On a bench.
in the middle of the room, sat an old
man reading from large book, which
rested on his knees. His clothing
was scant and ragged, and evidently
made by himself. A long white
beard reached nearly to his waist, and
like his hair, was matted and un-
kempt. There was no furniture in
the room, except the bench. In one
corner some straw was scattered
about, az if for a bed. The bare
ground formed the floor. Near one
end of the room hole was dug, in
which there was fire. Over this
was an iron kettle, in which some.
thing was boiling Every thing be
tokened the most abiect wretched-
ness, filth aud dirt were on ever side.
The old man arose when the
strangers came to the door. He was
below medium height, and had u
sharp, bright eye and intelligent face
lle invited the gentlemen into his
house, and asked them, in petite
terms the nature of their errand.
The hunters were at a loss at first to
explain, but finally told the old man
what they had seen in the woods and
about his door, aud expressed a
curiosity to know who and what the
strange beings were
The old man laughed and said
"Those are my children, William
and Melvina-brother and sister.
They appear peculiar to strangers,
no doubt, but I'm use1 to EN-.
Clothes are not OF much account,
anyhow, here in the woods"
The old man then stepped TO the
doorand gave peculiar shout. Very
soon his children were seen to emerge
from the woods and come stealthily
toward the house, gesticulating and
chattering strange gibberish, and
now and then laughing idiotically.
They came near enough to afford
a sufficient scrutiny. Both were well
formed with the exception of the low.
or limbs, which were distorted. The
girls face, although lacking any sign
Of intelligence, was not unprepos
sessing. The boys features were re-
pulsive Their heads were small,
the foreheads, sloping far back.
Long, matted hair hung from their
heads, and their skin was nearly black
with dirt aud exposure. While the
strangers We're looking at them the
boy with no apparent provocation,
struck his sister blow III the face,
sttering peculiar cry. She ran
across the clearing and tho boy fol-
lowed her, seizinga stick that lay on
the ground. Their father started
after them, shouting, "Let here alone
Bill! Let her alone, say" "Bill"
did not catch his sister, however.
and ran of in another direction. The
old man returned to his guests, who
could not repress their astonishinent
and disgust, but solicited an expla-
nation Of the extraordinary and al
most incredible scenes which they
beheld.
The old man, without any hesita-
ton, told them the history of himself
and his wild children. His name, he
said, was Stephen Wells Parks, He