The Cambria Freeman (Ebensburg, Pa.), June 11th 1897
Wild Woman In The Woods.
Elkins, W. Va., June 7 – Farmers living near Lick, three miles from here, claim to have seen a wild woman running through their fields. On several occasions she has been pursued and escaped. It is claimed she leaps fences like a deer, and at night can be heard making most hideous noises, resembling the bark of a dog or fox. Several persons from here have scoured the woods, but none have succeeded in capturing her, although they claim to have seen her. Last Friday a man and a young girl about 17 years of age were seen to step from one of the trains, and the girl’s actions caused considerable comment. During that night the land lady at the hotel where they stopped, as well as the neighbors, claim that the girl kept up a peculiar noise. On Saturday the couple left the hotel and nothing has been heard of them since several men who saw the girl alight from the train, and claim to have seen the woman in the woods, believe her to be the same person. Those who claim to have seen her are reliable men.
Disclaimer: This 1897 newspaper article was published prior to 1931. Under United States copyright law (specifically the 95-year rule), this work has entered the public domain and is thus free to use or republish. It is presented here as an interesting and folkloric newspaper oddity.
Context: “Wild Men” or “Wild People” were purportedly “feral” people who lived in the wilderness in European folklore, representing nature. They were often depicted as tall and hair-covered. In the 1800’s and early 1900’s, stories of encounters with people in or from the wilderness including hermits, houseless people, or people going through a mental health crisis, were often reported in American newspress and labeled “Wild Men” as a popular newspaper curiosity genre.
Note: A shorter version of this story was also printed on July 18th 1897 in The Clarksburg Telegram newspaper.
Source(s): https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83032041/1897-06-11/ed-1/?sp=2
Categories: Newspapers, Wild People, West Virginia (WV)