The Wild Woman of the Mountain.

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The Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Sunday Morning, January 11, 1885
The Wild Woman of the Mountain.

This village is situated near the foot of the south mountain of the Allegheny’s. For the past several months the citizens have been disturbed by the most unearthly yells for the hills. It was generally supposed that they emanated from some strange animal which had taken refuge in the rocks. Mr. Greenmor of the Bethany Orphans Home, a reform institution at the foot of the mountains, several times heard the screams of the beast. Franklin Katterman, Jacob Mathourn and Theo Startgeo, all old hunters, followed the trail for several hours, but were finally obliged to give it up, as they were led far up into the mountain fastnesses. Startgeo says he saw a living thing, half human, and half beast. He stood still the blood chilling in his veins, and not daring to move. He had his gun with him, but dared no shoot. He next started on a run, to use his own words, “flew down the hill,” and did not stop until he got home not taking time to see whether the beast was following him or not. A party of employees at the Robesonia Furnace shot at the beast, but missed it. It is reliably stated that the mangers of the furnace offered $300 for the animal alive, and $100 for its dead body. For some weeks every person has given the mountain a wide berth. Several farmers also lost sheep and chickens.
Today the entire mystery was cleared up. A party of Womelsdorf hunters scoured the entire mountains. They found human footprints in the snow, which they traced to a rod hut, a deserted charcoal burner’s cabin. Here they found a young woman, probably 25 years of age, who had been living in this way for some time past. She was thinly dressed her surroundings were unkempt and she showed a disinclination to be disturbed. She has a wild and haggard look, and who she is on one knows. She will probably be removed to the poorhouse. She threw stones down the mountain and yelled to scare the people away. She is of muscular build and many think she has been following this kind of life for years, judging by her general appearance. She has shown the strength of an Amazon, and the people have decided to let her alone until the authorities take her in charge. – Womelsdorf (Pa) Dispatch to Cincinnati Enquirer.