The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1909-08-26
ONE OF TAa ouEEREsT OF Us.
\ Human Being Clothed Only in HisS
Own White Hair Living Wild
IN Mexfco


Indians from the Las Playas river
neadwater, 12O miles from the town
OF Tonala on the Gulf of Mexico, re-
ported at that village last week that
the wild man who has haunted the
Montana Jabon district for many
years has again appeared. This noun
tain is in the state of Tabasco near
the Vera Cruz border
The old man, known by the natives
as eel hombre de silvestre de monte"
has his abode near the Rio de las Play
as, stream at the foot of the Jabon
Mountain, and tributary to the
Tancochapa River. He is supposed
to live in an old abandoned mine, one
which has not been worked for more
than a century, according to older
men of the district. 1t is said no
other person has ventured within the
shaft in the last fifty or more years
because of the many superstitions
connected with the place. Many ma
tives and one American are said to-
have approached the entrance during
the last generation, but none has pass
ed inside. Vampire bats and smalla
animals inhabit this cave and many
weird sounds come from its depths.
The old man is known to have liv-
ed in the neighborhood for more than
fifty years, and in that time is said
not to have spoken with another liv-
ing soul. He is thought to be Spanish
because of the clearness OF his skin.
When seen recently by hunters his
hair and beard were white and long
and his body entirely covered with
white hair He is quite old-probably
80 years-as nearly as can be judged
from the many stories told by those
who claim to have seen him. The old
man has been approached to within
distance of easy conversation, but
when addressed uttered few tnco-
herent sounds and ran into the woods.
He is harmless and Is said to have
never shown fight when approached.
The fact that he carries constantly
a bow and arrows would indicate that
he eats flesh and fowl as well as
fruits and herbs. AS for clothing, he
wears absolutely nothing, at least
when he has been seen his crooked
old frame has been draped in ncthinss
except the long white hair which Gov
ers his body.
Three years ago the old man was [
seen near this abandoned mine. but
soon afterward all trace of him was
lost till some days ago. This time
he was seen by an old Indian who was
passing down Rio las Playas in a
canoe He reports the wild man as
being much more feeble than when
last seen and his antics are OF q
wilder nature. He did not run, as
in former years, but instead frolicked
about and laughed in most hideous
manner, making faces at the Indian
and conducting himself generally In
the way becoming a half witted per-
son.
The old man is said to have never
had companion in this weird life,
but he is supposed to have become
demented when, more than sixty
years ago, he returned to his home
in a nearby village and found his
young wife murdered. The shock is
supposed to have caused his mind to
become unbalanced and he Immediate
ly segregated himself from the rest
of mankind. He is not feared by the
older Indians and Mexicans OF this
out Of the way district, but he has
served as the DOGGY man who will
get Inruiy children. His name is
much feared by the little ones in the
neighbcrhood. and in their minds be
is capable Of many terrible things.
And. 1t is not strange to relate, the
terrible long haired wild man never
molests well behaved children.-Mex-
lean Herald.