Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-10-20

Terror Inspired In North Carolina by
BaDy-EstIDG Negress-Attempts to
Capture Her.


BaDy-EstinS Negress-Atten,pts to
Capture Her.
A special from Charlotte, North Caro-
lima, says:
For months past there have been rumors
of terrible apparitiOn which has fright
ened all the women and children in Clear
Creek township. The women say that
for two weeks they have been subject to
terrifying visits, in the absence of their
husbands, from a creature like q shiny
black negress, with long hair and glcam-
ing eyes. Sue asks in hardly distinguish
able gibberish for baby to eat
and makes efforts to get hold of
the children. The men, getting tired of
the fears of their wives, determined to try
to catch the creature and for the last week
crowds of farmers have been daily and
nightly chasing her without success. The
first effort to catch her was made week
ago by John Roberts, blacksmith. The
wild creature had appeared several times
at fire, which it was the habit Of Corey
Moore, colored, of the neighbOrhOod, to
light after dark in the yard of his house
for tho preparation of his meals. Roberts
was put there to watch for her and she
appeared even before the flames were we'll
kindled. She presented such wild look
in the half light and asked for food IN
such a wild fashion that Roberts was de
moralized. He recovered, however, made
an outcry and attempted to seize the
woman, but she slipped through his
hand aud disappeared in tho dark
shadows of tho woods. Tuesday
morning Manuor Steven Cawell caught
sight of the creature aud chased her across
an open field. He was badly hurt in his
efforts to keep up with her and reported
that she Outran buck and cleared four
rows OF corn at a leap. That same night
she was again euticed from the gloom of
the woods by the kindling of a fro aud
was chased By thirty men without success
Captain Marsh Allen, later in the day,
met her in the neighborhood, with her
face tom and bleeding and 4 long. bloody
knife in her hand. The creature was
naked and so unearthly and terrible look
ing to him that he says he is
not sure it is u human being. Her ha,r
; reached almost to her feet, but was kinky,
like that Of the African. 1t is not mere
fright which has caused country people To
| organize in their attempts to catch the
creature, which, has been living in the
forest and swamps for n year Or more
Some months ago, it is ropor,ed..an in
fant Wis spirited away from its parents'
yard while they were in the corn
field and was never heard from,
aud the disappearance was from that
section Of the country in which tho wild
woman has been seeil, aud mothers,
white aud black, arc in terror for fear
their little ones may also become food for
the cannibal uesress. Yesterday the farm
ers, some mounted and others on foot,
assembled for tho purpose Of surrounding
swamp in which the creature is known
to be hid. There were four hundred mcn
bsnde d together for the chase. at first it
was attempted to ruu her down with
bloodhounds, but they refused to chase
her, which deepened the superstitious
feeling with which the Hen as we'll as the
women of the community began to regard
her. The men then made the attempt to
catch her, but without success. The ex
citement among the negroes and simple
country folks is intense. BY the more in.
telligent farmers from that section the
theory is advanced that tho creature is
some halfwitted woman, who has been So
long hunted down that sha lives in terror
OF all human beings, and therefore lives
like an animal in forests, her necessities
having forced her to eat anything She CAL
get, including even human flesh.