St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-07-25
A WILD WOMAN.
She is Found Wandering i'm q Ceme-
terry and is Captured.
Special to the Globe.

Special to the Globe.
NEW YORK, July pa wild woman,
half starved and almost naked, was cap
tured yesterday in the swamp of the
spookS, a marshg ira ct of woodland, which
lieson the outskirts of the Lutheran ceme-
terry in Fresh Pond l.. 1. A more lone
some and desolate hiding place it
would be hard to imagine. The swamp
extends over several acres of
ground, and is covered with trees so thickly
grown that the sunlight never finds the
way through the leaves. A thick under
growth of bush renders the wood almost
impossible, and danger is added to neon
venience by frequent pitfalls of miry clay
and sluggish water. The higher ground
which adjoins the swamp is filled with
graves. More than 200 men are daily en-
plOyed about this vast cemetery digging
graves and planting flowers. A party of
six laborers, in charge of John Muskeron,
was detailed yesterday morning to
do some clearing along the edge of the
swamp. The men had just started into a
foot-path across the lawn, when in the
distance they caught sight of human
figure. 1t was clad in nothing but loose
waist and short white skirt, and heavy
locks of matted black hair hung over the
shoulders and halfway down the back.
All the men stopped Short and one of them
crossed himself and muttered prayer.
The uncanny being did not see them, but
walked aimleSsly about among the marble
slabs adjacent to the swamp. Muskeron
and one of his men finally decided to inquire
into the queer persons identity. They APP
preached noiselessly, concealing themselves
as much as possible behind the trees and
monuments until within fifty feet of the
object of their investigation. Then they
stepped out into full view, and Muskeron
demanded the name and purpose of the in
| truder. The young woman started up with
surprised scream, and started towards
the swamp on run. She fell, however,
before she had gone dozen yards, and the
men quickly overlook her. The acted at
first as if she was fearful of being foully
dealt with, but kind words had soothing
effect and she was persuaded to sit up
against tombstone in respectable manner.
One of the men went off to notify Assistant
Superintendent Avenues of their find and
the latter came down with wagon and
took the strange woman to his own home.
She was turned over to the care of his wife,
who bathed her face and hands, exchanged
the tattered skirt and waist for fresher and
less abbreviated garments and then set food
before her, which was ravenously disposed
of. Up to this time the woman had not
uttered single word, but when her hunger
had been satisfied, Mr.. Avenues spoke to
her, first in English and then in German.
The woman responded by shaking her
head and mumbling few words in the
Bohemian tongue. An. interpreter was
found with some difficulty, but could get
very little information from the woman.
Her mind seemed to be clouded. She said
her name was Annie, but either could not
or would not give hers'surname. All the
other information obtained was that she
came to this country from Bremen. about six
months ago; that she was % years old; that
she had worked for ''some men, and was
beaten when she asked for pay, and so
ran away. She was uncertain whether
she had been wandering about for two days
or for week, and could not tell how she
happened to reach the swamp of the spooks.
When asked if her parents were living she
burst into tears. Mr.. Avenues came to
New York yesterday and notified superin-
tendent Jackson of Castle Garden of his
| find. Detective Gordon was assigned to
investigate the matter and went back to
! Fresh Pond with Mr. Avenues. He too
was unable to get any facts from her.
When asked where her dress was she said
she could find it in the graveyard. The
detective took her back among the monu-
| ments but she only wandered about aim
lessly. On the way back to the house she
| fell on her knees before marble cross. A
search of the cemetery by the employees re-
vealed nothing belonging to the woman.
She was taken before a justice of the peace
and by him committed to the care of the
matron in the Long Island city Jail. Every
effort will be made by the authorities to
establish her identity and bring the facts of
the case TO light. 1t is believed her mind
will be clear in day or two, and that she
may then be able to givea better account of
herself.
I Getzein. the Detroit n1tcher Voc ,rod e1oo