Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1903-07-29
THE JUNGLE NAM

Of Bengal with officers belonging to
the Seventh native infantry we got
word one day that a wild man had
been seen in a jungle ten miles away.
The man was native who had
served for several years as soldier,
and he had good military record
and was known to be of peaceful dis
position. One day while on a scout
through the forest with his company
he was bitten on the neck by a spider.
The wound gave him great pain, and
he was sent back to the hospital for
treatment. He was under the sur.
geon's care for ten days and was
discharged as cured, but one morning
when at drill he suddenly began
whooping and shouting and acting in
a singular manner. When his COM
rades attempted to restrain him he be-
came violent and, casting them off, he
bolted across the parade and down the
road. He was pursued, but he gained
the forest, mile away, ahead of ALL
and was successful in hiding himself.
A long search had been made for him
at the time, but without avail.
We at once moved across the coun-
try and located in village, and next
morning dozen natives were sent out
on a scout. They were back before
noon with the news that the wild man
had moved his retreat about five miles
to the east He was evidently afraid
Of us. He had taken refuge in another
jungle near another village, and we
broke camp and rode down to the place
and beat up the thickets for hours.
We caught sight of the man once or
twice, but he was a long way off and
acted as if he suspected trap. Next
day he was twelve miles away, and
In the course of week he had trav-
eled sixty miles. When he moved we
moved after him. We attempted no
trick and made no demonstration to
alarm or anger him.
Our persistent pursuit had the effect
of putting him in a passion, however,
for on the sixth day of the chase, as
we were Ell route to a village near
which he had gone into hiding, he
entered the place shouting in fury and
Drained five people with his club. He
had stripped off most of hiss clothing
and was naked from the waist up.
After killing the people he fired sew
eral huts and ran away and hid in a
ravine.
1t was now plainly evident that we
must change our tactics. If the man
was enraged he might attack us at
any moment, and if he did so we
should have to fire on him in self de-
Tense
The ravine in which he was hiding
was about a mile long, and at the
lower end it opened into path much
used by the natives. If the wild man
was not hunted out or alarmed he
and enter this path.
After looking the ground over it
was decided to dig a pitfall and set
some traps along the path, and soon
after noon a force of natives was set
at work. They dug pit twenty feet
long by fourteen deep, and when ready
It was covered over the same as If to
catch tiger. A few yards to north
and south Of the pit we arranged
nooses which led over the limbs Of
trees, and by shutdown we felt sure
Of our man if he came that way. Two
soldiers and three natives were hidden
near the pit to act as sentinels and
Uiva tho q la nd oil In,
the camp and village at the usual hour
At o'clock in the morning we were
turned out by an alarm from the SEN
t1nels and our whole force at once has
tened to the pit. The wild man had
come down the ravine and fallen into
the pit. Notwithstanding its depth
he was out again in a moment, and but
for the trap on the north side we
should have lost him. He ran into
that, was caught by the leg and sus-
pended in the air, and when we ar
rived he was screaming and shouting
and cursing in way to make ones
hair stand up.
He was defenseless, but for a long
time no one dared to go near him. He
made the most tremendous efforts to
escape, and but for our throwing
noosed ropes over his head and draw
Ing them tight he would soon have re-
gained his liberty. When we finally
had him fast and secure he had tired
himself out and was a pitiable object
to behold. He had been heard to use
a few English words, but no one had
heard him make sentences before. His
speech came back to him as we stood
around him, and he used many Of the
commands given soldier at drill.
We remained In camp four days after
capturing the Wild man, hoping to sub
due him and make him presentable at
headquarters, but he was worse than
q wild beast. Not stitch of clothing
could be kept on him, and he had to be
bound hand and foot all the time. He
preferred raw meat to cooked, and
when fed he would growl and roar as
II the sight OF meat put him In a
frenzy.
The surgeon with US could make
nothing NJ his "a so and wa finally cot