Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-01-24
A NEW JERSEY WILD MAN.
He Lives ON Grass. and. ~ tho Crop 10
Short, 1t Is Feared Ho VIII Starve.

He Lives ON Grass. and. ~ tho Crop 10
Short, 1t IL Feared Ho VIII Starve.
For few days past the simple people OF
the little mountain hamlet OF Mountain
View, in Passaic county, New Jersey,
have been in state of alarm and excite
ment over the appearance OF wild man in
the woods near the town. Hunting par
ties were formed to capture him. They
secured the woods in every direction, but
could discover no trace of him. A few
people who had seen him said that he was
hatless and coatless and was dressed in tat
tiers. He had wild expression in his
eyes, his face was haggard, and his form
was emaciated. 1t was said that he lived
on grass, acOrns, and wild berries. and
that ne could climb trees and swing about
on the limbs like monkey. He was seen
TO pick up handfuls of grass and eat it.
A large hunting party which secured the
woods say they tracked the wild man, and
after II long chase brought him to bay. He
turned on his pursuers and fought with
frantic desperation. He seized club and
swung it about so that it was dangerous to
get near him.
At last some of the hunters seized him.
They had desperate grapple with the
man, who struggled with almost super
human strength. Not till he was utterly
exhausted were his captors able to over
power him. They bound him securely
and took him to the town. The wild man
could talk. He said: Il want grass.
Give me some grass. am hungry"
The wild man would say nothing else.
Inquiries concerning who he was and why
he lived in the woods brought no answer.
He seemed to be about 30 years old, and
looked like q German. When MS captors
asked him how long he had lived in the
woods he shook his head and replied:
Give me some grass. His garments
were in tatters and he seemed to he on the
verge of starvation. His eyes were big
and wild, his face was thin and haggard.
AS there was no Jail in the little town to
put him in, and as the inhabitants were all
afraid of him, he was taken to the Della.
ware & Lackawanna railway station and
locked up in little shelter for switch
man. Station Agent Bean telegraphed to
police headquarters at Paterson requesting
that policemen be sent to Mountain View
to take the wild man into custody. As
the police of Paterson have no jurisdiction
outside of that city none could be dis
patched on that GRAND. While the ex-
cited inhabitants of Mountain View were
awaiting the arrival of the police the wild
man wrenched the wooden bars from the
window of the little shanty where he was
confined and jumped out. He ran for the
woods. with scores of people running and
shouting after him. They kept up the
chase across fields and through woods, but
the strange wild man ran with the speed
of deer. He reached the forest plunged
into the thicket. and disappeared The
people of Mountain View are now more
excited and alarmed than ever. They fear
that the wild man may come into the
town and kill some one or damage proper
ty. He seems likely 10 die of starvation,
as the supply of glass is sensibly diminish
ing. An organized effort will be made to
recapture him.