The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-03-30
NAN OR BEAST?

WAN IN DEiNl
III. .af >hrswd Spectators set a Trap
~ r,,,h Therein Veritable Wild Man.
-, ,,,ir a. Thick as That of a Horse
-, r.lk ana VIII Not Eat Bread
,-ope the passengers the other night
- ,or New York from the West on the
a. svnr,ss. was a wild man, who occupied
ga, in smoking car Nc. l5S, He was
unnamed by James Harvey ami Ray
"ond BOYD, his captors, both OF whom be-
ior, in Paducah county, Ky. They had
80 second. class tickets to New York,
.-h;,b privileges them TO three seats in the
.n,oking car OF any tirsI-clasS train. They
- nm their way TO bridgeport, Conn, TO
,,,ls arrangements with 7. I. Barnum,
.,s,hibit their prize in copjunction with
NJ ovens. When the day express arrived
=. :. Inc BROAD street station, ut O'Clock,
A. s.n,ss Harvey ran down the platform
st'n The restaurant and purchased a box
ivsy,,dines and some sandwiches for the
vi mans supper. His companion re-
Mod IN the smoker in charge of the
ma man. He was dressed In citizens
w. ~ and wore big cloth shoes. HIS
49, reaches nearly TO his waist and falls
10. III shoulders completely covering his
~ bis beard is long and thick, while his
o"s5rnws are much heavier than those Of
an ordinary human being, There is nothing
1mbecile nj the wild mans manners or ac-
tons He cannot talk, aud seldom makes
opy SQUAD whatever except low howl like
a lsopard. His actions are much like those
oftbe hyena IN the geological garden as 1t
nosslble Tor anything in human form TO be.
RAYMOND Boyd, who seemed 10 nave per
tsci control over the wild man, said his
bciy was covered with coarse, brown hair
as thick as the hair on horses hide. The
Mains of The hands looked like the paws of
hear. and his finger nails, which were
over mn inch long, resembled the claws of
an eagle. He was first seen in Paducah
county thirteen years ago, ana was known
ss"Mum, the Hermit because whenever
anyone accosted him all he would
cav was, "Mums the word" lie
lived in an old pine hut in the
woods for about five years, and was
seldom seen by any one. Finally he abap-
doned the hut and took up his abode in
cave under q ledge Of rocks known rs Liz.
2srd Rock A little over six years ago
two OF three citizens OF Paducah county,
while out hunting, saw him running into
his cave without Il stitch OfclOlhing on HIM.
He was seen several times after that wear
ing no clothing. Three years ago it was
discovered that thick coat of hair had
grown all over his body. Boyd and Har-
yey built man trap for him over three
weeks ago, and placed big piece of freshly
killed beef in 1t. They watched the trap Tor
hree days before he---entered it., He was
not afraid of any bird or.beast of prey, but
ran terrified away from any human being
who approached him. 1t took two days to
accustom the man beast to their presence.
The tinkle of small dinner bell they
used had great Influence over him.
he watched the bell intently but
would not touch it. Some time ago n
farmer missed calf and two sheep, which
had strayed off. They were tracked to
NUNS cave; here all trace of them was
lost, and it Is supposed he devoured them.
In his cave, which he had occupied for the
last seven or eight years, Boyd and Ray
mOnd found the skeletons of small animals
and the skins of over fifty snakes. Some of
the skins belonged to the most venomous
species OF reptiles. The floor of the cave
was alive with red and green lizards, and
hundreds of toads hoped about. The
wild man ate the box of sardines yora-
CiOusly, and the two sandwiches which
we're handed him were rreediIv nuIied
apart. He ate the ham. and threw AVA
he bread Whenever train nasqed on lie
opposite track. he cronched down in the
corner of the seat. terror.stricken Amer
the train passed he would mt his hand IN
his ear and listen, with A look of animal
cunning stealing ont of his restlsss ewes
like panther about TO ponnce ON lis prev
Every time the engineer blew hls whisiIc
HE Wild man would rrab the hack If The
seat with both hands and hold on mill the
whistle ceased blowing Bnyd had n littie
tin music.box. which he maninnloted viii
acrauk. The one time of "Fnntv Is The
Cradlen was ground again and nrain 10
the great satisfaction of 1bo ex-hermif Who
sat aud looked M il silently. bnt wouid NOT
touch it. WheI. Conductor Harry Smith
took out his glistening niekel-plnted nunch
to cancel the tickets, The wild man watched
the punch intently until he heard il snap,
Then he got down in the corner of the seat
fairly shlyering with fear' and SET nm a low
howl, surprising, evidently, that conductor
Smith was about To wing him Rovd and
Harvey said that there was n story IN The
effect that the wild man had originalIv
come from North Carolina. and that duripg
the war he had bppn "a Sharnshonter IN