The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1874-01-29

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Nyaph and Ugly sasyr - . Feoo-
aylvania WilaeRDeas-IheiR Lar.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS lnGaDsbesae and
Attempted Parsteide- SIN n
81. UnFessrainea DevesePeAess.
Iron the New York Herald.
TuNKHANNoCK, WYOMING Co., Pa, !
January IL, 1874. J
William Parks, aged about twenty-cne
wears, has been lodged in Jail at this place
for repeated attempt to take the life Of his
father, Stephen Wells Parks, OF the town Of
Monroe, in this county. This brings into
the history of the Parks family,
known as ''the Wild Family Of Monroe,
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 moun-
,ains of this county. In a wild, lonely spot,
miles from any habit,tion, one of them,
hearing a rustling in the leaves and bushes
On one side of him, was astounded to see a
young woman, perfectly nude, digging among
the leaves, apparently 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 like deer through the woods
and was soon out of sight. Determined, if
possible, to find out something more in re-
gard to this singular appariticn, the hunter
summoned 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.
THE sATYR.
The party walked for about mile through
the woods, and came to a small clearing. In
one corner of this clearing gas a miserable
hovel, built OF logs and with q roof Of straw.
They went towards il. Before they reached
it the girl who had been seen BY their COM
panion 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 iours, picking up something from the
ground occasionally and eating it. The
hunters stood for a moment speeches. 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 a; once ran swiftly of and hid in
the woods.
MODERN CRUsoE.
Coming up to the door OF the hrt the
hunters looked in. On a bench in the mid
die of the room sat an old man, reading from
a large book which ted on his knees. Hi,
clothing was scsnt and ragged, and EVIDENT
made by himself. A lorg whit. beard reach
ed nearly to his waist, and, like his hair
was matted and unkempt. There was Nc
furniture in the room except the bench. IL
one corner some straw WAS scattered about, n
il for bed. The bare ground formed thu
| floor. Near one end Of the room a hole wal
dug, in which there was fire. Over thil
was an iron kettle in which something VA
boiling. Every thing betokened the mos
abject wretchedness; filth and dir: were Oh
every side.
HIS NUDE CHILDREN.
The old man arose when the stranger
came TO the door. He WAS below the medi
um height, and had sharp, bright eye, anC
an intelligent face. He invited the gentle
men into his house, and asked them, in po-
lite terms, the nature of their GRAND. Tht
hunters were AT a loss at fret 10 explain, bul
finally told the old man what they had seer
in the woods and about his door, and e1'
pressed a curiosity to know who and wha
the strange beings were.
Theeid man laughed, and said: -
''Those are my children, William and
Melvina-brother and sister. They appear
peculiar to strangers, no doubt, but I'm used
10 'em. Clothes are of not much account
any how, here in the woods"
The old man then stepped ID the door and
gave a peculiar shout. Very soon his chill
dren were seen TO emerge from the woods
and come 81 aalthily towards the house, ges-
ticuiating and chattering strange gibberish.
and now ard then laughing idiotically.
They came near enough to afford sufficient
scrutiny. Both were well formed with the
exception of the lower Limbs, which were
distorted. The girls face, although lacking
any sisn of IL telIisence, was not unprepOs-
ses-ing. The boys features were repulsive.
Their heads were small, their fOreheads
s!opIng far back. Long, matted hair hung
from their heads, and their skin was nearly
black from dirt and exposure. While the
Strangers were looking It them, the boy,
with no apparent prOvocation, struck his ais
ter a blow in the face, utierins peculiar
cry. She ran across tine clearing and the boy
followed her, Selling stick that lay on tho
ground. The father started after them,
shouting, let her alone, Bill. Let heI
alone, sayr' "BilP' did not catch his sis.
ter, however. and ran of in another direc.
ton. The old man returned to his guests,
who could rot repress their astonishment
and disgust, but solicited an explanation Of
the extraordinary and almost incredible
scenes which they beheld.
HISTORY OF THE FAMILY.
the old man, without any hesitation told
them the history of himrelf and his wild
children. His name, he said. was Stephen
Wells Parks. He was born in Luzerne ccun-
ty. Pennsylvania, aud was fifty years of age.
I When he was twenty-five years of age he
married, and moved with his wife to the
farm where the hunters found him. Hi
wife's health, he said, was poor, and heI
mind very weak. His daughter Meivina was
born in 1850. She never had any care from
her mother after she could walk, and nc
clothing except a cloth wrapper about her
when it was cold. William was born two
years afterwards, and was treated in the came
way Parks and his wife believed that il
was useless to c!otbe their children out in the
wilderness where they lived. Neither Of the
children ever spoke word beyond their
strange gibberish, which they apparently I'M
dersiood. They run wild in the woods, liv-
ing on roots, beech-nuts, berries, and some
times killing and eating snakes and toads.
Walking so much on their hands and knees.
hunting their food. occasioBed the distortion
OF their legs. Melvina had always been of a
docie, gentle disposition, and easily man.
aged. William was quite the contrary. He
was vicious and ugly from the time he could
creep, and, at the time the huHters discov-
cred tie family, was getting quite unman-
ageabIe.
The farm" was used merely to raise
enough potatoes and pumpkins To furnish
food for the mother and father. The chill.
dren seldom ate at home, and siept in the
woods vi hen the weather was net too cold
sont times being gone for DAYS at time.
DISCRETION OF THE MOTHER.
In 1868 the wife Of Parks LET him, stating
"a reason that 'Bilp was getting 10 I'M
manageable and ugly that she WAS afraid of
him. She took with her nSo;fer child, a
baby, and had never returned. Up TO the
time Of The visit of the hunters, Parks had
lived alone in the mountain. with bis wild,
mute, idiotic children. Ii he had occasion
1, po away he ALWAYS ed R,li IN in the