The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1913-04-03
WILD MAN NEAR LANES.
A. G.. L. Conductor Tells Thrilling
Story of Capture.


the edge of Santee Swamp, in South
Carolina, near Lanes Junction, fifty
miles north of Charleston, is told by
w. S. Damon, conductor in charge of
the Atlantic Coast Line passenger
train which arrived at 3.25 P. NJ.
from Florence yesterday, says the
Savannah Morning News of Monday.
The wild man, Mr.. Damon states,
driven from Santee Swamp by a
freshet in the Santee River, hid in a
barn near the edge of the marsh
land and, when discovered, fought
fendishly until overpowered and COW
ed into subsection. The man is now
chained and tied with ropes in the
barn in which he was captured, the
conductor says.
Details of the capture of the man
Mr.. Damon states, are unknown to
him. Lanes Junction is a division
point where transfers are made for
Columbia, and Georgetown and Sa-
vannah. He said that when his train
reached the junction yesterday morn
ing at lilo o'clock the little town
was in state of intense excitement
over the capture of the man. The
Savannah train did not stop at Lanes,
however, for longer than five min
utes and so Mr.. Damon could get but
meagre information of the affair.
The negroes of Lanes are panic
stricken, Mr.. Damon says.
Theory of the Natives. I
What disposition will be made of
the man Mr. Damon declares he does
not know. He says that it is his sup
position, however, that the matter
will be reported to the authorities of
the State Hospital for the Insane at
Columbia and that the man will be
sent there for confinement and OBJ
servation. The man is burly negro
and speaks some English, says the
conductor.
1t is generally thought, the conduc-
tor says, that the negro is either an
escaped convict or fugitive from
Justice He says it is the generaNbe-
lief at Lanes that the man went into
Santee Swamp to hide from officers of
the law and, frightened by the lone
illness of the place and the fear of
capture, became insane.
Another theory of how the man
reached his present state of savagery,
Mr.. Damon says, is that the negro, al
ready mad, wandered into the swamp
and remained there. The appearance
of the negro, it is stated, would in
dicate that he had been living in the
swamp as a savage for probably many
years.
Discovery of Wild Man.
According to Mr.. Damon, when
members of family of negroes re-
siding on small farm on the edge OF
Santee Swamp went out to a ram
shackled barn in the rear of their
little cabin, about daybrealE yesterday,
they were frightened by the terrible
sight of a man, over six feet tall,
broad and muscular, with great
brawny arms and heavy shoulders,
covered from head to foot with thick
black hair and whose eyes cleaned
like those of some wild animal,
crouched in one corner of the shack
as though ready to spring upon the
first living creature which molest-
ed him.
The family of negroes, it is said,
were thrown into panic and went
hurrying in all directions in search
of aid. Residents of that neighbor-
hood went in response to the fright
ened cries and pleas for help. A
small mob, it is said, formed around
the barn within half an hour and
plans were hastily made for the cap
ture of the man alive, if possible, and
with as little injury to him as ne
cessary.
Man Fights Viciously.
The negro showed signs of hight
and when the effort to catch him
continued fought viciously. Finally,
however, without any of the mob
being hurt and without inficting any
injuries Upon the man furthe than a
few bruises of minor nature, the
burly stranger, more animal in ap-
pearance than human, was overpoW-
cred and tied hand and foot.
Quickly the news of the fight with
and the capture of the man spread
over the surrounding country and
people from adjoining settlements
and residing on small farms and
along the railroads in all directions
from Lanes Junction began to pour