WEBVTT 1 00:00:06.160 --> 00:00:09.800 A few years ago, my wife and I were invited to a dinner by 2 00:00:09.880 --> 00:00:16.120 old friends. The family are Lds and have the tradition of inviting local Mormon 3 00:00:16.199 --> 00:00:21.160 elders to their home on Tuesday nights for dinner. It is a special treat 4 00:00:21.239 --> 00:00:25.239 for these young men who have chosen to leave home for two years to spread 5 00:00:25.280 --> 00:00:30.239 their faith. Upon arriving, we were introduced to the two young elders. 6 00:00:30.760 --> 00:00:36.439 The surprise for me was that one elder Lux was from Springhill, Louisiana, 7 00:00:36.560 --> 00:00:41.799 which is just ninety miles from my hometown of Monroe. We had a genuinely 8 00:00:41.920 --> 00:00:46.439 nice hour or so of visiting and talking about home. We had much in 9 00:00:46.560 --> 00:00:50.759 common, even though he was in his early twenties and I was in my 10 00:00:50.880 --> 00:00:56.240 early seventies. I asked Elder Luck if he was born in spring Hill and 11 00:00:56.439 --> 00:01:00.320 was very surprised to find that he was originally from falc, Arkansas, which 12 00:01:00.439 --> 00:01:06.400 was forty one miles away. Of course, this immediately prompted me to ask 13 00:01:06.480 --> 00:01:10.560 if he had ever seen the Foult Monster, which was featured in the seventies 14 00:01:10.680 --> 00:01:15.079 movie The Legend of Boggy Creek and other books and newspaper articles over the last 15 00:01:15.120 --> 00:01:21.200 many decades. Elder Lux replied that he had not seen the creature, but 16 00:01:21.280 --> 00:01:26.959 that his father had on two occasions years apart. As a very young boy, 17 00:01:26.040 --> 00:01:30.920 he and his family, who lived alongside Boggy Creek, had on a 18 00:01:30.920 --> 00:01:37.159 few occasions experienced some strange and frightening moments, which they attributed to the creature. 19 00:01:38.159 --> 00:01:42.000 As our conversation was getting into more detail, Elder Lux and his partner 20 00:01:42.239 --> 00:01:48.719 had to leave because they had another engagement for church business that night. We 21 00:01:48.799 --> 00:01:53.079 reluctantly set our goodbyes. Our friend and host promised to have them over again. 22 00:01:53.840 --> 00:02:00.200 As the elders left, I was wired and in full investigation and interrogateation 23 00:02:00.359 --> 00:02:04.200 mode. I had been aware of this creature for many years, and my 24 00:02:04.319 --> 00:02:08.240 thirty plus years as a police officer had me compiling a list of questions so 25 00:02:08.360 --> 00:02:14.520 I could obtain more details at our next visit. That visit came a couple 26 00:02:14.520 --> 00:02:19.560 of weeks later, when Elder Lux and his partner revisited our friend's home to 27 00:02:19.639 --> 00:02:23.639 do some genealogy work with the help of his wife, she runs the local 28 00:02:23.840 --> 00:02:30.280 LDS Family Research Center. As she helped Elder Lux's partner, he and I 29 00:02:30.319 --> 00:02:34.719 sat down and I got to ask more questions about this time in Foulk. 30 00:02:35.840 --> 00:02:39.919 This is the story of the first encounter of Elder Lux's father, William Bill 31 00:02:40.080 --> 00:02:45.680 Lux Junior, and a little information about the area they lived in in their 32 00:02:45.719 --> 00:02:51.879 homes unique location. This description will help with understanding the story of the second 33 00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:59.439 encounter of the creature and finally, the family's experiences. Elder Luxe's grandfather, 34 00:02:59.560 --> 00:03:04.560 Bill moved to Falc in the mid nineteen thirties and bought twenty acres of land 35 00:03:04.599 --> 00:03:09.360 about three miles south of Falk on Arkansas Highway seventy one. This was the 36 00:03:09.439 --> 00:03:16.280 main north south route from Louisiana to Arkansas. The property was heavily wooded, 37 00:03:16.599 --> 00:03:22.080 as was most of the land around Falc at the time. This thick forest 38 00:03:22.120 --> 00:03:25.719 area was interspersed with fields of beans, cotton, corn, and other crops 39 00:03:25.840 --> 00:03:31.240 grown in that fertile area. The Lux property was fronted by Highway seventy one 40 00:03:31.439 --> 00:03:38.520 on the west side. The northeast and south sides were heavily wooded. Boggy 41 00:03:38.599 --> 00:03:43.759 Creek ran through the Lux's property east to west. It flowed under the Highway 42 00:03:43.800 --> 00:03:49.039 seventy one bridge, which spanned the creek and continued west to the Sulfur River. 43 00:03:50.159 --> 00:03:53.240 Mister Lux built his home about three hundred feet north of the creek and 44 00:03:53.319 --> 00:03:59.039 two hundred feet from the highway. It is not known if mister Lux was 45 00:03:59.080 --> 00:04:03.599 aware of the creek's connection to the fabled creature who used it to traverse the 46 00:04:03.639 --> 00:04:10.680 country. It was nineteen fifty nine and mister Lux Junior was eighteen years old 47 00:04:10.840 --> 00:04:15.439 and home on Thanksgiving vacation from his local high school. That day in late 48 00:04:15.520 --> 00:04:18.959 November, it was the day after Thanksgiving, in the first day of deer 49 00:04:19.079 --> 00:04:23.519 season. Bill was hoping to get a little hunting in that day, but 50 00:04:23.600 --> 00:04:29.279 his father had other plans. Projects around the farm kept him busy until almost 51 00:04:29.319 --> 00:04:31.959 noon. When he finished, he made a sandwich and stuffed it into his 52 00:04:32.120 --> 00:04:38.240 pocket of his hunting coat. He grabbed the World War II surplus M one 53 00:04:38.319 --> 00:04:43.800 garand rifle he bought from Sears and Robot for twelve dollars and placed two eight 54 00:04:43.920 --> 00:04:48.000 round M one charger clips into his hunting coat pockets and grabbed a small thermos 55 00:04:48.079 --> 00:04:53.879 of coffee and then threw it all into his old Ford truck. The three 56 00:04:53.920 --> 00:04:58.959 family dogs had seen this scenario before and were looking forward to the hunt the 57 00:04:59.000 --> 00:05:01.319 first of the season, but Bill could not take them on this day. 58 00:05:02.040 --> 00:05:06.240 He was already getting a late start, and dark came early in the late 59 00:05:06.319 --> 00:05:11.800 fall, especially in the thick woods, this would be a still hunt. 60 00:05:12.600 --> 00:05:16.680 It was chilly as he drove towards his destination, an old pipeline cut that 61 00:05:16.879 --> 00:05:23.519 ran north south through heavy woods about ten miles east of Bill's home. Most 62 00:05:23.560 --> 00:05:27.399 of the leaves had been blown from the trees by the cold winds. The 63 00:05:27.480 --> 00:05:31.560 grass was brown but still high on the pipeline. Bill had first seen the 64 00:05:31.639 --> 00:05:36.319 cut one summer when fishing from the highway bridge that crossed it. He had 65 00:05:36.360 --> 00:05:41.680 noticed that several deer crossed it during the hours while he fished. He had 66 00:05:41.720 --> 00:05:46.040 made a note to give it a try come deer season. It was about 67 00:05:46.079 --> 00:05:49.480 half past one pm when Bill reached the cut. He crossed the bridge and 68 00:05:49.519 --> 00:05:54.959 parked his truck off the highway. He took out his rifle, grabbed his 69 00:05:55.079 --> 00:05:59.160 thermos, stuck it in his hunting coat pocket, and crossed the road to 70 00:05:59.240 --> 00:06:01.839 the north side of the bridge and looked over the cut. It was much 71 00:06:01.920 --> 00:06:05.720 lower than it looked from the bridge. It was about three hundred feet wide 72 00:06:06.199 --> 00:06:13.040 and miles long, disappearing into the distance. He understood why the oil companies 73 00:06:13.199 --> 00:06:17.680 used small airplanes to inspect the cut and check for leaks. Once on the 74 00:06:17.720 --> 00:06:23.040 flat ground of the cut, he loaded his rifle with eight cartridges and began 75 00:06:23.120 --> 00:06:28.160 walking north away from the highway. The stiff, knee high weeds and grass 76 00:06:28.199 --> 00:06:31.519 made quite a bit of noise as it rubbed against his thick canvas hunting trousers. 77 00:06:32.240 --> 00:06:35.439 He moved to the south side of the cut, nearer the tree line, 78 00:06:35.439 --> 00:06:40.279 looking for a good place to hold up and do his hunt. About 79 00:06:40.279 --> 00:06:43.079 a half mile from the road, he found a place where he could see 80 00:06:43.120 --> 00:06:47.439 easily in both directions, and if necessary, safely fire back towards the highway. 81 00:06:48.399 --> 00:06:51.920 Bill could see well from his vantage point, about ten feet into the 82 00:06:51.959 --> 00:06:57.439 brush off the side of the pipeline. It was quiet. A wind high 83 00:06:57.439 --> 00:07:00.680 in the trees was rustling the leaves that had not yet fallen. An hour 84 00:07:00.839 --> 00:07:05.639 passed, nothing moved except an occasional car on the highway half a mile away. 85 00:07:06.519 --> 00:07:10.639 He ate some of his sandwich and drank a little coffee to warm him 86 00:07:10.720 --> 00:07:15.439 up. He noticed the shadows of the trees above him were getting longer as 87 00:07:15.480 --> 00:07:18.720 they moved over and away from his side of the cut. It was now 88 00:07:18.879 --> 00:07:24.480 near three point thirty pm. He had been there two hours. He thought, 89 00:07:24.519 --> 00:07:28.079 I cannot wait much longer. It was getting cold, and he didn't 90 00:07:28.079 --> 00:07:31.000 want to be getting home at dark. There would be evening chores to do 91 00:07:31.319 --> 00:07:35.199 and supper. He would wait another half hour and then he would leave. 92 00:07:36.560 --> 00:07:40.879 Something moved on the other side of the cut, which was still in the 93 00:07:40.959 --> 00:07:46.319 late afternoon sun. Bill didn't move. He estimated he was about two hundred 94 00:07:46.399 --> 00:07:50.360 yards away to the south of what attracted his attention. Now it moved again, 95 00:07:51.360 --> 00:07:54.839 he could see it. It was a deer. It was a dough. 96 00:07:55.560 --> 00:07:58.720 She trotted out of the woods and then turned her head and looked back 97 00:07:58.879 --> 00:08:03.160 as if she was waiting, and in a moment another dough joined her in 98 00:08:03.240 --> 00:08:09.560 the cut. They moved cautiously further into the open, constantly checking behind them. 99 00:08:09.920 --> 00:08:13.360 Then like a shot, both turned and sprang into full run and into 100 00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:18.199 the woods on Bill's side of the pipeline. They were trying to get away 101 00:08:18.240 --> 00:08:22.920 from something, possibly a buck. Bill thought mating season for white tail deer 102 00:08:22.959 --> 00:08:28.759 as October through December in the south. Bill waited and thought, oh, 103 00:08:28.879 --> 00:08:33.320 let it be a big buck. Shortly he saw more movement where the deer 104 00:08:33.360 --> 00:08:37.519 had come from. Whatever it was. It did not come out completely into 105 00:08:37.639 --> 00:08:41.240 view, but enough for Bill to see that it was darker and not the 106 00:08:41.279 --> 00:08:45.720 color of a deer. A few seconds later, it walked out into the 107 00:08:45.840 --> 00:08:50.120 edge of the sunlit trees, and it was not a deer. It was 108 00:08:50.279 --> 00:08:54.960 upright like a man. It was dark brown from head to toe. Its 109 00:08:54.159 --> 00:08:58.200 arms were longer than a man's, and it was tall. Its knees were 110 00:08:58.320 --> 00:09:03.480 much higher the grass, which came to Bill's lower thighs, and it was 111 00:09:03.559 --> 00:09:07.720 not overly heavy. It looked up and down the cut slowly, like one 112 00:09:07.759 --> 00:09:13.480 would do before crossing a street, and Bill froze. And then it started 113 00:09:13.639 --> 00:09:18.320 at a fast walk and crossed the cut in a noticeably short time. It 114 00:09:18.399 --> 00:09:24.360 was going the same direction that the deer had gone. Bill stood there for 115 00:09:24.399 --> 00:09:28.320 some time, and he thought, what was that? At no time did 116 00:09:28.320 --> 00:09:31.919 he ever think about shooting at it? And then he thought where did it 117 00:09:31.000 --> 00:09:35.279 go? Did it continue through the woods after the deer, or did it 118 00:09:35.360 --> 00:09:41.480 turn north away from me or south towards me. Suddenly the cold did not 119 00:09:41.639 --> 00:09:46.279 bother him. Bill listened as hard as he could, but he couldn't hear 120 00:09:46.360 --> 00:09:50.120 anything. It was big and fast, surely if it were coming his way, 121 00:09:50.559 --> 00:09:54.759 he would hear the rustling of the dry leaves all around him. He 122 00:09:54.840 --> 00:09:58.240 decided he needed to get out of there. It was getting on close to 123 00:09:58.320 --> 00:10:03.360 dark and he did want to be there. Then Bill decided to head back 124 00:10:03.360 --> 00:10:07.240 towards the road, but walked at the edge of the trees, thinking maybe 125 00:10:07.279 --> 00:10:09.759 there could be another one across the cut and it would see me if I 126 00:10:09.799 --> 00:10:15.440 were in the open. But the going was slow and noisy through the edge 127 00:10:15.440 --> 00:10:18.799 of the woods, so he decided to move into the center of the cut. 128 00:10:18.240 --> 00:10:22.480 At least he would have some warning if it came out, maybe have 129 00:10:22.559 --> 00:10:26.200 a bit of time to defend himself. Bill moved to the center of the 130 00:10:26.279 --> 00:10:31.840 cut and he started walking fast, continually turning his head like it was on 131 00:10:31.879 --> 00:10:37.039 a swivel rifle at the ready, safety off, and around. Chambered all 132 00:10:37.080 --> 00:10:41.399 the way back to the truck. His heart was pounding, he was sweating 133 00:10:41.440 --> 00:10:45.879 from fear and exertion despite the cold air. Once he made it to the 134 00:10:46.000 --> 00:10:48.799 road, Bill turned back, using his higher vantage point to see if he 135 00:10:48.960 --> 00:10:54.240 was being followed, but he saw nothing. He walked to the truck, 136 00:10:54.480 --> 00:10:58.720 threw his loaded rifle into the cab, something he never did, and then 137 00:10:58.759 --> 00:11:03.080 he drove home. When Bill got home, he unloaded the rifle, checked 138 00:11:03.080 --> 00:11:07.039 with his dad to let him know that he was back, and started on 139 00:11:07.120 --> 00:11:11.759 his evening chores. He said nothing to his family about what he had seen 140 00:11:11.480 --> 00:11:16.279 at supper. When asked if he had seen any deer at the cut and 141 00:11:16.360 --> 00:11:18.960 if he thought it might be a good place to hunt, he only said 142 00:11:18.960 --> 00:11:24.080 that he had seen too dough and he didn't think he would be hunting there 143 00:11:24.320 --> 00:11:28.759 again. According to Elder Lux, his father did not talk about his sighting 144 00:11:28.840 --> 00:11:35.480 until several years later, when he overheard others at the Foult General's store talking 145 00:11:35.519 --> 00:11:41.039 about and increased sightings of the creature. When he did talk about the incident, 146 00:11:41.159 --> 00:11:45.919 it was only to his family. In nineteen sixty five, Bill saw 147 00:11:45.960 --> 00:11:50.279 the creature again. This time it was closer to home, and this time 148 00:11:50.519 --> 00:11:56.360 he was not alone. Six years had passed since Bill Lux Junior had his 149 00:11:56.519 --> 00:12:01.399 sighting on the Pipeline Cut. He had not gone back there since that time, 150 00:12:01.799 --> 00:12:05.799 and a lot had changed. His father had passed away, leaving Bill 151 00:12:05.879 --> 00:12:11.399 to support his mother and two sisters and run the farm alone. Bill took 152 00:12:11.440 --> 00:12:16.559 a part time job and fout to make ends meet, and Bill also got 153 00:12:16.639 --> 00:12:20.159 married. He along with his new wife and younger sister, lived in a 154 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:26.879 house that his grandfather built next to Highway seventy one and alongside Boggy Creek. 155 00:12:26.759 --> 00:12:31.919 Bill's oldest sister had married a few months earlier and moved to spring Hill, 156 00:12:31.039 --> 00:12:37.399 Louisiana with her husband. Bill's mother spent most of her time in spring Hill, 157 00:12:37.440 --> 00:12:41.279 which is forty miles away. Locally, there was more talk of sightings 158 00:12:41.279 --> 00:12:46.879 of the creature and of footprints left in beenfields, as well as strange cries 159 00:12:46.960 --> 00:12:52.639 back in the deep woods and along the network of creeks around Fout. There 160 00:12:52.679 --> 00:12:58.879 were also reports of damaged fences and buildings, as well as missing farm animals. 161 00:13:00.039 --> 00:13:05.600 On Saturday afternoon in January of nineteen sixty five, Bill was working on 162 00:13:05.720 --> 00:13:09.200 his old truck, which was parked in the front yard just a few feet 163 00:13:09.240 --> 00:13:13.000 from his front door. His youngest sister and his wife were in the house. 164 00:13:13.840 --> 00:13:18.399 Bill had his head under the hood of the old vehicle, trying to 165 00:13:18.519 --> 00:13:24.559 discern its latest malady. It wasn't until his little feist dog had gotten between 166 00:13:24.559 --> 00:13:28.519 his feet that he noticed its shaking and whimpering. Bill looked around and he 167 00:13:28.600 --> 00:13:33.279 saw nothing, thinking it was frightened by another dog, a skunk, a 168 00:13:33.399 --> 00:13:37.879 raccoon, or any matter of critter that passes through the farm at times, 169 00:13:37.320 --> 00:13:41.600 but he still didn't see anything. Bill returned to his work, but the 170 00:13:41.639 --> 00:13:46.080 dog continued to whine. Bill looked under the truck and he saw nothing. 171 00:13:46.240 --> 00:13:50.519 He walked around the truck and saw nothing. He then noticed the dog was 172 00:13:50.559 --> 00:13:54.559 staring off across the road, which was about two hundred feet from the front 173 00:13:54.679 --> 00:14:00.480 of the house. Bill looked carefully at the tree line just on the other 174 00:14:00.600 --> 00:14:05.159 side of the pavement. There, next to a large oak tree and somewhat 175 00:14:05.200 --> 00:14:09.360 in the shadows, was something stooping down watching Bill and the dog. He 176 00:14:09.399 --> 00:14:13.919 could tell it was large because of the size of the tree it was near. 177 00:14:13.759 --> 00:14:16.559 Bill tried not to give away the fact that he had seen it, 178 00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:20.399 and he scolded the dog and moved back to the front of the truck where 179 00:14:20.440 --> 00:14:26.600 he could look through the lower windshield and rear window to the woods on the 180 00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:30.679 other side of the road. It was still there, this time, it 181 00:14:30.720 --> 00:14:35.879 appeared to be sitting and watching. Bill called out quietly to his wife and 182 00:14:35.919 --> 00:14:39.279 his sister, asking one of them to bring him his rifle, which he 183 00:14:39.360 --> 00:14:43.480 kept beside his bed, and to put it just inside the open front door. 184 00:14:43.559 --> 00:14:48.279 Bill explained what was happening, and he told them to carefully look out 185 00:14:48.279 --> 00:14:52.240 the window towards the large tree across the road, and they both saw it. 186 00:14:54.279 --> 00:14:56.519 Bill picked up the little dog and went into the house and he closed 187 00:14:56.519 --> 00:15:01.799 the front door. After a delay only a minute or so, he looked 188 00:15:01.799 --> 00:15:05.360 through the blinds of the window. The space next to the tree was empty. 189 00:15:05.879 --> 00:15:09.600 Bill picked up his rifle and went from window to window, checking all 190 00:15:09.679 --> 00:15:13.759 four sides of the house in case the creature came across the road onto the 191 00:15:13.840 --> 00:15:18.639 property, and he saw nothing. Bill estimated that the creature had been watching 192 00:15:18.720 --> 00:15:24.240 him for twenty minutes. The dog had been whining for at least ten minutes 193 00:15:24.279 --> 00:15:28.360 before Bill checked on him and saw the shadow next to the tree. This 194 00:15:28.559 --> 00:15:33.639 was the last time Bill saw the creature, but not the last time it 195 00:15:33.679 --> 00:15:39.480 would bring fear into their home. Over the next nine years, sightings continued 196 00:15:39.519 --> 00:15:45.039 around Falk and reached a peak in nineteen seventy four that got to the point 197 00:15:45.080 --> 00:15:48.759 where Bill installed floodlights on the corners of his house that would illuminate the yard 198 00:15:48.840 --> 00:15:54.759 for some one hundred feet away. He had the local power company put a 199 00:15:54.840 --> 00:15:58.039 light pole in his front yard with a bright light that would burn all night, 200 00:16:00.039 --> 00:16:03.320 trimmed down the grass in small trees for two hundred feet around the house. 201 00:16:04.399 --> 00:16:07.759 For Bill and his family, there would be more occasions when they felt 202 00:16:07.799 --> 00:16:14.120 afraid. Each started much like the last. Always at night. The three 203 00:16:14.200 --> 00:16:18.559 family dogs, which slept outside the house and were known to chase anything on 204 00:16:18.720 --> 00:16:22.480 four legs, would begin wailing and barking and bashing into the front screen door, 205 00:16:22.600 --> 00:16:26.200 warning to get in. One of the family would open the door and 206 00:16:26.279 --> 00:16:30.919 almost get knocked down by the dogs, who would go behind the couch or 207 00:16:30.039 --> 00:16:34.360 under a bed. The door would be locked, blinds would be drawn if 208 00:16:34.399 --> 00:16:40.600 they weren't already, and all four spotlights would be turned on. Bill and 209 00:16:40.679 --> 00:16:44.200 one of his sons would pick up their weapons and go from window to window 210 00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:48.679 while the rest of the family sat quietly in the center of the dimly lit 211 00:16:48.879 --> 00:16:53.559 house. The progress of what was moving around outside could be tracked by watching 212 00:16:53.639 --> 00:17:00.840 the dogs. Their noses always pointed towards boggy creek had slowly turned, following 213 00:17:00.879 --> 00:17:06.440 what they were hearing and smelling. Once it was gone, they quit shivering 214 00:17:06.519 --> 00:17:11.400 and they came out from their hiding places. In the year two thousand, 215 00:17:11.480 --> 00:17:15.400 Bill and the family decided that they had had enough of farming and of the 216 00:17:15.440 --> 00:17:19.759 small town, uneasy life of Falk. They followed Bill's sister and moved to 217 00:17:19.799 --> 00:17:26.279 spring Hill. They joined the LDS Church there and later the elder would be 218 00:17:26.440 --> 00:17:32.319 born. Sightings around Falk continued into the nineties, and on occasion they happened 219 00:17:32.400 --> 00:17:37.559 still today. The old farmhouse Bill's grandfather built is no longer there. It's 220 00:17:37.599 --> 00:17:42.599 been replaced by a single wide trailer far back away from the road. The 221 00:17:42.640 --> 00:17:47.559 fields are there too, but most of the timber around the old Lux farm 222 00:17:47.640 --> 00:17:53.079 is now cut and the field grows rows of soybeans. Old Highway seventy one 223 00:17:53.240 --> 00:17:57.440 still there, although the new highway has been built to speed along those folks 224 00:17:57.440 --> 00:18:04.000 going from Louisiana to Arkansas. And the creek Boggy Creek is still there just 225 00:18:04.200 --> 00:18:08.480 as it has been for centuries, and the creature will. Some of those 226 00:18:08.519 --> 00:18:11.640 who still live around Fout say he's still out there too.