File:Wild Man (of the Woods, Washington, Tacoma) - 1907-09-13 - Morning Astorian (Astoria, OR), p. 3.jpg

Summary

The morning Astorian. (Astoria, Or.), 13 Sept. 1907. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042400/1907-09-13/ed-1/seq-3/>

Text

PROWLS AT NIGHT

Wild Man in Woods Near Tacoma Frightens Children.

EATS ROOTS AND BERRIES

Seen Near a School House on the Out- skirts of Town He Hides in Bushes — Parties are Out Hunting for Wild Man Who Feeds on Roots and Berries.

TACOMA, Sept. 12. — Wandering about in the vicinity of the Franklin school at Twelfth and Lawrence streets, wearing a breech-clout, and with his long, matted hair hanging over his shoulders, an ema- ciated-looking man was seen yesterday about dusk by several school children, and a search for him will be made by the Tacoma police,

Frightened, the children fled for the nearest house, screaming loudly, while the man plunged into the bushes border- ing the road and hurried in the opposite direction, This is the second time the "Wild man," as the children call him has been seen. At each appearance the children have been frightened.

Several children more bold than the rest hesitated before running last night, and told their parents the man's hair was long and matted. His face was drawn and pinched, and his skin was tanned and burned to a reddish brown. Scars are thick on his legs, where he has been scratched by bushes. His finger nails are long, and the children say that his ribs stand out plainly, His eyes are sunken in their sockets.

The children's first story was discred- ited, but their repeated conversations about the "wild man" caused their elders to investigate. Searching about the woods and underbrush, tracts of where the man had been sleeping were found. Small holds in the ground showed plain- ly that he had been grubbing with his hands and sticks for roots. Berry bushes have been stripped clean. The man is rarely seen in the day time, but prowls at night. He made no attempt to prowl about the houses, but has confined him- self to the woods.

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