The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-12-10

WOLF CHILD AND FOSTER MOTHER.
panied by three cubs, come out of covert
and go down to tho river to drink. What
surprised him very much, however, was
the presence of another creature which had
the appearance OF a little boy, but WAS
evidently On the friendliest terms with its
brute companions and was treated appar-
entity inst like one of the family" The
creature went en- all fours and drank from
the stream like the others.
The trooper tried, though unsuecess-
fully, to intercept the phenomenon before
It escaped with the wolves into their den.
He secured the help of some natives and
dug through several feet until the lair was
almost reached. The wolf family then
made q bolt into the open, and it was only
after a stiff chase and something Of a fight
that the "wolf boy" was captured. He
seemed to DO between 6 and 8 years of age.
s'They took the boy TO the village, ;" said
Colonel Slceinar, s'Dut had to tie him, for
he was very FESTIVE and struggled hard to
rush into every hole or den they came
near. They tried to make him speak, but
could get nothing from him but an angry
grow1 or snarl. He was kept for several
days at the village, and a large crowd as
sembls y every Gay to see him. When a
grown person camo near him, he became
alarmed and tried to steal away, but when
d child came near he rushed at it with a
fierce snarl, like that of a dog, and tried to
bise it."
For about three years this being lived
in charge of a British officers servants.
During all that time in every instinct and
habit he remained a wild animal. He was
inoffensive except when leased and could
never be induced to keep on any Kind of
clothing, even in the coolest weather.
Very rarely he was known to walk in a
~sen1iupright position, but he always ran
to his food on all tours. Raw meat he de-
voured greedily and would often take as
much as half q lamb at one meal. He was
very fond of uncooked bones, which he
used to crunch and gnaw like a dog, hold
ing them on the ground under his hands,
just as a deg uses his ~forepaws. He would
groUl angrily If a human being came near
while he was eating, but seemed to have
20 objections to a dog orr jackal-in. feet,
he would sometimes share his meal with
such. He was never known to laugh or
even smile, and once only was he known
to speak.
This was just before his death. He put
his hands to his head, complained that it
ached and asked for a drink of water. He
drank the water and expired almost i'm
mediately afterward.
Another wolf boy had been carried off
from a field where he had been placed
while his father and mother were at work.
He was then about 8 years old. Nothing
was heard of him for six years. His moth
er was by that time a widow. She hap
pened to hear Of a wild boy'' who had
been captured at a place several miles
away while entering a den in company
with wolves. Curiosity drew her from
her native village to vwit the place where
the boy was kept. She recognized him by
some indubitable birthmarks as her lost
son and took him home with her. She
found him quite irreclaimable, however,
and after a few months trial abandoned
him to the public charity of the village.
He was fed on raw flesh, hares, birds,
etc. A ~fayorite amusement Of the village
boys was to throw live frogs at him n
watch how greedily he would devour them.
Whenever a bullock died and was skinned,
be would gorge himself on the carcass in
company with the dogs. During the day
he hung about the yiIlageTor the sake of
what no could get to eat, but every even
there all night. In tho year 1850, while
no was being sent to Colonel Sleeman, he
escaped into the jungle and was never
afterward heard Of.
The "wolf boy of Agra differed in no
material respect from either Of the two al
ready described. The strongest point of
contrast between them was tho length Of
time he continued in captivity. He died
several years ago Of consumption, it is
said. and bad been in confinement for
about 20 years before that. The name
given him was Sanichar, and his home
was the Secundra orphanage, in the ia
nous old city Of Agra. He was discovered
In 1867 in the Jungle near Bulandohahr.
ii northwest Punjab. Some natives
who were hunting big galnc surprised a
stray wolf which they followed to Q little
hiIlock. Out Of this billock rose q rock,
and on this rock, evidently summing itself,
sat q dark, curious locking object. 10
tie establishment Of the hunters this OBJ
jeet', turned out to have the semblance OF
8 human being. When they approached,
II Jumped from the rock, ran on all tours
and entered a cave along with the wolf.
The hunters smoked the cave. Both the
wolf and its humanlike companion rushed
nnt After q short. sharp struggle. ~