West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1878-01-19
The Lost Gyasticutus.

liiberty, Ind, Correspondence ~ the Enquirer
We have Just had the particulars re
| lated 20 us of one of the strangcst and
most remarkable occurrences that ha,
| ever been our lot To chronicle. The oc
/ currcncc took place near Rising sun
n small village about eight miles east oi
here, and, as there Is mail communication
between the two places, the particular,
have been about two weeks reaching
here. ON the road leading west frem
Rising sun, about one mile distant, IL
the large farm of Mr.. Hunt, who keep,
in his employ two families of colorcd
people, residing also on the farm. Mid
way between Mr.. Hunts farm and the
village is what is iamiliarly known as
the " Halfway Place" which is dcsig
mated by nothing more than fence divid
ing cleared land from the woods. One
of the colorcd men living on the farm
had been over 10 the village one evening,
and returned home about nine o'clock at
night When he got home hc was
speechless from fright. He related n
story that seemed at that time 30 bc in
credulous, and was lightly passed over.
He said that he had seen some mon
strous animal that had pursued him
down the road, and that was all the eX.
PLANTATION he could give.
A few evenings after about two weeks
ago, colored girl named Mary Crane
living in the village, made n visit TO the
fran. Here she was told of what had
been seen, but she laughed nc them.
Indeed, no one but the young man who
told the story seemed TO give crcdenco
TO 1t, but none of them were fully pre-
pared to say that such might not have
been the case, and they were not eager TO
investigate the matter Many declined
staying all night nc the farm, but as il
was growing late, she wanted some one
to accompany her to the village. Fail
ing to get any one at the first house, she
went across thc road 10 the other negro
house, and young man started with her,
For about n quarter of n mile the road
passes through what is known "a the
Black Forest" on account of the
density of the timber and underground.
The trees grow To great height, and are
large in dimensions The ground in the
woods is little swampy, and Is grown
up with bushes. Mary and tho young
man had reached the middle of this
forest when they were startled by a
peculiar scream or shrek issuing from
the woods. They stopped and resolved TO
investigate. IL was but moment, when
Mary called her companions attention
to two bright spots about midway up
large poplar tree standing about forty
feet back from the road. Their first inn
pulse was TO run, but they seemed
charmed" Though the night was
misty and very dark, they were enabled
'to see the bright objects descending,
and they heard n sound as tho clawing
of the bark They then ran for short
distance, when the Buck again mus
tered up courage As they were looking
back they heard rustling in the woods
close by them. A moment later and
the animal had mounted the fence and
pursued them, following along OF top of
the fence for a short distance. They no
longer remained for investigation, but
struck out for their lives, and were
rapidly gaining on the beast when IL
leaped to the ground and pursued them
down the road, and every now and then
uttering the peculiar shrek. IL soon
overlook them, and the young man who
had hold of Mary's hand 10 assist her in
running, let loose, and fairly flew down
the road to the village and gave the
alarm. The animal caught hold of the
girls dress and she fell fainting to the
ground. She says she knew nothing
more until a few minutes before she was
rescued, when she awoke and felt some
thing holding her around the body,
when there appeared TO her the sensation
OF something licking her face. When
she became fully arouse she realized her
perilous situation and remained per-
fectly motionless. She soon heard the
voices of her friends, when she says the
animal, which was big as n good-sized
calf, with a tail as long az the door,"
raised up and started, growing toward
them. Their coming up frightened it.,
when, with shrek, IL leaped tho fence
and bounded off through the woods, the
cracking Of the brush and the splashing
Of the water being distinctly heard for
a short distance.
The girl was 50 unnerved by fear that
she had 10 be carried TO the village, and
has had cOnvulsions ever since. Stimu-
lants were administered and she soon
revived, when she related the foregoing.
Next morning q large party OF men
started out ON the hunt Of the animal.
They saw It's tracks, which are said 10 be
over six inches across They tracked il
through the soft mud for nearly half q
mile, but the trail was lost i'm the grass
on the high ground Dogs were put ON
the track, but they would 20 sailing
of through the almost interminablo
forest only to return tagged out, The
hunt was kept up for two days but with.
out success
IL has been ascertained that sheep and
young hogs have been missed by several
farmers living near the Black Forest,
and 10 is presumed that this animal has
taken them What manner Of beast il
is no one seems to have any idea
Where 10 came from is the strangcst
circumstance Of all, unless il has ESCAPED
from some mcnagerie. The whole a6ai
is wapt in,mystery, which the inhab
itants of that region would like to have
solved
a PARIS correspondent considers ont
great obstacle to- "a couD dcfat by Mac
Mahon to have been that he had ~,
prominent General on whom to rely
D q II