A MONSTER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 86, 22 August 1868, Page 3

A MONSTER.

VVo toko tho following from tlio St Louis Dnnpatfihi— A fltrnnge-vUimod orcatura, ap. (mroiUly one of naturo'a prodigies, hasjuit l)con ducovcrod near Moadvlllo, Franklin county, Miss,, causing much cxcltcmont in that usually monotonous vlllago. A lottor from ft frlond residing in that village, dated Juno 's 2, says !— <( M. at tbi« tlmo is v«ry much agitated on account of tho strange crcaturo soon near horo. It is said to be similar to- tho ono flccu near Vlcksburjf last Ml," A Vlokflbwrg paper, of a dato somo few days subsequent to tho discovery of this straugo croaturo near that place, gave a full description of It and tho manner in which it was dlscovorod, whloh, giron from memory, in in substance about as follows :— Somo tlmo liv September la«t, as a party of huntsman wore driving In iho swamps flomo few miles from tho river, a trail was broken by tho hounds, and followed up at a brisk puce, lonvlng tbo party far bohlnd, In following nftor tho dogs, thoy disc ovorod tbo track of tho game in nomo miry plnccH, whloh tippourod similar to tho traak of a human foot i and they observed also that tho toes of ono foot turned backward, On coming up with tho dogs, which woro now baying, they beheld a frlghtfuMooklng creature, of about tbo avcrago height of man, but with far greater muscular development, standing menacingly ft fow yards in front of! the dogs, It had long, coarao hair (lowing from Its head and reaching near its knees j its ontiro body also scorned to bo covered with hair of two or three Inches In length, whloh was of ft dark brown colour, Prom Its upper jaw projeatod two vory largo tu«k<* ftevcrut Inoliofl long. Its head and face, an wall as could bo determined from tho <lls tanoo oi! tho obsorvors, boro a striking reaombianco to that of tho nogro, except that tin.' chin and ohecko woro covered with long hair. On tlio iioar approach of iho huntor*, It fled with flroat rapidity toward tho Mlfliipslppl river, and was not ovortakon again until within a fow yardfl ot tho bank. When tho party camo tip with the dogs tho second tlmo, tho monster was Htnndlng croct boforo thorn, nono of thorn having yot durcd to clinch with It Rut whon tho dogs woro urged by tholr mastors, thoy ondoavourcd to flolzo it, when It rcaohod forward and grabbod ono of thorn, and taking it in hl« hands, prodßod (t against its tuskf, which ptei-ccd it through and killed it Instantly. Uccomlng alarmed at this dlsplav of strcngh, tho lmntore fired sovoral rmotn at tho oronturo, which caused It to leap into the rivor, It romalncd under water Hoveral t»lnutos, and then ro«o almost ItH ontlro length abovo tho surface, uttering fihrloltn which almost petrified tho pursutrs with torror. No similar Hound had over come to tho oarn of theso mon, who wero all familiar with tho howl of tho wolf, tho whtuo of tho panlhor, and tho hoarso hollowing <>f tbo alligator, Aftci' slnklug^and rising sovcral times, It swum to tho Louiaiana elioro and disappeared.