West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1893-08-03
CHEATS MONSTER,
Story OF a Hldeous Animal I'm Fay.
cite County, Pennsylvania
UNIoNTowN. pa. July 20.

OAlONTOWNs IA, July ~.
The strange story Of an amrhib-
ious monster That lives in Settlers
Hole in the Cheat river and roams
about the country IN the southern
part OF this county, devonring the
animals of the farmers, is told by
Che Standard in a correspondence
from Morris Gross Roads.
For months past, farmers near
the Line Ferry have been missing
sheep, lambs, pigs, and even young
calves. to say nothing of lnnumera-
bic chickens, turkeys and geese,
and until few days ago, they
blamed the Italians and other
hborers, engaged in grading the
state line road, with stealing the
missing animals. Not night
SINCE early spring, has passed with
out some farmer walked mp in the
morning to find that he had been
robbed OF fat pig, young calf, a
sheep, two or three choice lambs.
or half dozen Of the finest barn
yard fowls. Effort was made to
catch the thief, But every attempt
proved a failure and everybody had
about settled down to the belief
chat the laborers along the railroad
were doing the stealing.
But tho mystery has at last been
cleared up to the minds of at least
three of the most reputable farmers
OF the neighborhood. They will
not at present allow their names to
be made public, and it was only
after assuring the correspondent to
keep their names out of print thar
they told him what they knew
about this "Monster of Settlers
Hole" as it is called. They each
saw the monster on different occa-
sions, but at about the same hour
IN the morning, and each give
about the same description of it.
Il first saw the monster" said
one of the farmers, "just at day
break last Tuesday morning. got
up very early to go to Uniontown,
and started out to the pasture field
to get the horses, and just as 1
opened the barnyard gate | heard
a terrible racket down by the calf
pen which wEs Immediately fol-
lowed by the stampede of every
living object IN the barnyard, in
the direction of the house. The
chickens and turkeys few with loud
cries Of distress into the trees in
the yard and to the roof Of the
house, and the cattle and pigs
crowded around me trembling with
fright and uttering pitiful outcries
Of terror.
Something down at the calf pen
had given them a terrible fright.
but what 1t was could not imagine.
But | resolved to find ont, and
pushing my way through the trem-
bling animals ] started down to the
calf pen. When I got within 90
yards Of the pen the most horrible
booking monster the mind could
conceive clambered over the strong
7ail fence that surrounds the calf
pens, carrying in biz mouth a
three-days-old calf.
] tried to turn and Hy to The
house for protection, but if the
monster bad been within a foot or
mo ] could not have moved an inch.
tried to cry ont, but not r sound
escaped my lips. Ny tongue
seemed 10 be made Of lead, and my
eyes were Fixed on the awful look.
ing creature that vas slowly moving
on toward the riger, still carrying
IN its mouth the calf It bad stolen
cit looked 10 me to be the size
Of an Alderny COW, although It's
legs we're much shorter and its BODY
somewhat longer. Its back was
fidged and bumped IN the center.
and from behind each shoulder pro-
truded something which was neither
wing, On, arm nor claw, though
1t resembled each Of them. Its tail
was long and thick and resembIed
chat Of a crocodile, except that the
end was forked, resembling that Of
monstrous fsh. Ils feet we're
Webbed and resembled those of a
bear in outline, and were as large
as a peck measure. The body was
covered With big, heavy scales.