The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-10-27
A CAROLINA CHMD-EATER.
FRIGHTFUL ANTICS OF A Wild WOMAN
THE OLD TAR STATE.

FRIGHTFUL ANTICS OF A Wild WOMAN N
THE OLD TAR STATE.
The story Of a female crank who wants all
the children she can catch for food is told iu
a Charlotte (N. O. telegram of Friday last,
as follows
For months past there have been rumors Of
terrible apparitlon which has terrOrizeJ all the
women and children in CIearcreek township. The
women say that for two weeks they have been sub
Iect 20 terrIy ing visits IN the absence OF their us
bands from creature like a shiny black neureSs,
with long hair and cleaning eyes. She asks in
haTdly qlsungulshabie glhpersh Tor a BABY 70 eat.
and makes efforts to get hold Of the children. The
men getting tired Of the fears OF their wives deter
mined 70 eaten the creature ana l0r the last week
crowds Of farmers have been daily and night
chasing her without success.
The hrst effort to catch her was made week
by John Roberts. "a blacksmith. The Wild
creature had appeared several times at fre which
u was the ha6it OF carey Moore tc0lored). oi the
ueiEhbOThOCd TO light after dark in the ward his
house for the preparation Of his meals. Roberts
was put there 70 watch for her. and she appeared
before the flames were we'll EInIlCd. She
presented such Wild look IN the half light and
was demoraIized. He recovered, however. made
an outcry and attempted TO seize the woman, but
she slipped through his hands ana disappeared in
the dark shadows Of the woods. Tuesday morning
and chased her across an open held- He was bad
ly hurt in his efforts 20 keep up with her and
ported that ,he Outran buck and clea red four corn
rows at a leap. That same night she was again
enticed away from the gloom u the woods by the
kindling Of q hre, and was chased by thirty men
Captain Marsh Allen later in the day. Lac. I.or
ing. and long, bloody knife in her hands. The
creature was naked and so unelrthiy and terrible
looking TO him Jh at ne says he is not sure 20 IS
human being Her hair reached almost 10 her
feet, but kinky like that Of the African Il Is
not frig ht which has caused the country peo-
pie to organize I'm their attempt 20 catch the
ture which has been living In the forest and swamp
fastness Tor a year OF more. some months ago, 10
Is reported. an infant was spirited away from its
parents yard, while they were in the cgrn-fieli,
and was never heard from, and the t.EapueorlDce
was from that section 0i the county iu which the
Wild woman has been seen. ana mothers, white aud
black. are la terror for fear their little ones may
also become food for the cannihal negroes
Yesterday the farmers, some mounted and others
on foot, assembled for the purpose OF surrounding
a swamp in which the creature is known % be HID.
There were 400 men banded t1gethcrfJr the chase.
At hrst it was attempted TO run her down with
btuodhOuutS. but they refused 10 chase her. which
deepeneu the sulCrstitinus feeling with which the
men. as well as the women, uf the community be-
gin 10 regard her. The men then made the attempt
70 catch her but without success The excitement
among the negroes and simple country folk g. iu-
tense by the more Intelligent farmers from that
section the theory is advanced that the creature
some halfwitted woman. wko has been long
hunted down that she lives iu serror Of all human
beings, and therefore lives like animal in the
forest her necessities having forced her 20 any
thing she can get, including even human flesh