The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-11-04
CAPTURED A "MERMAN.,
Monster, Half Human Half Fish,
Killed in the Pacific.

SEATTLE, Wash, Nov "a party
of Englishmen, who have been porpoise
fishing in the Pacific, discovered and
killed a monster that resembles a mer-
man. The party was off the Island of
Watmoff in their hunting boat and
Lord Devonshire, one of the fishers,
had just shot a porpoise, when some
one called out, Look therer' pointing
to frightfub looking monster about a
cables length away. Hastily raising
his weapon, the lord fired at it and hit
the creature between the eyes. The
shot, though it did not kill it, so stun
ned it that it lay perfectly still on the
surface of the sea.
'As our boat hauled alongside" said
Maj. w. E. Thorncliffe, of the British
army, who was in the boat, 1--WE saw
the most hideous and uncanny looking
monster probably that human eyes ever
locked upon. Although at a distance
it might perhaps be mistaken fCT a por-
poiSe, as we came near we saw that it
could truly be described by no other
name than that Of norman
LAS we req ched over the side of the
boat to haul theFcreature in 1t regained
some of it's vitality. 1t caught the boat
by th gunwale amidships, and had it
not been for the fact that when the
arms came up out of the sea we natur-
ally shrank to the other side of the
boat it would, without doubt, have cap
sized us. One of the men picked up an
ak and quickly dispatched the mon
ster.
THE better way now would be for
you to come with me and 1 will show
you the strange creature which l am
now taking to England to present to
the British museum. After seeing it
you will. l am sure, be inclined to the
opinion that once it is placed there it
will QQGilu all of
strange things to be found in that
great repository Of the worlds rarities. -
Then the major led the way to 8
storeroom, where, in the middle of the
floor, was a large, coff1n-shaped box
1t was ten feet long three feet wide an6
three feet deep. Taking a screwdriVer
the major unfastened the top. All that
could be seen was some ice, covered
with a white wooden blanket. Taking
the blanket by the end he quickly re-
moved it, and as he did so the appar-
emily naked body of a large man was
revealed.
The major then removed the cloth
which covered the lower part of the
body. This is exactly the same as that
Of an ordinary porpoise. The monster
IS one OF the most remarkable freaks
nature ever put together The strange
monStrosity measured ten feet from
it's nose to the end of it's fluke-shaped
tail, dIlU lH6 SlTlu Ol It's Sudp6Q
body was just six feet.
1t would weigh, it was estimated
close to 500 pounds. From about the
breast bone to a point about where
the. base Of the stomach would be, were
it human, it looked exactly like man
Its arms, quite human in shape and
form, are very long, and covered COM
pletely with long, coarse, dark reddish
hair, as is the whole body.
1t had, or did have at one time, four
fingers and a thumb on each hand, al
most human in shape, except that in
place of finger nails there were long.
slender claws. But in days probably
long since gone by it had evidently
fought some monster that had got the
best Of it, for the forefinger of the
right hand, the little finger Of the left
and the left thumb are missing en-
tirely.
Immediately under the right breast
Is broad, ugly looking scar, which
looked as if some time in the past Ii
lad been inflicted by a swordfish. On
the sides and body of the monster arc
numerous other evidences that it's life
in the ocean had been far from d
placid one. There is hardly a space the
size of ones hand that does not show
evidence of having at some time or
ether received wounds.