San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-11-09
WILD WOMAN OF THE WOODS.
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CH.RLorTR. y. c., Oct. i9.-For
r.onths past there have been rumors
OF terrible appariticn which has
frightened 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 alb
sence OF their husbands, from = crea'
turs like shiny black negress, with
long hair and cleaning eyes. She
asks in hardly dis,inguishable gibber-
ish for baby to eat, and makes Ell
forts to get hold o, tie 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
frs. effort to catch l.er was made a
week ago by John Roberts, black
smith. The wild creature had APP
peared several times at fire which II
was the habit Of Corey Moore, col
ored, OF the neighborhoOd, TO light
after dark in the yard OF his house for
the preparation OF his meals. Roberts
was put there to watch for her and she
appesred even before the flames were
well kindled. She presented such 4
wild look in the half light and asked
FOR food in such a wild fashion that
Roberts was demoralized. He recov-
cred, however, made az outcry and
attempted to seize the woman, but
she slipped through lis hands and
disappeared III the dark shadows of
the wood. Tuesday morning Mannar
Steven Cawell caught sight of the
creature and chased her across an
open field. He was badly hurt il his
efforts to keep up with her, and re.
ported that she outran Il buck and
cleared four corn rows at a leap. That
same night she was again enticed from
the gloom of the woods by the kind
ling of fire, and was chased by thirty
men, without success. Capt. Marsh
Allen later in the day met her in the
neighborhood, with her face torn and
bleeding ana long, bloody knife i'll
her hand. The creature was naked
and so unearthly and terrible looking
to him that he says he is not sure 1t
is human being. Her hair reached
almost to her feet, but was kinky, like
that of the African. 1t is not mere
fright which has caused the country
people to organize i'll their attempts
to catch the creature, which has been
living in the forest and swamps for 4
year or more. Some months ago, 1t
is reported, an infant was spirited
away from its parents yard while
they were in the corntield and was
never heard from, and the disappear
ance was from tina, section OF the
country Ill which the wild woman has
been seen, ana mothers. white and
black, are in terror Tor fear their little
ones may also become food for the
cannibal negress. Yesterday the
farmers, some mounted and others on
foot, assembled for the purpose of sur
Il swamp IL winch the crea-
ture is known 70 be lid. There were
four hundred men banded together
for the chase. At first it was at
tempted to run her down with blood
hounds, but they refused to chase her.
which deepeued the superstitious feel
ing with which the men as well rs the
women of the community began TO
regard her. The men then made the
attempt to catch her, but without sue
cess. The excitement among the
negroes and simple country folks IS
intense. BY tie more intelligent
farmers from that section the theory
is advanced tina, tie creature is some
Lalf-wittcd woman, who has been so
long hunted down that she lives III
terror of MI human beings, ana there
fore lives hike NJ animal III forests, her
necessities having forced her to eat
anything she can get, including even
human he,A.