Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 38, Number 84, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 July 1906 — PURSUIT OF THE WILD MAN RESUMED. [ARTICLE]

PURSUIT OF THE WILD MAN RESUMED.

Just as it was beginning to be hoped that the wild man out in the jungle back of the Stock Farm had been scared away by his exchange of shots with the officers Friday night, the excitement broke out bigger than ever Sunday forenoon. First came a telephone call from Mr. Tanner, on the Thompson & Lawler stock farm about a mile east of town. He said there was a man over near a willow dump by the river keeping up a constant fusilade of shooting and darting in and out of the willows in a most peculiar manner. There was a hasty assembling of armed forces and soon Officers Vick and Parks, with several volunteers, started out in the telephone buckboard and the Dr. Washburn auto, and a buggy or two. By going as far as they could in the conveyances and the rest of the way on foot, they reached the place but the man had gone. On their way oack they made some inquiries at A. Gangloff’s place and there learned that the mysterious shooter in this case was one of the Gangloff boys, down there shooting blackbirds. On their way back, on arriving at the Stock Farm they learned that the real wild man had really been seen again, at the old locality, and in more virulent form than ever. Three young men, George Sibel* John Cntser and Will Grayson were sitting on the sort of bank or low bluff under the trees, close to the river, back of the stock farm barns, when suddenly the wild man appeared on the bank of the river and without warning fired a shot at them with his revolver, at a distance of about 50 feet and then hiked back to the jungle. One of the boys had a shot gun and fired back, but not until he was well out of range and with no better aim than the wild man’s shots.

The boys describe him as a rather large man, wearing corduroy pants, in his shirt-sleeves and a light cap. His tracks along the soft ground by the river were plainly seen and were of full grown dimensions. The pursuing party all turned in and while Vick and Bert Goff beat back and forth through the jungle the others watched around-the edges to halt him if he started to run. As usual he eluded their search. But still the day’s alarms were not over, for j ust as the party were starting home again they received word that a man of the right description had just been seen out gmtheast, by George Terwilliger’s place, loitering along the road and acting queerly. The party started out alter him in one buggy and one auto, and overhauled him near the Crockett cemetery. On being surrounded and questioned he proved to be a little red-faced Irishman, who said he had been working on the Monon extra gang and having, as he explained, got on a big drunk, was discharged and was now getting out of the country and looking for a new job, and stopping to eat blackberries as he went along. He admitted that the big and heavily armed party had just about scared out of him. His explanation was as satisfactory, as his alarm was natural and he was left to pursue his wandering way.