The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-03-24
AxExruCKY WILD MAN.
ne Catch Of Two Enterprising Ven
AHuman Curiosity that Refuses
Bread bus Eats Meat ash
Fruit Veraca~uSly.

night bound for New York from the West
on the day express was Wild man. who
occupied a seat "a smoking-car 1853. He
was accompanied by JnWs Harvey and
Raymond i.oyd, his captcrs, both OF whom
belong In Padvcah county, Ky.
When the day express arrived ut The
Broad-strct station, at = o'clock, James
Harvey ran down the platform into me
restaurant, and purchased box oil sardines
and some sandwiches for the wild mans
supper. His companion remained in the
smoker la charge OF the wild man.
He was dressed IN citizens dress and
wore big cloth shoes. His hair reaches
nearly TO his wniS and falls over his
shoulders, completely covering his back (;
his beard l. long and thick, while his eye
brows are much heavier than those OF an
ordinary human beng. There IL nothing
imbeciie in the wild mans manners or ac-
tons lie cannot talk, and seldom makes
any sound whatever except low howl
Hike leopard. HIS actions are rs much
Hike those Of the hyena in the Geological
Garden MS II II possible for anything in hui
map form to- be.
RAYMOND Boyd, who seemed TO have per-
feet control over the wild man, said his
body was covered with coarse, brown hair
astbick ~ Che hair on a horses hide. The
palms Of his hands looked like the paws OF
n hear. and bis finger-nails, which were
over IN inch long, rescmbled the claws or
an eagle.
TIE DISCOVERY AND Capture.
He was first seen in Paducah county
thirteen years ago, and was known as
"Mum, the Hermit" because whenever
any once accosted him all he would say was
"Mum's the word" lie lived in an old
pine hut in the woods for about five years,
and was seldom seen by any one. Finally
be abandoned the hut and took up his
abode i'm cave under ledge OF rocks
known as " Lizard Rock A little over
six years ago two or three citizens Of Pa
ducah county, while out hunting, saw him
running into his cave, without stitch OF
clothing on him. lie was seen several
times after that wearing 10 clothing.
Three years ago it was discovered that a
Thick coat OF hair had grown all over his
body.
i.Oyd ard Harvey built Zig man-trap
for him over three weeks ago, and placed a
big piece Of freshly-kiled beef in it. They
watched the trap for three days before he
entered IL. He was not afraid OF any bird
or beast Of prey, but ran terrified away
him. II took two days to accustom the
man-beast TO their presence. The tinkle
Of small dinner-bell they used had a great
influence over him. lie watched the bell
intently but would not touch it.
EATING LIVE CALF AND TWO SHEEP.
Some time ago farmer missed calf and
two sheep, which had sirayed off. They
were tracked to NUNS cave: here all
trate Of them was lost. and ii is supposed
he deyoured them.
In lis cave, which he had occupied for
the last seven or eight years. BOYD and
Harvey found the skeletons of small ami
mails and the skins OF over fifty srakes
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 sardnes
voraciously, and the two sandwiches
winch were handed him were greedily
pulled apart. He ate the ham and threw
the bread away. Whenever a train passed
on the opposite track he crouched down in
the corner OF the seat terror-strieken. After
the train had passed he would put his
hand TO his ear md listen with a look OF
eyes, like panther about 10 rounee on its
prey.
Eyervtme 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
with q 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.
AFRAID OF THE CONDUCTORS PUNCH.
When Conductor Harry Smith took out
his glislening nickel-pated punch to cam
eel the tickets the wild man watched the |
punch intently until he heard it snap. |
Then he got down in the corner OF the |
seat, fairly shivering with fear, and set
up low howl. surprising, evidently, that |
Conductor Smith was about to wing him,
Boyd and Harvey said that there was a |
story 10 the effect that the wild man had |
originally come from North Carolina, and |
that during the war he had been sharp |
shooter on Bald Mountain, and that shortly |
after the war he had murdered a whole |
family OF settlers in the mountain and fed. |
Both Boyd and Harvey appear like
shrewd fellows, and expect to make for
tuno out OF their prize. Their great anxiety
and fear Is that the authorities will inter-
fere 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 curiosilies found in the cave.
Boyd said that the wild man will not touch
anything but fruit and meat, which be eats
ravenously, and much the same as wild
beast. Cigar-smoke bothered him a good
deal, and he kept driving it away from him
with his clawy hands.
When the train arrived in Jersey City the
men took carriage, and said they were
going to take the New Haven night boat
from the foot OF Peck's Slip, and avoid
daylight crowd in New York. In case they
cannot make satisfactory terms with some
prominent circus man, they intend exhib-
Ting their prize themselves as soon as they
can extensively advertise him, beginning
In New York city some time in MAY.
In the mean time they are going to keep
him In some secluded place on Loug Island.
AQueer Mistake I'm q Decd.
Rochester DemocratJ