Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-01-31
That Windsor Nondescript.

! hdD w
A deal of good nature has heen provoked
/ by that strange animal that has been roam
ing and roaring about the jungleS and
thickets of Windsor and region, blanching
the cheeks of the Timid, and eludng the
sight of The most brave and wiley hunters,
who massed their forces for its discovery
| and Obstruction. Hitherto We have only
heard now and then snatches of It's track
and cries. leaving the mind in doubt wheth-
er the stories thus reported were not the
pictures of fervId inaginations. The arti-
Gle which follows is made up of all that
has been heard and known Of this, grouped
by a correspondent for the Gazette and
putting all the evidences together, and
making such an array as seem to force us
to believe that there is something real about
the existence of the animal, and the occasion
of the alarm that has been more or less felt
by the people of the localities named. The
article is under date of Jan. 21st, and seems
to the writer with fairness and truth. The
editor Of the Gazette, who has been can
vassing about Windsor, whom we met on
the train from there, on Saturday last,
assures us that the nondescript was Il verify
of which the inhabitants no longer had any
doubt Of, The article was as follows:
We are again excited over the strange
tracks and awful hOwlings of 'Hig's"
What Is il? While Editors and CORES
pOndents throughout the county have been
poking fun at our wild animal, the noble
beast has heeu roaming the forests of
Windsor, devouring our game and frighlen-
ing the people. Perhaps no person living
knows more Of the history of this strange
beast than | do, and what | now write re-
gar,ling his wanderings for the past few
months, can be relied on as strictly -accu-
rate, only to be superseded by an autobiog-
rdphy over his own sworn affidavit. Dur
ing the latter part Of the summer, Mrs.
WinslOw discovered that some sort Of
beast was in the habit of lOafing around
her front yard of an evening, frightening
the dog, and making himself altogether
too much at home. Her dog though couri-
geous enough under ordinary circumstances
utterly refuses to associate with, or drive
away the intruder, but upon his appearance
retired, growing, to the wood house or
door step, and remain there until the beast
left. These visits were always made under
cover of darkness, and the personal APP
pearance of the beast, was mere matter
of conjecture. A foot print in the mud
showed that it was large beast, but none
who saw the track could name the animal
making it. These visits continued for
some time, but finally ceased, and the
next heard of him was the adventure OF
Mrs. Ezra Rawdon. Being alone one
evening, Mrs. Rawdon was startled by
piercing screams in the direction of Mr..
HaTper's, suppOSing that one of the child
rem had met with an accident she started
on a run to the relief She Travelled about
half the distance when the same piercing
scream issued from a large grape vine
almost beside her. Suddenly remembering
that she had forgotten to close the door
against trampS, she without moments
hesitation decided to return. She seems
to think that she made pretty good time
considering that she was out of practice
and was never much Of runner Later
in the season young couple while enjoy
ing an evening walk west of the corners,
heard the same child-like scream issuing
llOil a NbNbl. DtFtTdl OJlleT
persons heard like noises during the night.
Just before the last heavy snow fall Royal
Grover came to the corners for assistance
to capture the creature. He reported that
one John Cumstock who lives with Mr..
Afford, had seen the animal while crossing
Il piece of timber. lie had just entered
the timber when the beast screamed di-
rectly before him. He says that it sat on
stump, was larger than dog, and of
brown color. He retreated to the fence
and the animal followed but did not
leave the timber. The next day be pro-
cured rifle and pursued the eritter. He
found the track without difficulty and
followed it for some distance. He found
where the beast had clined several trees
one Of them a large cucumber. He finally
lost the trail. A day or two after NJ
Grover struck the trae
it different from