The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-02-09
Willie benqlusen Roams Woods
Eating Wild Animals
soPHERs IHD FISH HIS SPECIALS
ILLINOIS WILD BOY REFUSES TO
EAT ANYTHING COOKED AND
LIVES ALONE.

CHICAGO, Feb. 1T is doubtful II
the most depraved young wretch in any
civilized community, the utterly friend
less waif of big city, suffering from
the privation of the scantiest necessf-
Willie Benthusen, the primeval boy of
| Illinois, whose case has no known para
| llel
His experience has been peculiar
one and the strange degeneracy OF the
lad has set psychologists and sociolo-
gists to thinking deeply. This wild
| boy" only recently discovered, for five
years. or since the death Of his mother,
has led hermit Like life in close prox-
unity to a town throbbing with activ-
| ity progress, advancement and all that
goes to make up the desirable factors
| in modern civilization.
Eating raw fish, gophers and birds,
| wild fruit and vegetation, Willie. who
has just turned Is, has been absolutely
alone, without companionship, keeping
entirely aloof from the rest of man
kind. Spending his days in the woods
and sleeping on bed of straw at night,
the strange lad has spent his time
happily, according to his own notions.
| His parents, until the death of Willie's
| mother, lived in Elgin, Ill. When his
| mother died, abandoned by his father,
the boy took to the nearby woods,
| where in all seasons he has lived alone.
Willie's condition was discovered by
| the American Home Finding associa-
ton, No. 1877 Dearborn street, Chicago,
through one of it's agents, Miss N. M.
| Stiles. She came upon him at his will
derness abode, near Elgin, while he was
| partaking of what he regards as
| sumptuous repast of raw fish. Not
| withstanding the hardships he endured
during his strange existence, the boy,
| according to Miss Stiles, enjoyed and is
now in perfect health.
Hearty Appetite.
Benthusen's means for securing sub
sistence consisted of blowgun, a sling
| and bent pin attached to fish line.
With these he has had no trouble in
| obtaining his daily supply of food, and
| hearty appetite. To garb himself he
traded birds and fish to rural travellers
for cast off clothing.
Miss Stiles at once reported to the
society her discovery of the juvenile
| prototype of Robinson Crusoe, and
! while awaiting instructions drove out
| the next day to the place Willie des-
| cribed as his home. She took with her
a small hamper, well stocked with good
fresh bread, cooked meats, cake and
| jellies, prepared for the home table,
She found that the edibles she had
| taken to him remained untouched,
while the feathers and bones of birds
and the fins and scales of fish lying
around showed that he had eaten
heartily of his accustomed diet.
Miss Stiles notified the authorities
of Elgin of the case of the boy, but
pending action by them in the Juvenile
court it is a question whether he can
be forced to partake Of cooked food,
which he clearly dislikes and finds in
digestible, and to sleep on a bed
against his dishes. The boys father,
w. M. Benthusen, lives in the vicinity
of Elgin, but according to all accounts
he has not made any effort to care
for the boy. The Chicago society, to-
gether with the Elgin authorities, I'M
der sanction of the juvenile court, are
looking carefully into the case, and,
if possible, young Benthusen will be
compelled to give up his wooded
haunts in exchange for life in one
of the institutions which care for and
train waits for useful life.
Willies place Of abode in the woods
near Elgin is dilapidated frame shaE-
ty in the thickest part of the freed
area.
Crack Shot.
He is a crack shot with his unique
weapons. He shoots pebbles in his
| sling, and short, sharp pointed arrows
!
in his air gun. He is as sure of aim
with either as the thorough huntsman
is with the most modern rifle or shot
gun. Willie makes his sings from
rubber bands, piece of old leather,
which holds the pebble. and forked
stick. His air gun he makes from a
hollow reed. His arrow heads he makes
from nails filed to a sharp point.
II have got so used to eating my
food raw" said Willie when questioned
by Miss Stiles, that don't like any
thing that is cooked. Whenever try
to eat cooked victuals it makes me
sick.
Il love to live in the woods. Then
I don't have to work never. 1 remem-
Der pa and ma used to work mighty
hard to get us all enough to eat and a
little clothes. I enjoy eating more
| %hov