The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-07-24
WILD YOUNG WOMAN
Found Wanderingin a DismalSwamp
on Long Island.

New York, July 23.-A wild woman,
half starved and naked, was captured yes
terday in the Swamp of the Spooks, a
marshy tract of woodland which lies on the
outskirts of the Lutheran cemetery in Fresh
Pond. L. l. more lonesome and desolate
hiding place it would be hard to imagine.
The swamp extends over several acres OF
ground, and is covered with trees SO thlckly
grown that the sunlight, , never 1nds the .S way Y
brush rendered the wood almost. impossible,
and danger is added to Inconvenience by ire
quent pitfalls of miry clay and sluggish
water. The high ground which adjoins the
swamp is filled with graves. More than 200
men are daily employed about this vast
cemetery, digging graves and planting
flowers.
A party of six laborers, in charge of John
Muskern, was detailed early this morning to
do some clearing along the edge OF the
swamp. The men had just started INTO
foot-path across the lawn, when, IN the dlS-
tance they caught sight OF a human hgure;
it was naked, and heavy locks OF matted
black hair hung over the shoulders ana nan
way 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 70 tne
swamp. Muskern and one OF MS men llnaliy
decided to inquire into the queer persons
identity. They approached ,nolselesSly, con
cealing themselves as much as possible pc
hind the trees and monuments until WITHIN
fifty feet of the object of their lnVestlgatlon.
They then stepped into full view, and MUS
kern demanded the name and purpose OF tne
intruder. The young woman started up WIN
a surprised scream and started towards the
swamp on a run. She fell, however, before
she had gone dozen yards, and the oI men Oh
quickly overlook her. She acted, at IrSt, as
if she were fearful of being assaulted, put
kind words had a soothing effect, ana she
was persuaded to sit down.
One of the men then went Off to noIlIy
Assistant Superintendent Avenius OF thelr
find, and the latter came down with wagon
and took the strange woman TO MS OWL
home. She was turned over to the care "
his wife, who bathed her face and nan9s, a.
exchanged the tattered skirt and WALSH ioI
fresher and less abbreviated garments, and
then set food before her. which was raVeh-
ously disposed of. ,,+
Up to this time the woman nad loe la,. W
tered a single word, but when her nu1goi ~ ior
had been satisfied Mr.. Avenius spoke 10 ILL., 1T9l,
| first in English and then in German. ld dn9
woman responded by shaking her head dnu u
mumbling few words in the. bonelni;ath[ li;t[
| tongue An interpreter was Iouiuf orr,o W.
difficulty, but could get very little ad lnlo ~
| tion from the woman. Her mind seeMeu oaie "
be clouded. She said her name was a, nnu1T' SnT'
but either could OF, would not om goye ohtained &
name. All the other information ope".uGie this
was that she came from Bremen 10 Ilio 1ho
country about four months ago GilaS laS 1i1T for
was % years old that she had W9IAeu 6 sbo iHo
| ''some men," and was beaten "ieTn SIo ,,lae 1mo
| asked for pay and so ran away. '1do Iaa
uncertain whether she had been Wllaea, ea,iig M
about for two days or for week. anu anu eoflo the
not tell how she happened 10 io"0h 'N'
| Swamp of the Spooks.