Martinsburg W.Va. Evening Journal (Martinsburg, W. Va.), February 9th 1916
Brooke Co. Wild Man Is Now Normal
John Munkers the wild man of Brooke county, who had his habitat for years in a cave near Follamsbee, is a sane, normal person, employed in one of the mills of Wheeling. Munkers, who for years lived the most primitive sort of life, hiding when anyone approached and practically nude, was taken in charge by the Brooke county authorities some time ago and sent to the Miners’ Hospital at Fairmont to be treated. His mind was a blank, but he was carefully nursed back to physical and mental strength at the hospital.
Disclaimer: This 1916 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 newpress and labeled “Wild Men” as a popular newspaper curiosity genre.
Source(s): https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn85059586/1916-02-09/ed-1/?sp=8
[ Special thanks to: Theresa of Theresa’s Haunted History of the Tri-State for locating this article within the Library of Congress online archives. ]
Categories: Newspapers, Wild People