New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1883-05-09
A KENTUCKY WILD MAN.
A Man Covered with Thick Hair Who Re.
fuses Bread, but Voraciously Eats
Meat and Relishes Fruit.

Among the passengers the other night
bound for New York from the west on
the day express was wild man, who
occupied a seat in smoking car No 1853.
He was accompanied by James Harvey
and Raymond Boyd, his captors, both
of whom belong in Paducah county,
Kentucky. They had three second-class
tickets to New York, which privileges
them to three seats in the smoking car
of any first-class train. They were on
their way to Bridgeport, Conn.,, to make
arrangements with p T. ,Barnum to ex-
hibit their prize in conjunction with his
circus. When the day express arrived
at the Broad Street station, James Har-
vey ran down the platform into the
restaurant and purchased a box of sar-.
dimes and some sandwiches for the wild
mans supper. His companion remain
ed in the smoker in charge of the wild
man. He was dressed in citizens
dress, and wore big cloth shoes. His
hair reaches nearly to his waist and falls
over his shoulders, completely covering
his back; his beard is long and thick,
while his eyebrows are much heavier
than those of an ordinary human being.
There is nothing imbecile about the
wild mans manners or actions. He
cannot talk, and seldom makes any
sound whatever except low howl like
leopard. His actions are as much like
those of the hyena in the Geological
garden as it is possible for anything in
human form to be. Raymond Boyd,
who seemed to have perfect control over
the wild man, said his body was covered
with coarse, brown hair as thick as the
hair on a horses hide. The palms Of
his hands looked like the paws of a
bear, and his finger nails which were
over an inch long, resembled the claws
of an eagle.
He was first seen in Paducah county
thirteen years ago, and was known as
"Mum, the Hermit because whenever
anyone accosted him all he would say
was, "Mum's the word" He lived in
an old pine hut in the woods for about
five years, and was seldom seen by any,
one. Finally he abandoned the hut and
took up his abode in cave under a
ledge of rocks known as Lizard Rock
A little over six years ago two or three
citizens of Paducah county, while out
hunting, saw him run into his cave
without stitch of clothing 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
Harvey built q man-trap for him over
three weeks ago, and placed a big piece
of freshly killed beef in it. They
watched the trap for three days before
he entered it. He was not afraid of
any bird or beast of prey, but ran terri
fled away from any human being who
approached him. It took two days to
accustom the man beast to their pres
ence. 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 a farmer missed calf
and two sheep, which had strayed off.
They were tracked to ssMum's 81 cave;
here all trace of them was lost, and it is
supposed that he devoured them. In
his cave, which he had occupied for the
last seven or eight years, Boyd and Har-
vey found the skeletons of small ami
mails 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 yoraciously, and the two sand
wiches which were handed him were
greedily pulled apart He ate the ham
and threw the bread away. Whenever
q train passed on the opposite track he
crouched down in the corner of the seat
terror stricken. After the train passed
he would put his hand to his ear and
listen with look Of animal cunning
stealing out Of his restless eyes, like a
panther about to spring on its prey.
Every time the engineer blew his whis>
tie the wild man would grab the back Of |
the seat with both hands and hold on
until the whistle ceased blowing. Boyd |
had little tin music box which he |
manipulated with crank. The one
tune Of Empty is the Cradle was
ground again and again to the great sat-
isfaction of the ex-hermit, who sat and
looked at it silently, but would not
touch it.
When Conductor Harry Smith took
out his glistening nickel plated punch
to cancel the tickets the wild man
the punch intently until he
heard it snap. Then he got down ID I
the corner Of the seat fairly shiveringsl
with. fear, and set up q low howl suppos-
- AN Il a go