The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-09-23

enough to steal sheep unless he was
put up to 1t. And by things / noticed in
the a1dge Of the woods there L rayther
think ye are the fellers that put him
Huh" sneered one of the men. you
think you can make US go with you?
Adams Threw another shell into the
breech of his rifle and rested the barrel in
the hollow OF his arm
Il d know as We fellers ever see a ma 2
azine rife work. said he. IF We never
have and start to run III show ye'
Then he pointed TO the man on the
"and carry him
The grim face of the old hunter ana the
muzzie of his rife barrel were not TO be
gainsaid- The men suddenly lifted the
man from the ground and carried him TO
the edge of the woods There a rough
litter was made and the hunter -'Ieamsd'
a queer assortment of humanity into the
little village of Brighton.
DR.. BOdweu of Cornville, who was called
to attend the wounded man, declared that
the fellow is the most degenerate speci-
men of a cretin that he has ever seen
He comes as near to being the miss
ing link as anything L care to look at,
says the physician.
1t was learned that the only name the
man has is Jed The only person who
can talk with him or understand has
queer jargOn is his mother, a wrinkled
toothless woman more than 80 years old.
Jed is about % His language IS a series
Of gutturals and he understands only a
few commands.
What is especially astonishing is his
dOcility. The man is perfect physically.
with the exception of his face, when is
as uncoueh as that of a barbarian sci
der. His Strength is surprising. HIS
muscles are huge knots that culver and
work when he is at rest. For years he
has been ernployed as a beast OF burden
Tor his FAMILY The town Orncers OF
Brighton say that each year he is made
70 draw plOw. hitched up alongside Of
the COW. He obeys any command OF his
mother implicitly. Years ago the woman
began to drive him attached to a child s
cart. in which she rode. She has even
visited neighbOring villages, using jed
as her pony.
The following statement reads strangely
enough, but the fact is vOuched for When
she drives Jed into a village she Is
obliged TO hitch him firmly where she
shelter at the first sight of woman. \
woman is the only thing on earth that
frightens him. The approach of any. fe-
male, except his mother. sends this giant
into panic If he is tied he will crouch
down and hide his head in his hands and
moan in fright II ne IS loose ne VIII
head in her dress folds and blubber like
| a 5-year-old.
Since his capture it has been learned
that he was induced to carry on his sheep
| stealing depredations through his devo-
| ton to his mother. The other members
| of the tribe used him as the catspaw
| to pull out their CheStnutS- They took
/ him to the edge of the pasture and point
/ ed to the sheep. saying. Git one; ma
/ wants him" The fact that ma wanted
| one of those sheep was enough for JED.
He would have taken one at the risk OF
! his life, as his experience with Hunter
/ Adams showed. The officers say that
/ most of the stealing for the tribe has
/ been done by Jed under such conditions
/ as have been Indicated He has no more
! moral sense than a hitching post. In
| order to remove such a handy tool from
| the tribe the authorities viii probably
| order Jed taken to the Maine insane hos
! nit a his wound Will permit
| Several other members of the Brown
| futile tribe have been lodged in jail tC
/ await trial.
I of the score or more of degenerates
| who compose this unspeakable colony not
1 one can read or write. The men rarely
appear outside the clearing in which they
| live They send the women out to de
! mand supplies of the town fathers North
| ern Somerset people urge that the state
| authority be exercised to break UP thi:
| colony of cretins. lest still more fearful
] specimens of wild men be bred