Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1878-09-04
The Madman of the Woods.

tFNhp'h iiOih -ohit 1bh- "hOs - W -
said, had taken to the woods, and was
committing depreciation on the farmers
He was described as very large and
powerful man, armed with huge
bludgeon, said to be larger than three
years sapling with which he had killed
several oxen, and desperately wounded
one man who had had the hardihood to
attack him.
The day before We started for the
logging-camp, we were all startled by
the intelligence that man answering
the description of the supposed myth
had been seen only ten miles distant,
and the morning of our start, a mes
senger from our next neighbor, three
miles away, summoned us to aid him
in the capture of this creature, who.
just at dusk, the evening before, had,
in full sight of one OF his men. stolen a
sheep and rushed into the forest with
it, uttering wild yells.
A fierce mastiff had been set on him,
which he instantly killed by blow
from his heavy club, and entered thick
underbrush, into which no one dared
follow him. Here he uttered such
piercing shrieks as startled the bravest
among the men who had started in pur-
suit.
Although it caused great disar-
raHgement of our plans, we responded
to the call, and twelve men, among
them. started the next morning on
snOwshoes (for the snow was two or
three feet deep to the aid of our afflicted
neighbor.
Arrived there we found everything
in confusion, for the mailman had en-
tered the stable during the absence of
the men at breakfast, and ridden off on
a horse at full speed up the road, which
had afterwards returned covered with
foam, and so thoroughly scared that
every slight noise caused him to cover
and tremble.
We all adjourned TO the stable TO
the direction the destroyer of our
peace" had taken. We each wore
snow-shoes, and carried a gun, though
we were strictly forbidden to use them
unless it became absolutely necessary
for our own safety. 4 supply of rope
was also taken, to be used in case of mis-
capture.
We had proceeded up the road for
half mile or more, when we came TO
an indentation in the soft snow BY the
side of the road, where the maniac had
evidently been thrown from the horse.
A rail fence near had been dragged
down and evidently hurled at the re-
treating figure of the animal.
From this place we could easily fol-
low the trail of the man, who had sunk
deep in the snow at every step, and en-
tered the woods but a short distance
from the road.
Hither we eagerly followed, and very
shortly were painfully made aware of
the presence of the object of our search.
who mad secreted himself behind large
pine stump. When the first man passed
him, he sprang upon him and bore him
into the snow. We all together dragged
him off, but in vain tried TO hold him
dewn. lie threw us all off, and,
knocking two or three men down, dis
appeared into the thick forest.
The man whom he had so savagely
attacked was not seriously hurt, but We
all agreed that it would be useless to
follow the wild man, as we could not
effect his capture without some of us
being seriously injured.
We accordingly returned home and
carried out the programme of the day,
and by three o'clock had arrived at the
lumber camp.
Here everything went well for
awhile, and we were just getting well
under way with our logging, when the
wild man again made his presence
known in an unexpected, and, as it
proved, fatal way. We had thoughe 1t
hardly possible that he might visit our
camp, but as two or three weeks had
passed, and we were eight or nine miles
from where he had last been seen, we
had entirely given up the idea.
Our method of logging was to cut a
road from our timber to the nearest
creek, and haul the logs to the ice,
there to wait for the spring freshet.
The snow or the sides of these roads
often became six or eight feet high,
and it was then impossible TO turn out
on either side, hence we had switches
at regular intervals, where each empty
team waited till the loaded sled passed.
1t was about four o'clock, and already
becoming dusk, on Thursday of our
third week, that | was taking my last
load down to the ice. A short distance
behind came Jim Hayden with another
load. | was but a few rods from the
"switch" when l heard terrible
scream of boisterous laughter.
The thought that it was the madman
instantly forced itself upon me, and
upon looking around | saw the six yoke
of oxen tearing madly down the road
III WAS uONH Slduc.J
They were heavily-loaded, and atop the
logs stood the mailman, plying the
whip and uttering such fearful yells as
fairly made my blood run cold.
Immediately perceived that if L did
not get my load into the switch before
he passed, a terrible catastrophe would
be the result, and / therefore hurried
the oxen as much as possible; but des-
pite my efforts | had only succeeded in
getting partly in when the twelve oxen
struck the end of the logs with heavy
crash. killing the off-oxen of the two
middle teams instantly, and throwing
my oxen down.
The mailman was thrown from the
sled, and struck my load on his back,
where he lay groaning heavily. The
oxen kept on their mad career, carry
ing everything with them, and ran on
to the ice, where the impetus of the
heavy load forced them over some of
the logs, when the "nigh for'a'd I" OK