The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-17
B RUTE MAN +.
Remarkable and Horrible History Of q
Wild Human Family.
The Nude Hymph and Ugly Satyr Of u
Pennsylvanian Wilderness.
Their Language Gibberish and Their Brains
1diotic-lnfanticide, sororicide and At
tempted Parricide-Original Sin in
Its Unrestrained Development.
TUNKHANNo0K, wyoming County, Pa,

TOskHANSoox, wyoming County, 1ou Pa a..
william Parks, aged about twenty one years. has
been lodged IN Jail at this place for repeated at
tempts TO take the life OF bs ather Stephen Wells
PARKS, OF the town OF Monroe, this county. This
brings into prominence the history Of the Parks
family, known as the ''Wild Family of Monroe,n
which, without exceeding the bounds Of truth IN
the least, is one OF the most singular on record.
DISCOVERY OF THE WOOD NYMPH.
In the fall OF 1871 party from Pittston, Luzerne
county, were hunting in the mountains Of this
county. In wild, lonely spot, miles from any
habitation, one of them, hearing rustling in the
leaves and bushes on one side OF him, was as
founded to see young woman per-
fectly nude, dirging among the leaves, ap-
parently 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 uttered harsh cry and started OF
ike deer through the WOODS ana was soon out
OF sight Determined, II possible, to ind out
something more In regard to this singular appari-
ton. the hunter summoned his companions TO-
getber, 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
THE sATYR.
The party walked for about a mile through the
woods and came to small clearing. In one
corner OF this clearing was miserable howell built
OF logs and with roof OF straw. They went
towards it. Before they reached it the girl who
had been seen by their companion came out Of the
door, and following after her was boy also en-
tirely naked. They jumped about the door, AZ II
playing, on oil tours, picking up something from
the ground occasionally and eating it. Inc hunters
stood for moment speechless with surprise at the
most singular spectacle, and then approached
nearer. They were soon seen by the wild beings
for wild they surely were--who at once ran swiftly
OF and mid in the woods.
MODERN CRUsoE.
Coming up to the door Of the hut, the hunters
looked In. On bench in the middle Of the room
sat an old man, reading from o 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 unkempt. There was no
furniture in the room, except the bench. In one
corner some straw was scattered about as If for q
bed. the bare ground formed the floor. Near one
end OF the room hole was dug, in which there was
q fire. Over this was an iron Kettle in which some
thing was boiling. Everything betokened the
most abject wretchedness; filth and dirt were on
every side.
HIS NUDE CHILDREN.
the door. He was below the medium height, and
had q sharp, bright eye and an intelligent face.
He invited the gentlemen into hts house, and
ASKED them, in polite terms, the nature Of their
errand. The hunters were at loss at first to eX-
plain, but finally told the old man what they mad
seen in the woods and about his door, and
expressed curiosity to know who and what the
The old man laughed and said -
'Inose are my children, William and Melvina.-
strangers, no doubt, but Pm used to ein. Clothes
are OF not much account, anyhow. here in the
woods"
The Old man then stepped to the door and gave
peculiar shout Very soon his children were seen
TO emerge from the woods and come stealthiy
toward the house, gesticulating and chatterlng a
strange glbberish, and now and then laughing idi-
otically. They came near enough to afford a sum-
exception OF the lower limbs which were dis
torted. The girls face although lacking any sign
Ys seaas w Tae
small the Ioreheads sloping lar back. Long.
matted hair hung rom their heads, and
and exposure. While the strangers were srs
looking at them, the boy, with no apparent
uttering peculiar cry. She ran across the clear
ing and the boy followed her, SELLING stick that
lay on the ground. Their father started after
alone, say" sBilr' did not catch his sister, how.
ever, and ran of in another direction. The old
man returned to his guests, who could not repress
their astonlshment and disgust, but solicited an
|! explanation OF the extraordinary and almost IN
credible scenes which they beheld .
HISTORY OF FHE FAMILY.
the ola man, without any hesitation, told them
the history OF himself and his Wild Children. His
name, ne said, was stephen Wells Parks He was
born In Luzerne county, Pa, and fifty years Of
age. When he was twenty-five years Of age
to the farm where the hunters found
nlm. HIS wne's health, he said, was poor
Melvlna was born in 1850. She never mad any care
from her mother after she could walk, and no
clothing eyceat ;1,a cloth wrapped about her when
wards, and was treated in the same way. Parks
and his wife believed that it was useless to clothe
their children out In the wilderness where they
lived. Neither OF the children ever spoke word
beyond their strange gibberish, which they appar
emily understood They ran wild 10 the woods
living on roots, beech nuts berries and some
times killing and eating snakes and tOads. Walk
ing so much on their hands and knees hunting
Melvipa had always been Of d0cile, gentle dispO-
sition and easily managed. William was quite the
contrary. He was vicious and ugly IRON the time
he could creep and, at the time the hunters dis
covered the family, was getting quite unmanage-
The farm, was used merely to raise enouoh no.
tatOes and pumpkins TO furnish OOd for the mother
and father. The children seldom ate home, and
cold-sometmes being gone for days at q time.
DEsERrIoN OF THE MOTHER.
In 1911 tne Wiie Oh PARKS left him stating as
and ugly that she was afraid OF him. She took
with her another child, baby, and had never re-
turned Up to the time OF the visit OF the hunters
Parks had lived alone IN the mountains with his
wild, mute ldotic children. II he had occasion to
go away he always tied Bill up In the house with
strong rope, Tor fear he might XIII MeIvina Parks
said he found them great burden and their care
tnteriered with his studies. Surrounded by
wretchedness and Nth, the father of these brute like
offspring had learned the Bible almost by heart,
being able 10 repeat whole chapters at will from
any portion OF 1t. he also well versed in his.
tory and mathematics and had invented system
or shorthand writing which ne used with wonder
fui dexterity. He exhibited specimens OF penman-
w a1ly
CANT He also recited selections from Shakespeare
IN manner That astonished his hearers. He said
he regretted his wiies absence very much as IT
prevented him from investigating an lmpOrtant
genealogical theory of his
THR WILD CHILDREN LEASED FOR EXHIBITION
The hunters left inding 1t diicuit to credit even
what they had seen and heard. When the news of
the existence OF the wild family" became known
the harm" was Desieged with callers, and two
securing the family and exhibiting the wild mutess
about the country. Parks was willing to engage