The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-08-08
Beast or Human Bolng9
Chicago Times.

A wild wOman or perhaps the mate of
the gorilla recently captured, has appear
ed near Lafayette, Ind, and Is terrorisipg
the people. Mrs Frank Coffman. the
wife of a well-know1 farmer, saw it the
other day, and thus describes it: Mrs.
COffman was passing through the timber
when she suddenly saw to ncr right a
hideous creature formed like q woman.
with long black hair floating in the wind,
and the whole body covered with short
gray hair. The creature was breaking
twlgs from a sassafras bush and eating
the bark. The noise made 10 breaking
the bush prevented its hearing Mrs. Golf
mans approach. Fl, zen with horror
the farmers wife stood and gazed on the
remarkable creature before her. Sudden
ly the wild woman turned, and, facing
her civilized sister, glared at her with q
baleful light of hate. Raising her long.
hairy arm she gave an unearthly shrek
and darted away into the forest. Almost
paralyzed with fear Mrs. Coffman gazed
after the wild creature for a moment.
then, with agonized screams she fired
homeward. Her cries of fear attracted
her husband, who was at work in the
field, and he FASTENED toward her, reach
ing her side as her knees gave way with
weakness resulting from mortal terror.
He carried his wife to the house. gave
the alarm. and soon half hundred men
and boys. accompanied by dogs. were
on the trail of the wild woman. She
was hotly pursued, and several times
came near being caught, but eluded her
pursuers with wonderful skill and cum
ming. For fully half a mile of The chase
she was never out of sight. Her feet
touched the ground but seldom. She
would grab the underbrush with her
long, bony hands and swing from bush
to bush, and limb 10 limb with wonderful
ease. She seemed only endeavoring to
keep Just beyond her p%ursuers. until.
coming to the swamp, she disappeared
as suddenly and effectively as an eXtin-
suished light and no searching served
to ascertain her Whereabouts.
ANOTHER OF THE CRITTERS,
Bellevue sun.
The celebrated wild man of the Camas
prairie was killed recently BY some par
ties travelling through the prairie.
While the travellers were camped i'll the
foot-hill on the edge of the prairie one
of them. named Micklehaney, went q
few hundred yards from camp to kill
some ducks, taking with him a shotgun
loaded with large shot. When only a
couple of hundred yards from the camp
the Wild Man of Camas' jumped up
from his h~iding-piace, and, after running
a short distance, stopped and looked at
Micklehaney through his large clelr
ewes for a moment, then, with a shrek
that struck terror to the hunter ana
caused hi'n to shudder as the echo re-
sounded through the forest, the man.
with the ~ferocity of a savage beast oil
the Jungle. made for Micklehaney so
f~iercely that in order to insure his own
safety he emptied both barrels of the
gun into him, when he Tell. apparently
dead. M~icklehaney went to him when
the strange being began to revive And
he put his foot on the mans neck and
called TO his comrades to bring an Az.
which they did with all possible haste.
i'he man covered just as they arrived,
an with a pitiful moan regaIned his
feet and started to run. The AK was
thrown at him, and as he turned his
head to look back it struck him in tho
centre of the forehead, and he dropped
~lifeless to the ground.
On examination he was found to be
rather tall, with full. clear eyes. and an
extraordinary large head; appeared to
be about forty-five years ofage. although
not a gray hair could be seen. The wavy
black hair Of his head hung low down
onto his body. and his bushy beard wa
about two and a half feet long. The
body was also coverd with a thlrR
growth ofhair about two inches III length
This was also black, and very fine
The finger and ~toe-uails were two inche.
long. and resembled claws more thar
nails. He was wrapped in a long rob-
made ofrabbit Skins. The skins wer,
sewed together by sinews On eXamln
inc the ace from which he made IN
appearance it was found that he had
very comfortable bed, which was made
of the soft bark of sage-brush. 1t wa
under an ~overhanging rock. and we'll pr"
tected from the wind. Near the lee
were two rabbits. which had most Ikel,
been killed by stones.
I About ten years ago an insane stag
driver left Boise City. and has neve
: since been heard of. The Wild Maj
. of Camas" may he the same, havln
! taken up his abode in the tn, n desolat
+: prairie. but seldom visited by white men
The wild Man of Camas has. sine
first seen in 1873. been dreaded by iii
lonely traveller and ~prospector. who WI
e he relieved to know that he is dead