River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-04-12
A MAN IN A CAVE.
Wild Scenes Around Pleasant Hi7
Strange Freaks in the Night.


Strange Freaks in the Night.
Talbatton, Ga, New Era
Some months ago we published the
statement that man mad been frighten-
ed from cave in the mountains near
Pleasant Hill in this county by a party
of chestnut hunters. It now turns out
that the man has never left his retreat
in the mountain fastness and that he
still remains and perhaps has COM
panion. This being the current report
about the neighborhood, two OF our
farmer friends up there determined to
make search for the refuge some two
weeks since, and arming themselves
they set out one evening near sunset to
find the hiding place of the man. They
looked over and around the mountains
and had almost given up the search
when all at once they stumbled upon q
neatly constructed booth made of brush
IN dense growth of mountain trees,
and on going in they found the abode
OF the man, but nobody yg4s at
home, yet the bed upon which Che oc-
cupant of the booth was wont to lay
presented to the adventures startling
degree of warmth wpen they felt of it, as
if the man had just left. Our friends af-
forwards stole away and said nothing,
but they determined to try again. So
ON last Friday week, after finishing their
work, and as the lengthening shadows
told that il was near the shank of the
evening, they again HE'D 'em away,
this time making bee line for the hiding
place of eye man in the cave" and
both of them armed to the teeth. When
they reached the foot of the mountain
old Sol had gone and bid his face be-
hind the western horizon and the thirp
of the cricket and croak of the frog
"tolled the knell of parting day" Stealth
lily and cautiously our friends cfept
up the mountains rugged side. getting
closer and closer to the home of the
outlaw and having, as they thought, al
most within their grasp the body OF the
criminal and in their minds was the gid
dy view of big reward for his capture,
when all of sudden there came SOUND
from clump of bushes just above them
on the mountain steep. 1t was an awful
sound, and grated on the evening
zephyrs as does the grunt of the razor
back SOW on the ear of the village belle,
and the sound contained a
terrible word. The word "Halt" came
in sepulchral tones, and it was followed
by the click of a pistol and the clack of
gun. Instead of halting, our friends
came to aquick movement Right about,
face, march! and such another skeedad-
ding was never before seen in this coun-
try. Nothing stood in their way and down
the mountain side they rolled, tumbled
and slid. And as they departed the
halting party opened fire on their rear,
and at least a half dozen shots were fired
at them, and one of the retreaters says
that all that saved him was that the par
ties doing the shooting were above him
and the shots were consequently too
high. The poor fellows were not at all
frightened, but considered that ''pru.
dence was the better part of valor," aud
they got home just as soon as possible.
They state that there were certainly two
or more persons tho fired on them, and
pistol and gun shots were heard in the
same place few evenings ago. Our
friends have not been back to the place
since, and we doubt if they do go again.
These renagades or refugees in the
mountains are supposed to be some es-
capped prisoners who are hiding out
They should be looked after and captur-
al