The Hartford republican., 1909-07-02
one OF The
QUEEREsT OF US.
Mexico Contains This Won
derful Being.
Man Clothed Only in His Own
White Hair Lives
in Mexico.

Indians from the Las Playas River
headwaters, 120 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 year
has again appeared. This mountain
is in the state of Tabasco, near the
Vera Cruz border.
hTe old man know by the natives
as "el hombre de silvestre de monte
has his abode near the Rio de las
Playas a stream at the foot OF the
Jabon Mountain, and tributary TO
the Tancochapa River. He is suppos-
ed 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 with
in the shaft in the last 80 or more
years because of the many supersti-
tions connected with the place. Many
natives and one American are said
to have approached the entrance dur
ing the last generation. but no one
have passed inside. Vampire bats an
small 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
so years, and in that time is said not
TO have spoken with a living 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 en-
tirely covered with white hair He
is quite old-probably 80 years-as
nearly as can b e Judged from the
many stories told by those who claim
TO have seen him. The old man has
been approached to within a distance
of easy conversation hut when ad-
dressed uttered a few incoherent
sounds and ran into the woods. lie
is harmless and is said to have new
ev sLown fight when approached. Tn
fact that he carries constantly bow
and arrows would indicate that he
eats flesh and fowl as well as fruits
and herbs. AS Tor clothing he wears
absC lutely nothing, at least when he
has been seen his crooked old frame
has been draled in nothing except
the long white hair which covers his
body.
Three years ago the old man was
seen near this abandoned mine, but
sooL afterward all trace OF him was
lost till some days ago This time he
was seen by an cid Indian who was
passing down Rio las Playas in
canoe. lie reports the old man as
being much more feeble than when
las; seen, ard his antics are of
w,lLer nature. He did not run, rs in
former years, but instead ir0licked
about and laughed in mcst hideous
maIrer, making faces at the Indian
and conducting hin self generally in
tie way becoming Ealf-Witted per-
son.
The old man is said TO have never
lad companion in this weird life,
but he is supposed TO have become
ComCntcd when mere Than co years
aGC, lie returned to his home in
loar-Ly village and found his young
vie murdered. The shCck is sup
pc.ed TO have caused Lis mind to be-
come unbalanced and he Immediately
segregated himself from The rest of
mankind. lie is not feared by the
oder indians and MeXicans Of this
C,g-of-tLc-way district, Lut lie has
served as the bogey man who viii
Eet unruly children his name is much
feared ty the little ones in the
get unruly children. His name is
much feared by tho little ones in
tie neightCrhCcd and in their minds
Le is capable Ct many terrible things.
And it is not strange TO relate the
terrible long-haired wild man never
molests well-behayed children.