News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-11-30
WOLF CHILDREN IN INDIA.
Instances of Humans Descending to the
Level of Brutes.

One morning many years ago, Mr'
H, who happened at the time to be
Magistrate and Collector of the Etawah
District, was out riding, accompanied by
couple of sowars or mounted orderlles.
They were passing over portion OF road
that lay in the vicinity of the rav1nes OF
the River Jumma, when two half-groWn
wolf-cubs crossed their path; and follow
ing them more slowly came aremarkable-
looking creature, which shambled along
on all-fours in an extraordinary uncouth
fashion. This turned out to be wolf
child. Letting the other two go unmo-
Tested, the three men proceeded to hunt
down the hume ss.r>affd succeeded IN
bringing tito ba.r
As they wished to take the creature
alive, and were altogether unwilling to
hurt it in any way, they found the
greatest difficulty N attempting to secure
it; for it fought, bit and clawed with ex
treme fierceness and pertinacity; indeed,
having driven it into a corner, Mr.. H
and one of the sowars had to mount
guard, while the other native proceeded
to the nearest village and got stout
blanket for the purpose of throwing it
over its head; and it was by this means
that the capture was at length effected
All the way home the wolf-child behaved
like mad thing, screaming and bowling;
now piteously, now in a paroxysm of i'm
potent rage. 1t was, however, taken to
Mr.. FL IS house; but it would not be
comforted, and for long time refused
all kinds of food, including raw meat.
The creature was a boy of about nine
years of age; and it may here be stated
that no female wolf-child has ever been
heard of or seen. 1t is not easy to assign
a sufficient reason for the fact that females
have never been so discovered, unless we
suppose that, being less vigorously con-
they have been unable to with
stand the terrible hardships of such an
existence, and have very soon sickened
and died.
In appearance this boy was exceedingly
his features were blunt and
coarse, and their expression brutalized
and insensible. As for his habits, they
were exactly those of a wild animal. Mr..
H---caused minute inquiries to be
made throughout the neighboring vii
lagos as to whether the inhabitants had
lost any children through their being
carried off by wolves, and if so, whether
they could recognize the human waif
that had been recovered, by means of
tokens. In the course of a few days the
father and mother Of the lad were dis
covered. They identified him by certain
well-d defined marks about the breast and
shoulders, and stated he had been car
ried away when about two years of age.
His parents, however, found him very
difficult to manage, for he was most frac-
5ious and tTe.l9lesome- fact,- je.st like
aaSed 8ild-Ieast. ss-Otten during the
night, for hours together, he would give
vent to most unearthly yells and means,
destroying the rest and irritating the
tempers of his neighbors, and generally
making night hideous.
On one occasion his people chained
him by the waist to a tree that stood |
near the hut, which was situated ON the |
of the village. Then a rather
curious incident occurred. 1t was a
bright moonlight night, and two wolf
cubs-undoubtedly those in whose COM
he had been captured-at-
tracted to him by his cries, while on the
prowl, came to him and were distinctly |
seen to gambol about and play with him
with as much familiarity and affection as
# they considered him quite one of them
selves. They only left him on the ap-
proach of morning, when movement and
stir again arose in the village.
The wolf-boy, however, did not survive
-ong. Accustomed to the wilds for at
east half dozen years, captivity and
-he change in his mode of life appeared
not to agree with him, for he gradually
olned away and died. He never spoke a
word, nor did a single ray of human in
diligence ever shed its refining light over
us poor, debased features.