The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-10-04
A TENNESSEE STORY.
Fox Hunters Encounter Wild Man
in Marshall County.

in Marshall County.
Nashville American,
Monday night in the quiet recess of
the reporters room the following re-
markable story was related by citizen
of Marshall county, living at Chapel I'LL.
Marshall county, as is well known, IS IN
certain parts one of the widest sections
of the State; is varied in ALI that great
variety of scenery for which Tennessee
is famous:
INV portion of old Marshall" said the
speaker after after prolonged stiffness,
'shas been shaken from centre to circum-
ference over the excitement produced by
the discovery Of genuine wild man III
the cedar brakes near this place. Mr.
Red Jones and John Wilhoyt, two old
noted fox hunters, gave chase to red
fox, as they supposed, last Wednesday
night, but the dogs acting so queerly led
them to believe it was something OF a
larger animal than they had been used
to trailing, and of more sagaclOus kIEd.
When it was tackled it gave fight and
literally tore three of the pack to pieces,
and then fled to the jungles. Uncle jim
TAYLOR, who resides three miles and a half
from Chapel Hill, of whom everybody in
this county knows, was the next one to
meet this animal. About daylight the
next morning he was awakened by some
thing fighting his dogs, and he went to
the door with light and was confront
ed by this hairy creature which gave
signs of distress in gutteral sounds. On
first beholding this montroSity IN hu-
man form he was prompted through
fear to search for his gun, but at this
iuncture the yelp of the leading hound
broke the spell and as if struck with ter
ror it fled into the darkness as the thirty
seven hounds came bounding like the
wind in in its wake. After two hours
it stood ground and gave battle at place
called Pole Bridge, a deep chasm over
which this structure spans, wild and
lonely spot. The hunters for the first
time had ample opportunity to s"rutinize
their game; it .eas at the far end of the
bridge seen standing erect with heavy
limb raised in the act of striking. His
ewes flashed and his teeth chartered furl-
ously Neither being armed they could on
" look on in astonishment.H He was about
five feet tall with dark brown hair, shag-
gy and long his face covered with bushy
hair down to his waist. When he OBJ
served the men he retreated, beating his
l,"aast. and made straight for Duck riv-
ttree-quarters II Z mile distant, and
IS seen to run along the shelving rocks
OF a high bluff and disappear, it is sup
posed, into a cave, as the dogs could not
follow.
This part of the county could certainl =
conceal any wild animal from the sight
of man for years without the fear of be
ing disturbed. Right here commences
the great cedar glades, an extended belt
of wild and unsettled country and an I'M
broken wilderness. The dividing line
from the cotton fields and timhered lands
is waste noted for many crimes com
mited in its solitudes by John a Muir
rils band, who made it the rendezvous
for murderers and horse thieves. And
during the war it was a haven for guer
rillas and counterfieters that infested its
borders. A party has been organized tC
scour the neighborhood this wild man
was in last. and they will use strenOu:
efforts to capture him alive. 1t seem:
hardly credible that such being coult
being detected.