The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-09
A CH0sTLY G17iI5 WARDEN.
Mysterious Guardian of Deer IN a
wisconsin Forest.

| Gordon a few days ago has developed the
| theory that a portion of'one of the best
| deer sections in Northern Wisconsin Is be-
| Ing protected against game-law violators
| by some mysterious agency other than the
game warden.
Parsons, who Is a resident of Gordon, is
said to have made a comfortable living
during the winter by hunting and market
ing deer contrary to law. He went out
| with his dog and gun, as usual a few days
| ago, but in a direction opposite to his IA
| vorte fields. According to his story, while
| walking along a trail he felt something
strike at the back Of his head, but, turning
around, saw nothing. He walked along
cautiously, but had gone less than 100
feet when the blow was repeated, this
time with such force that he was knocked
to his knees. The blow stunned him
slightly, but he recovered quickly and
turned around, expecting to face treach-
erous assailant Again he saw nothing
but the stately pines and heard nothing
but the dismal wall of the wind through
the dense forest. A short distance ahead
there was a narrow stream, and within
a cluster of naples beside it an abandoned
cabin. Parsons reached this cabin without
further interference from the mysterious
assailant, and took up a position at
crack, through which he could watch
was thoroughly alarmed. and believed
that some lurking half-breed had followed
him through the woods intent upon taking
his life.
1t was getting late in the evening, and
Parsons decided to camp at the house for
the night. While unpacking his blankets
something struck the side of the cabin.
Almost at the same instant something
struck him on the back of the head and
sent him sprawling to the floor, face down.
ward. He made strenuous efforts to rise,
but was unable to move a muscle, and as
he lay there expecting every minute to be
visited by his mysterious assailant, a,
gruff, boisterous laugh came to his ears,
and the OUTLINES of a man fitted before
his half-closed eyes Then he became I'M
conscious.
The hunter was discovered lying in the
same position about noon the next day by
Edward Norton, a homesteader and his
son. He was taken to the latters home
still unconscious, and it was several hours
before the application of cold water ex-
ternally and whisky internally restored
him to Consciousness He is still confined
to his bed, and at times relaxes into semi
consciousness, while apparently suffering
intense pain.
This is the last story told about this
mysterious game warden and his domain,
but 1t corroborates in many particulars
experiences related by other hunters who
have been on the forbidden ground. The
unknown guardian of the deer apparently
confines his jurisdiction to the territory
within a radius of half a mile from the
abandoned cabin, and for that reason, it
is said that particular locality abounds
most plentifully with deer Whether the
numerous stories Of the mysterious game
wardens pranks be true, they certainly
have had the effect of preserving the
game within the confine mentioned, for
fha ngF 1aTsnc nV11p ants of
the locality have given the place a wide
berth during the past five months, and
until the mystery is cleared up it is prob
able that the deer so fortunate in becom-
Ing charges of the mysterious one will be
permitted to roam at their own sweet will
without danger of being slaughtered by
INSCRIPTIONS hunters.
Parsons was the first man to venture
In quest of deer upon the forbidden sec
ton for two months, and he will probably
be the last for some time. There are scores
of Chippewa Indians in the vicinity of
Gordon who live by their traps and guns,
but a few of them have had experiences
with the game warden" and the others
have heard of him, so that to-day money
will not induce them to set foot upon the
dreaded ground. The Indian theory of
| the mysterious occurrences in the forest
is that the Great Spirit wishes to preserve
| that particular tract of land for his own
use, or for the use of a favorite warrior,
| and has adopted that extraordinary
| method of communicating to them his
| desires.
| According to the best information at
| hand, the self-constituted game warden
| put in an appearance within his jurisdic-
ton about five months ago. This was
| before the close Of the legal game season
| Of 1896, so 1t may be surmised that the I'M
| known was either unfamiliar with the
| game law or was bent upon protecting
| the game within his territory, whether in
| or out of season.
The first victim was a man named
Jordan. employed during the summer
months as a guide for the sDortsmen in
the River Brule region. He had piloted
| a party of Chicago men on deer hunt
ing expedition to the Gordon region. They
had been on the tramp for two days with
poor success, and on the night of the
| second day arrived at the abandoned cabin
where Parsons subsequently met with
| ill-treatment. Jordan and one of the
| sportsmen remained at camp while the
remainder Of the party, equipped with
head lanterns. went out on the traIl for
a might shoot Jordan went to the
/ stream near by for a pail Of water, leav-
ing his companion sitting by the campfire,
and had stopped to dip his pail
| into the stream when a blow from be-
| hind, delivered with terrible force, sent
| him forward into the water. He struggled
| out ana looked about Tor his aSSailant,
but everything was quiet, and there was
no sign of human being. on his return
to the cabin, his head aching from the
blow, he found his companion crouching
In a corner of the room speeches. from
| fright, and suffering from the effects OF
a blow with some blunt instrument upon
the spine. According to his story he was
| tapped lightly upon the back OF his neck
and, turning quickly around, saw a shad-
owy form that he took 10 be a man dress
| ed In a soldiers uniform. He rushed to
the corner for his gun. thinking that
| bandits might be abroad, but when half
way across the room something struck
his back. According to the testimony Of
both victims, the two assaults must have
taken place within a space OF FIVE min
utes, and the men were 200 feet apart.
Another experience. and perhaps the
! strangest and most incredible. Is that re-
lated by Martin Homestead and Axel Pc
| terson. two section men employed by the
| Chicago, st. Paul, Minneapolis aud Omaha
railroad, south OF Gordon. Before sun
rise one Sunday morning these men went
out for hunt through the woods, and In