Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-03-24
THE DAILY RECORD-UNION.
TaE KsHTUcKY WILD MAN.
A Hair-Coysred Hermit Captured for Bar
mum.


A Hair-Coyered Hermit Captured for Bar
mum.
Among the passengers the other night
bound for New York from the West Cd the
day express was wild man, who occupied
q seat In smoking car No. l53. He was
accompanied by James Harvey and Ray
mond Boyd, his captors, both Of whom be-
long in Paducah county, KY. 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 exhibit their prize in conjunction with
his circus. When the day express arrived
at the Broad Street Station. at S o'clock,
James Harvey ran down down the plat.
form into the restaurant and purchased a
box of sardines and some sandwiches for
the wild mans supper. His companion
remained in the smoker In charge of
the wild man. He was dressed in cit.
zsn's Dress and wore big Goth shoes. HIS
hair reaches nearly to mis- 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 in the wild mans man
ners or actions. He cannot talk, and sell
dom makes any sound whatever except a
low howl like leopard. His actions are
az much like those of the hyena in the Zoo
logical Garden as it ia 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 horses hide. The palms of the
hands looked like the paws OF bear, and
his finger nails, which were over an inch
long. resembled the claws of an eagle. He
was frat seen in Paducah county thirteen
years ago, and was known as "Mum, the
Hermit, because whenever any one &C.
costed him all he would say was, NUNS
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 aban.
doned the hut and took up his abode in a
cave under ledge of rocks known as "Liz.
gard Rock" A little over six years ago
two or three citizens of Paducah county,
while out hunting, saw him running into
his cave without a stitch of clothing on
him. He was seen several times after that
wearing no clothing. Three years ago it
was discovered that thick coat of hair
had grown all over his body. Boyd and
Harvey built man trap for him over three
weeks ago, and placed big piece of fresh
ly-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 terrified away from any hu-
man being who approached him. It took
krry0 dou 70 he -
their presence. The tinkle of small din
ner 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 strsyed 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 veno-
nous 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 vo.
raciously, and the Ewo sandwiches which
were handed him were greedily pulled
apart. He ate the ham and threw away
the bread. Whenever a 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 panther about to pounce on its prey.
Every time the engineer blew his whistle
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 satisfaction of the ex-hermit, who
sat and looked at it silently, but would not
touch it. When Conductor Harry Smith
took out his glistening nickle- plated punch
to cancel the tickets the wild man watched
the punch intentlv until he heard it snap.
Then he got down in the corner of the seat
fairly shivering with fear, and set up low
howl supposing. evidently, that Conductor
Smith was aboat to wing him. Boyd and
Harvey said that there was story to the
effect that the wild man had originally come
from North Carolina, and that during the
war he had been a shsrpshooter on Bald
mountain, and that shortly after the war
he had murdered whole family of settlers
in the mountain and fled. Both Boyd and
Harvey appear like shrewd fellows, and
expect to make a fortune out of their prize.
Their great anxiety and fear is that the au.
thorities will interfere with them, and
claim that the man is simply lunatic, and
place him in some institution. They had
the snake skins in box in the baggage car,
together with some other curiosi5ies found
in the cave Boyd said that the wild man
will not touch anything but fruit and meat,
which he eats ravenously, and much the
same as wild beast. Cigar smoke bothered
him good deal, and he kept driving II
away from him with his clawy hands. When
the train arrived in Jersey City the men
took a carriage and said they were going tc
take the New Haven night boat from the
foot of Peck slip, and avoid daylight
crowd in New York. In case they can NOT
make satisfactory terms with Bsrnum, oil
some other prominent circus man, they in
tend exhibiting their prize themselves as
soon as they can extensively advertise him,
beginning at New York city some time in
May. In the meantime they are going to
keep him in some secluded place on Long
Island. Il Philadelphia Press.