"THE HAIRY MAN."

Evening Star, Issue 13102, 7 November 1908, Page 9

"THE HAIRY MAN."

A VEGETARIAN GIANT. Great excitement prevailed in Carcoar (New South Wales) on October 25 when it was reported that the police had captured a wild, hairy man in the bush near Brown’s Creek. The police were certainly in possession of a man of that description, and they took him, followed by a large crowd, to the local hospital. U appears that the man, whoso name is J. Fitzgerald, has led the life of a hermit for a quarter of a century, living in a small bark hut just large enough to accommodate him lying down. The hair on his head was 4ft long, and of great thickness and considerably matted. Several curls on the forehead had, however, been carefully looked after. Fitzgerald stated that he had not washed or combed his hair for eight years. Ho is a man of gigantic stature, and well preserved, and his appearance, to say the least of it, was sufficient to scare any strangers who happened to come across him in the bush. It was visiting day at the hospital, and Fitzgerald had large audiences, to whom he spoke freely. He had, so he informed his hearers, been a follower of our Lord for ten years, a follower of Samson for a similar period of time, and a follower of Hercules for eight years. It was his intention to allow his hair to grow for another two years. Fitzgerald resisted all persuasion on the part of the hospital authorities to have a bath, and the aid of the police had to be I sought. A bath, in his opinion, was unnatural, and with pride he made the statement—it is to be hoped a much exaggerated one—that he had never had a bath since his mother attended to him in this respect. Fitzgerald is a giant in stature, and his enormous frame should form a good advertisement for vegetarianism, for his principal diet had consisted of wheat and com ground by himself in a small crusher or mill, and made into porridge. He claimed that’ this was the natural food of man. On being admitted to the hospital ho was ordered spirits, but absolutely refused to take any alcoholic liquor, saying that he had never tasted it, and never would.

Mr W. Clarke, formerly manager of the Nymagee copper mine, stated that he knew “Jack-” Fitzgerald many years ago at Thames, New Zealand, and subsequently at Nymagee, where he worked as- a miner. Fitzgerald was the strongest man Clarke ever came across, being able to lift logs which any two ordinary men could not up-end. Fitzgerald says that he lost none of his strength while living the life of a hermit, and kept himself fit by swinging a battle-axe made by himself, which weighed 341b, and by working dumb-bells which he constructed by dividing the axle of a dray. He was growing his hair for King Edward, ho said, and he became greatly alarmed when the doctors told h;m that his locks must be shorn. Eroni Bros, made an offer to Fitzgerald of £3 per week to travel with their circus, and ho received a telgram from Melbourne offering him an engagement akiha. Waxworks.