The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-12-10
WOLF CHILDREN IN INDIA,
Boys Carried or and suckIed by woive,
---Ferocity of the ChiIdren---Imi.
tating the Wolves,


tating the Wolves.
Whether children carried off by
wolves, in India, could be sucked and
kept alive in den for any length of
time is surely a question which students
OF natural history and even practical
sportsmen might settle for us once for
all, while tbe documentary evidence in
favor OF the existence of such wolf
children might exercise the ingenuity
OF some of our cleverest lawyers. When
they have done their work, and not till
then, the work of the comparative my
thologist will begin. We therefore pro-
ceed to put together some of the best
authenticated cases of wolf. children,
without, however, presuming ourself to
pronounce any opinion, either adverse
or favorable.
The following extract is from a letter
received from the Rev. Mr. Erhardt,
superintendent of the orphanage at
Secundra, in reply to his request for
information regarding o boy in that in
stitution, 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 neighbor-
hood Of Mynpuri. He had been burnt
out of the den, and was brought here
with the scars and wounds still on him.
In his habits he was perfect wild ami
NAL in every point of view. He drank
like dog, and liked bone and raw
meat better than anything else. He
would never remain with the other
boys, but hide away in any dark conner.
Clothes he never would wear, but tore
them up into fine shreds. He was only
few months among us, as he got 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 OF fourteen years of
age, and has been here almost six. He
has been learned to make sounds, speak
he cannot; but he freely expresses his
anger and joy work be will at times,
little, but he likes eating better. His
civilization has progressed SO far that
he likes raw meat less, though he still
will pick up bones and sharpen his
teeth on them.
cat the Lucknow madhouse there
was an elderly fellow only four years
ago, and may be alive now, who had
been dug out Of wolves den by q
European doctor-when, forget, but
it must be a good number of years ago.
"The facility with which they got
along on four feet-hands and feet-is
surprising. Before they eat or taste
food they smell it, and when they don't
like the smell they throw it away"
A remarkable feature in all the stories
is, that tile wolves are invariably al
legged to have communicated much of
their natural ferocity and notably un-
tamable disposition to their foster chill
dren, and attempts to account for their
somewhat unwolf-ike treatment of
them.
Stories of the same kind, and sup
ported by much more business-like
witnesses, have appeared in Indian
papers during the last fifty years. The
most important witness is the late Col.
Sleeman, a man of unimpeachable char
acter, one of those truly great men
whose names are less known than their
works. He was commissioner for put
ting 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 q
living by collecting from the dens OF
wild animals the gold ornaments with
which children in India are always
decked out by their parents. 1t is
said even that the people are unwilling
to take part in any wholesale destruc
tion of wolves for fear of losing theil
livelihood.
From number of cases, more or less
fully attested, of wolves taking com
passion on child, and brlngingit up to-
gether with their own cubs, l select the
following
"a trooper, sent by the native Gov
ernor OF Chandour to demand payment
OF some revenue, was passing along the
bank of the river about noon, when hs
saw large female wolf leave her den
followed by three whelps and little
boy. The boy went on all fours, ant
when the trooper tried to catch him, b,
ran as fast as the whelps, and kept VI
with the old one. They all entered tn
den, but were dug out by the people
with pickaxes, and the boy was secured
He struggled hard to rush into ever,
hole or den they came near. He be
came alarmed when he saw a grown NJ
person, but tried to fly at children ant
bite them. He rejected cooked mea
with disgust, but delighted in raw fesl
and bones, putting them on the groun'
under his paws, like a dog. The
tried to make him speak, but could ge
nothing from him but an angry grow
or snarl."
So far the evidence rests on nativ
witnesses, and might be considered a
more or less doubtful. But the boy
after having spent short time with tn
Rajah of Hasunpoor, was afterwar
forwarded to Capt. Nicholetts, th
European officer commanding the Firs
Regiment of Dude Local Infantry 6
Sultanpoor. Capt Nicheletts mad
him over to the charge of his servant;
and their accounts completely confirl
what was stated before. The vol
child would devour anything, but pre-
ferred raw meat. He once ate half
lamb without any effort. He neve
kept on any kind of clothing, and
quilt stuffed with cotton, given him
the cold weather, was torn by him an
partly swallowed.
In a letter, dated the 18th and 19t
of September, 1850, Capt. Nicholet
informed Col. Sleeman that the be
had died in the latter end of Angus
He formed no attachment, and SCENE
to understand little of what was said
I. T. al~ 81