The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-10
THE INDIAN WOLF BOY.
story of Sanichar, Boy Caught
Among wolves, and His Life in
fnC .TuDUIes,

story of sanichar, a Boy Caught
Among wolves, and His Life in
the Jungles.
Jeyhore Correspondence Baltimore Sun.
While in Japan, a friend who spent sew
eral years in India spoke to me of the
wolf-boy who was caught some years ago
in one of the northwest provinces of the
country. and urged me on my arrival in
Agra to call at the Secundra orphanage,
near the city, and see this human curios-
ity AS this strange creature has never,
as far as I am aware, been mentioned by
tourists, and as 1 have secured reliable
information about him from Dr. c. S;
Valentine, principal of the Agra medical
missionary training institute, l desire TO
give these facts TO your readers In the
spring of 1867 a number of natives in
search of game in the unfrequented jun
giles of BulandShahr, situated in North
western India, surprised stray wolf,
which they followed 10 a hillock, out OF
which rose rock, and on this rock, appa-
rently summing itself, sat a dark, curious
looking object, which, to their great as
constituent, turned out to be a human be-
ing, who, on seeing the hunters, sprang
from the rock and, running on all tours,
entered a cave with the pursued wolf.
The frightened natives returned immedi-
ately 10 Bulandshahr, and having related
what they saw to the magistrate of the
place, they were advised to kindle a fire
at the mouth of the cave and smoke the
strange creature rushed out, and, after
a struggle, during which several of the
natives were bitten, 1t was oVerpowered
and captured.
Here in the wild jungles. running on all
fours covered with filth and vermin,
his face partially hidden by long matted
hair, and having no companion but the
/ wolf, was a boy. who at the time when he
was found could not have been more than
seven or eight years Of age. AS one list
ems to DR.. Valentine telling the story he
is tempted TO believe in the ancient fable
of Romolus and Remus. few weeks af-
ter he was caught the wolf bow was sent
by the magistrate to the SeCundra orphan
age. and as he entered the institution on
Saturday he was named Sanichar. For
/ q long time after he came to the orphan
age it was impossible to get him to act a.
a human being. He persisted in eating his
food from the ground, picking up vege-
/ tables with his lips and gnaWing flesh
/ from bones with his teeth, like a car
/ niverous animal, and the clothes with
/ which he was supplied he tore into sheds
/ BY degrees he grew more docile, and al
though he has never spoken word, he
gradually conformed somewhat to his sur
roundlngs, but he insisted upon eating
with his fingers. 1t is thought that he
is now about IS or 81 years old, although
he looks much older.
His head is small; his brow uncommonlv
/ low and contracted, while his eyes are of a
j grayish color restless and squirting He
I has small, thin, wrinlIled face on which
are two large ctcatrices, marks, doubt
/ less. Of severe bites that were received bv
/ him. on other parts of his body are found
! scars and other signs of rough treatmen,
to which he was subjected no doubt while
/ living in the cave with his wild cOmpan-
/ ions. When he stands erect he is i've
feet and two inches in hight. in watkins
. he lifts his feet as if he was wading
/ through wet grass, and when he moves
, along all the muscles of his body seem to
+ be undergoing a series of jerks, while his
I arms are thrown about in such a manner
as to convey the impression that they
/ greatly assist him in his progress His
/ head iscontnually in motion, turning from
/ side to side with great rapiditY while his
eyes, which a all times have a hungry
! appearance, glare as If he expected an az
| tack from some unseen enemy. When
viewed from behind as he walks or when
/ ne stands in front of you with his head
/ hanging on one side, flashing his sharp
/ eyes and beating his stomach TO show
/ that he is hungry while he utters mar
/ tculate sounds, he presents a strange al-
( pearance indeed. He has evidently been
| totally deaf and dumb since his capture,
| and although all attempts to teach him
to speak have failed, by signs those who
care for him can get him to sit, stand or
! run
II poor Sanichar the wolf-boy, had re-
| ceived the same care that was bestowed
| upon the afflicted Laura Bridgeman it is
possible that his faculties might have been
| sufficiently developed to enable him to i'm
| part al least something concerning the
| first years of his life, which must now al
ways remain an unsolved mystery.