Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1875-05-13
THE CTNOCEPHALUS.
A Midnight Horror.

4 Midnight Horror.
twenty-five years ago one OF the most
famous private collections OF wild ami
mails was the one possessed by the Earl
OF Derby at Knowsley, Lancashire, En-
gland. This gentleman was the grand
father OF the present distinguished states
man, and father of the late and still more
famous man, Macaulay's rupert of
Debate" The geological collection was
foste-ed and sustained with wonderful
care and at a large annual outlay. En-
issar;es were employed in all parts of
the world to procure rare specimens,
and so perfect were the arrangements
for their reception at Knowsley that the
animals seemed to forget utterly their
lost liberty when the rather eccentric
Earl became their possessor.
Among this varied and valuable col
lection was a magnificent specimen of
the orang-outang, or cynocephalus. It's
height when standing erect was nearly
five Feet six inches its limbs were enor-
nous, end its breadth across the should
ers indicated proligious strength. Long,
coarse, black hair covered its huge
frame from head to foot, and when any
thing occurred to excite its ill-temper its
features became terribly fierce and re-
pulsive.
Not far from the Earl's beautiful resi-
dence there dwelt at that time a well-to-
do farmer, who had acted For some years
as one of the assistant stewards to Lord
Derby. BE had recently became
widower, his wife having died in her
confinement. The farmers household
consisted OF himself, the baby aged four
months, and an old woman who did gen
erai duty as nurse and housekeeper.
The house occupied . lonely position,
there being no other dwelling within
half mile o. 50, and long and severe
Tinter had set In, covering the entire
country round about Nth a carpet OF
snow.
On one carl. and memorable night the
widowed farmer had retired 10 rest, hav-
ing partsasing of his supper in his bed
room on account of the comfortable fire
which that chamber boosted, and be-
cause it was his custom to have his
ehild's cradle in that room. Whenever
the nurse was required at nighttime the
father rang bell which communicated
with her apartments Immediately above,
access to which was obtained by mar
row flight of of stairs. On the night in
question the young infant lay in blissful
Inconsistencies IN its warm cot near the
cheerful fire, and the father lying in bed
"between sleep and wake" Presently
he heard his chamber door open slowly,
and he reused himself slightly to see
what the faithful old nurse required,
for he concluded IL was she who was
about to enter. But she did not enter.
The door = manned open, and the farmer
was or the eve of speaking softly to the
nurse, when, gently and with a cautious,
noiseless tired, the monstrous orang-
outang gsided into the room. The
farmer sank back in his oed dismayed,
and his dis,nay probably saved his life,
for The visitor-a fitting envoy from
/" Nights piutonian shore continued
to oc Ignorant of his presence. The
creature then proceeded to the neighbor
hood OF The fireplace, near which in its
cradle the child lay, happily unaware OF
the gr;sIv intrlider's existence. The
bright ianaes in the old dark wainscoted
chamber gave it rich Rembrandt touch.
On small table were the remains of
the farmers supper, which had consisted
of fowl. These the animal deserted,
and for Few minutes they afforded it
considerable interest, It's thoughts and
reflections being seemingly concen-
trasei upon the anatomical arrangements
of the deceased bird.
After toying with the bones and other
remnants of the repast the brute's atten
ton was suddenly attracted to the cradle.
To walk nearly erect was thu normal
habit of this in-favored bea.t. He
quietly approached the sleeping child
and s1-asted down ut its side. It Is
probable that among the select visitors
to Lord Derby's museum the baboon