WEBVTT 1 00:00:06.120 --> 00:00:08.839 On the west edge of the small town of Five 2 00:00:09.000 --> 00:00:13.119 Lakes lies or Lake Road. It is a narrow, ruddy, 3 00:00:13.160 --> 00:00:18.239 twisted lane that runs between small and waverly roads. On 4 00:00:18.239 --> 00:00:21.440 one side, the land is heavily forested and rises higher 5 00:00:21.480 --> 00:00:24.480 than the church steeple, and on the other side, the 6 00:00:24.600 --> 00:00:28.280 land slopes down to or Lake, a large dank, lily 7 00:00:28.320 --> 00:00:33.520 covered wetland beyond. On both sides, the land is wooded, dark, 8 00:00:33.560 --> 00:00:36.880 and as silent as a grave. They say it always 9 00:00:36.920 --> 00:00:40.640 feels cold on or Lake Road, even on the hottest days. 10 00:00:41.880 --> 00:00:44.520 Some say the road is haunted, that a wild man, 11 00:00:44.799 --> 00:00:47.719 a creature, or even a witch lives in the forest. 12 00:00:49.119 --> 00:00:52.399 The first person to notice something strange on or Lake 13 00:00:52.479 --> 00:00:56.159 Road was young Master John Rumley Sky, one of the 14 00:00:56.280 --> 00:01:00.920 richest family in Five Lakes. One day, as Rumley later 15 00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:03.679 told the tale, he was riding down the road when 16 00:01:03.719 --> 00:01:07.239 halfway through he saw an old, withered woman sitting on 17 00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:11.359 a stump paring an apple. He didn't recognize her as 18 00:01:11.400 --> 00:01:15.480 anyone he knew, so he dismounted to address her. Once 19 00:01:15.519 --> 00:01:18.760 he was on the ground, the woman had vanished stumping. 20 00:01:18.840 --> 00:01:24.480 All after that, there were disappearances at least three known 21 00:01:24.640 --> 00:01:28.599 to the people in Five Lakes, people traveling alone down 22 00:01:28.879 --> 00:01:31.799 or Lake Road who went onto the lane and never 23 00:01:31.879 --> 00:01:38.400 came out. Legend, of course, added another two. On Waverley Road, 24 00:01:38.439 --> 00:01:42.599 there was a small country store called Miller's Market. Mister 25 00:01:42.680 --> 00:01:45.640 Miller owned this old time general store and had for 26 00:01:45.680 --> 00:01:49.920 many years. He was a respected man in Five Lakes. 27 00:01:50.159 --> 00:01:53.120 He didn't believe the Or Lake stories, though he did 28 00:01:53.159 --> 00:01:56.560 acknowledge that, yes, over the years, there had been some 29 00:01:56.680 --> 00:01:59.840 disappearances in the area, and that what they all seemed 30 00:01:59.879 --> 00:02:03.920 to have in common were people traveling on Oor Lake Road. 31 00:02:05.319 --> 00:02:09.120 Mister Miller had a daughter named Mary. His wife had 32 00:02:09.159 --> 00:02:12.560 died some years before, and Mary was very dear to 33 00:02:12.599 --> 00:02:17.199 her father. Like her mother, she had rich, thick hair, 34 00:02:17.360 --> 00:02:21.439 dark as coal, eyes a gem like blue, and lips 35 00:02:21.560 --> 00:02:26.120 red as summer berries. She was a lively, dutiful girl 36 00:02:26.319 --> 00:02:30.759 and a renowned sixteen year old beauty. Many people would 37 00:02:30.759 --> 00:02:34.439 stop at Miller's Market just to see Mary, maybe buy 38 00:02:34.479 --> 00:02:37.199 a coke or a sandwich as an excuse to pause 39 00:02:37.240 --> 00:02:40.280 a while and talk with her. One of the people 40 00:02:40.560 --> 00:02:44.319 was a big, husky young man named Daniel Martin. Dan 41 00:02:44.400 --> 00:02:47.560 would stop every day after work to spend time with Mary, 42 00:02:48.159 --> 00:02:51.400 and one day mister Miller asked Mary about the braid 43 00:02:51.439 --> 00:02:53.719 and her hair, and she told him it was what 44 00:02:53.759 --> 00:02:57.800 they called a love Not on the other end of 45 00:02:57.840 --> 00:03:01.439 our lake road was Small Road, and the last house 46 00:03:01.479 --> 00:03:05.919 on Small Road was owned by the Wilmos family. As 47 00:03:05.960 --> 00:03:10.319 it happened that winter, the Wilmos baby took sick. Doctor 48 00:03:10.400 --> 00:03:12.719 Kepler went out there to find the infant to be 49 00:03:12.879 --> 00:03:15.919 very sick, indeed, so he phoned in a prescription to 50 00:03:15.960 --> 00:03:20.520 be delivered immediately. The delivery boy from the pharmacy in 51 00:03:20.639 --> 00:03:23.719 Five Lakes went out on Waverley Road and stopped at 52 00:03:23.719 --> 00:03:27.800 Miller's market. When he learned from mister Miller that he 53 00:03:27.800 --> 00:03:30.000 would have to take or Lake Road to reach the 54 00:03:30.039 --> 00:03:33.599 Wilma's place on Small Road, he declared that he was 55 00:03:33.639 --> 00:03:37.639 afraid and he wouldn't do it. It's your job and 56 00:03:37.680 --> 00:03:41.080 your duty, mister Miller told him. But the boy said no, 57 00:03:41.879 --> 00:03:45.120 he wouldn't travel on or Lake Road. Had they never 58 00:03:45.199 --> 00:03:50.240 heard the rumors about the place. Confounded rumor boy said, 59 00:03:50.319 --> 00:03:53.199 mister Miller, you might be saving that child's life with 60 00:03:53.280 --> 00:03:56.479 this medicine, and I might be losing my own in 61 00:03:56.560 --> 00:03:59.919 doing so. The boy replied, and he set the package 62 00:04:00.120 --> 00:04:04.520 down on the counter and ran out. It happened that 63 00:04:04.680 --> 00:04:07.759 Dan Martin was in the store just then talking with Mary. 64 00:04:08.439 --> 00:04:12.599 He heard the conversation and watched the boy leave. Mister 65 00:04:12.639 --> 00:04:17.199 Miller stood there, almost quivering with disgust. He started to 66 00:04:17.240 --> 00:04:20.399 take off his shop apron and said, Mary, I'm off 67 00:04:20.399 --> 00:04:22.759 to the Wilma's place. You mind the store for me, 68 00:04:22.839 --> 00:04:25.959 and just do as we always do and close at six. 69 00:04:27.560 --> 00:04:31.360 This was December and it was already dusk. The sun 70 00:04:31.519 --> 00:04:36.560 was a cold ragball on the splintered western horizon. Dan 71 00:04:36.680 --> 00:04:40.040 Martin stepped up and said, mister Miller, here, give it 72 00:04:40.079 --> 00:04:43.160 to me. I'll deliver the package. The Wilma's house is 73 00:04:43.160 --> 00:04:46.920 that blue house, right, yes, said mister Miller. It's the 74 00:04:47.000 --> 00:04:49.959 last house on small road, and as soon as you're 75 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:54.120 off four Lake Road, it's that house. You sure you 76 00:04:54.160 --> 00:04:58.000 want to do this, Dan, Well, I'm not sure, said Dan. 77 00:04:58.240 --> 00:05:00.360 But it's better for me to go than you, with 78 00:05:00.399 --> 00:05:03.279 your business and all. And if I leave now, I'll 79 00:05:03.279 --> 00:05:06.839 be back no later than midnight. And so that's when 80 00:05:06.959 --> 00:05:11.839 Dan Martin left. But he didn't return at midnight, and 81 00:05:11.879 --> 00:05:15.879 he didn't return at dawn. In fact, he never returned 82 00:05:15.920 --> 00:05:20.240 at all. What we do know is that he did 83 00:05:20.279 --> 00:05:24.120 reach the Wilmos house sometime around ten o'clock because he 84 00:05:24.199 --> 00:05:28.639 delivered the medicine that saved the Wilma's boy. That baby 85 00:05:28.800 --> 00:05:31.600 was Ron Wilmos, and his son Ray now owns the 86 00:05:31.720 --> 00:05:36.000 dry cleaning shop in Five Lakes. But Dan Martin never 87 00:05:36.079 --> 00:05:39.120 returned from his errand that saved Ron Wilmos, and he 88 00:05:39.199 --> 00:05:42.319 never returned to Miller's market, and he never returned to 89 00:05:42.360 --> 00:05:46.920 Mary with the dark love knot in her hair. Many 90 00:05:47.000 --> 00:05:50.680 years passed, the water table rose, and the rising waters 91 00:05:50.720 --> 00:05:54.040 of or Lake nibbled away at or Lake Road, and 92 00:05:54.079 --> 00:05:57.319 they had to close it. No one had traveled that 93 00:05:57.439 --> 00:06:00.680 road for a long while. Anyway, the store worries about 94 00:06:00.680 --> 00:06:04.680 the creature, the wildman or the witch persisted. There was 95 00:06:04.720 --> 00:06:09.519 a new story about the disappearance of Dan Martin. Mister 96 00:06:09.600 --> 00:06:13.720 Miller took sick. A few years after this happened. He died, 97 00:06:14.040 --> 00:06:17.680 and dutiful Mary took over the market. She was known, 98 00:06:17.839 --> 00:06:20.759 like her father, for kindness and for her beauty, though 99 00:06:20.800 --> 00:06:23.040 they said something seemed to have gone out of her 100 00:06:23.120 --> 00:06:27.240 after Dan Martin disappeared. She never married, though it is 101 00:06:27.319 --> 00:06:31.319 said she had many offers. Some time later, Mary died 102 00:06:31.360 --> 00:06:34.160 when she was in her early forties and there was 103 00:06:34.199 --> 00:06:38.519 no one left to take over the store. Five Lakes 104 00:06:38.560 --> 00:06:42.120 has changed over the years, but not much. The land 105 00:06:42.199 --> 00:06:45.959 indoors or a lake indoors and has in fact grown. 106 00:06:46.920 --> 00:06:50.000 There is still a deep gnarl dark forest where Ora 107 00:06:50.120 --> 00:06:54.680 Lake Road once lay. Eventually, over the years, the stories 108 00:06:54.720 --> 00:06:58.680 about the wildman, the creature, the witch, even about Dan 109 00:06:58.800 --> 00:07:03.720 Martin ceased. Things change and go on what do you do? 110 00:07:04.879 --> 00:07:09.120 But sometimes on dark December nights, between twilight or his 111 00:07:09.279 --> 00:07:13.079 latest midnight, the people that still live along Waverley Road 112 00:07:13.480 --> 00:07:17.120 swear they can see a shadowy figure, a big man, 113 00:07:17.399 --> 00:07:21.319 walk out of the woods where or Lake Road once lay. 114 00:07:21.519 --> 00:07:24.279 He walks to the ruins of Miller's Market, which is 115 00:07:24.360 --> 00:07:27.439 now abandoned and boarded over, and he walks to the 116 00:07:27.480 --> 00:07:30.519 market and looks around as if someone is waiting for him, 117 00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:35.360 expecting him. If you go to or Lake Road today, 118 00:07:35.680 --> 00:07:38.279 you can still find a remnant of the road where 119 00:07:38.399 --> 00:07:43.399 John Rumley met the old woman on the small roadside. 120 00:07:43.439 --> 00:07:46.639 The Wilma's house is long gone, and there's an orchard 121 00:07:46.680 --> 00:07:50.759 and a day spa there. Now on Waverley you can 122 00:07:50.800 --> 00:07:53.959 see the old Miller's Market building washed gray by the 123 00:07:54.040 --> 00:07:57.920 years and back by a tangle of thorns. Be careful 124 00:07:57.920 --> 00:08:00.560 if you walk around the building the thorn you're thick 125 00:08:00.639 --> 00:08:04.439 and sharp as knives. But above all, don't spend much 126 00:08:04.519 --> 00:08:08.040 time pondering oor Lake Road. You just might wind up 127 00:08:08.079 --> 00:08:14.839 writing a story about it. I got a message on 128 00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:19.720 Facebook from someone who follows my page, or is who's 129 00:08:19.879 --> 00:08:24.439 liked my page, and they posted a series of articles 130 00:08:24.680 --> 00:08:28.680 on a some kind of creature down in Smith County, Mississippi. 131 00:08:29.480 --> 00:08:32.399 This caught my attention and it's a whole series of articles, 132 00:08:32.399 --> 00:08:34.240 and I thought i'd just share it with you guys. 133 00:08:34.559 --> 00:08:38.960 The name of the publication is The Morning Call. I 134 00:08:39.000 --> 00:08:41.320 don't know where that paper was based out of, but 135 00:08:41.399 --> 00:08:47.360 the first article was issued on September one, nineteen twenty nine, 136 00:08:47.480 --> 00:08:51.320 on a Sunday, and the big headline is big posse 137 00:08:51.480 --> 00:08:55.120 will seek wild woman this morning. So I'm just gonna 138 00:08:55.159 --> 00:08:57.159 start at the first article, and I'm gonna read them 139 00:08:57.159 --> 00:08:59.840 all to you because I don't know why, but these old, 140 00:09:00.120 --> 00:09:04.480 older articles really interest me. But here we go. Let me. 141 00:09:04.720 --> 00:09:07.000 I'm just reading this off my screen, so y'all bear 142 00:09:07.039 --> 00:09:10.519 with me. Here a wild woman reported in the swamps 143 00:09:10.559 --> 00:09:14.799 in Smith County. Scores of citizens from Smith and Jones 144 00:09:14.840 --> 00:09:18.639 Counties are expected to gather at Taylorsville Sunday morning, when 145 00:09:18.639 --> 00:09:21.279 a hunt will begin at eight o'clock for a wild 146 00:09:21.399 --> 00:09:24.679 woman reported to be in the swamps near that town. 147 00:09:25.759 --> 00:09:30.759 Marshall TE. Blankney of Taylorsville informed the call Saturday night. 148 00:09:31.799 --> 00:09:34.480 Whether the affair will be a wild woman chase or 149 00:09:34.519 --> 00:09:38.279 a wild goose chase remains to be seen. At any rate, 150 00:09:38.320 --> 00:09:41.200 a lot of people who have never before chased wild 151 00:09:41.279 --> 00:09:44.840 women are expected to be on hand. Quote. We are 152 00:09:44.960 --> 00:09:48.600 extending a special limitation to our Laurel friends to come 153 00:09:48.639 --> 00:09:53.320 out and join us in this hunt. Marshall Blankney stated, quote, 154 00:09:53.399 --> 00:09:56.440 we intend to comb the swamp where she is reported 155 00:09:56.480 --> 00:10:00.080 to be until we find her. That Marshall can con 156 00:10:00.120 --> 00:10:02.840 tinues on we will begin our search. We will not 157 00:10:03.039 --> 00:10:06.279 use dogs to track her down, but should it become 158 00:10:06.360 --> 00:10:10.159 necessary in order to locate her, we will probably secure 159 00:10:10.240 --> 00:10:13.240 some good hounds. Some of this is real faded on 160 00:10:13.360 --> 00:10:16.879 the article, so I'm having a strain to read it. 161 00:10:17.440 --> 00:10:20.279 The search for the wild woman reported to be inhabiting 162 00:10:20.320 --> 00:10:26.039 the swamps near Taylor Taylorsville follows the account which Pa Walker, 163 00:10:26.279 --> 00:10:29.759 a farmer, tells of having seen such a creature and 164 00:10:29.919 --> 00:10:34.000 talked with her several days ago at his farm. According 165 00:10:34.000 --> 00:10:37.919 to mister Walker's description, the woman, who was nude except 166 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:41.519 for a cloth girdle, was covered from head to foot 167 00:10:41.600 --> 00:10:45.960 with hair about four inches long. From mister Walker's description, 168 00:10:46.679 --> 00:10:49.039 she has more the appearance of an animal than a 169 00:10:49.120 --> 00:10:53.519 human being. Mister Walker states that he questioned the woman 170 00:10:53.600 --> 00:10:56.440 when she suddenly appeared near him at the edge of 171 00:10:56.480 --> 00:10:59.639 the swamp where he was chopping wood. She told the 172 00:10:59.679 --> 00:11:03.279 Smith County farmer that she was reared in Alabama about 173 00:11:03.360 --> 00:11:08.159 six years ago and became mentally deranged. Since that time. 174 00:11:08.200 --> 00:11:11.279 She has reported to have said she has lived in 175 00:11:11.360 --> 00:11:14.919 the Smith County swamp, where she has shot her food 176 00:11:15.159 --> 00:11:18.600 and eaten it raw. We have heard no definite reports 177 00:11:18.600 --> 00:11:21.159 of the woman since she was seen by mister Walker, 178 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:24.840 Marshall Blakeney told the call, but we have reason to 179 00:11:24.879 --> 00:11:27.720 believe that she is still in the swamp where she 180 00:11:27.879 --> 00:11:32.399 was first reported. That's the first article. The second thing 181 00:11:32.799 --> 00:11:36.639 of the Gentleman sent me is another article says big 182 00:11:36.720 --> 00:11:41.320 Posse fails to find trace of wild woman. If there's 183 00:11:41.360 --> 00:11:44.200 a wild woman in Leaf River Swamp, in Smith County. 184 00:11:44.240 --> 00:11:47.720 One hundred and fifty citizens from that and adjoining counties 185 00:11:47.759 --> 00:11:51.759 failed Sunday morning to find hair nor height of her, 186 00:11:52.120 --> 00:11:55.080 and from all reports, she has plenty of the lighter 187 00:11:55.279 --> 00:11:59.000 and maybe presumed sooner or later to shed some of 188 00:11:59.039 --> 00:12:02.679 that hair near her lair. Gathering at the home of 189 00:12:02.759 --> 00:12:06.840 Pa Walker, Smith County farmer, who reported several days ago 190 00:12:07.000 --> 00:12:09.720 that the wild woman had visited him at his farm, 191 00:12:10.440 --> 00:12:14.799 a large posse led by Sheriff TJ. Tullis, Smith County, 192 00:12:14.879 --> 00:12:18.720 began a search for the harry Swamp Dennison. About eight o'clock. 193 00:12:19.360 --> 00:12:23.240 Members of the posse stationed themselves fifty paces apart and 194 00:12:23.279 --> 00:12:27.240 proceeded up to swamp until they reached a vacated mill house, 195 00:12:27.279 --> 00:12:31.200 where the woman told mister Walker she spent her nights. 196 00:12:32.200 --> 00:12:34.879 Nowhere was there a trace of the wild woman found, 197 00:12:34.919 --> 00:12:38.159 and before eleven o'clock the posse decided that it might 198 00:12:38.240 --> 00:12:41.240 be engaged in a wild goose chase instead of one 199 00:12:41.320 --> 00:12:45.879 for a wallwoman, and abandoned the search. No further efforts 200 00:12:45.960 --> 00:12:49.320 will be made to apprehend the weird creature, officers state 201 00:12:49.480 --> 00:12:53.519 unless she again makes her appearance. In such a case, 202 00:12:53.639 --> 00:12:57.799 dogs will be secured and put on her trail. Failure 203 00:12:57.919 --> 00:13:00.960 of the posse to find the wall woman was the 204 00:13:01.039 --> 00:13:04.159 greatest disappointment in the lives of a lot of Laurel 205 00:13:04.200 --> 00:13:07.799 County people who have been preparing themselves for a look 206 00:13:07.840 --> 00:13:11.320 at the unusual lady. From all the descriptions, she is 207 00:13:11.360 --> 00:13:14.679 covered from head to foot with brown hair about four 208 00:13:14.879 --> 00:13:18.080 or five inches long. Her face is covered with hair 209 00:13:18.120 --> 00:13:21.399 two inches long, and for six years, as the wild 210 00:13:21.440 --> 00:13:25.639 Woman's story goes, she has been living in Leaf River swamp, 211 00:13:25.759 --> 00:13:29.960 shooting her food and eating at raw That's a second article. 212 00:13:31.120 --> 00:13:33.399 Here's another article, and I don't I guess it's from 213 00:13:33.440 --> 00:13:37.519 the same newspaper. Call offers reward for a wild woman. 214 00:13:38.240 --> 00:13:41.519 The Morning Call will pay one hundred dollars in cash 215 00:13:41.559 --> 00:13:44.799 to any person or persons delivering to the office of 216 00:13:44.840 --> 00:13:49.080 this newspaper a wild woman found in a Smith County swamp, 217 00:13:49.240 --> 00:13:52.600 whose body is naturally covered with brown hair between four 218 00:13:52.600 --> 00:13:55.879 and five inches long, and whose face is covered with 219 00:13:56.000 --> 00:13:59.600 hair one inch long, whose hair drops down over her 220 00:13:59.720 --> 00:14:02.960 wrist us to her knuckle joints, and that on her 221 00:14:03.080 --> 00:14:06.200 feet trails in the dust as she walks to and fro. 222 00:14:07.320 --> 00:14:12.559 Provided these conditions are carefully observed. Number one, said wild 223 00:14:12.600 --> 00:14:15.840 woman must be securely tied and delivered at this office. 224 00:14:15.919 --> 00:14:18.480 We don't propose to have our whole staff laid up 225 00:14:18.519 --> 00:14:22.039 in the hospital. She must be brought directly to this 226 00:14:22.240 --> 00:14:26.679 newspaper office after she is found. Note. If her clothing 227 00:14:26.919 --> 00:14:30.600 or absence of it is ultra modern, she may be 228 00:14:30.679 --> 00:14:34.559 taken first to a dress shop and guarbed. However, the 229 00:14:34.679 --> 00:14:38.519 lady's wishes shall be abided by in this case. If 230 00:14:38.519 --> 00:14:43.559 she doesn't care well, we aren't particular either. Number three, 231 00:14:43.799 --> 00:14:47.279 Any and all newspaper interviews with her must be secured 232 00:14:47.279 --> 00:14:51.480 by representative of the call. We may have to employ 233 00:14:51.519 --> 00:14:55.600 a special reporter to handle this assignment. Our regular staff 234 00:14:55.679 --> 00:15:00.200 is skittish of the wild woman. Number four the said 235 00:14:59.840 --> 00:15:05.240 l must be really wild. That is wilder, wilder than 236 00:15:05.720 --> 00:15:09.000 the wilder than women usually are. We don't want her. 237 00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:12.759 If she's just crazy. A lot of people are that way. Okay, 238 00:15:13.559 --> 00:15:17.159 this gets better as we go. Okay, here's another one. 239 00:15:17.679 --> 00:15:21.240 I can't see the title of it. Let me zoom out. Okay. 240 00:15:21.559 --> 00:15:27.840 Smith County Man seeks wild Woman Naked in the Woods, Taylorsville, 241 00:15:27.919 --> 00:15:31.720 August thirty first. Apparently this was written before the first 242 00:15:31.799 --> 00:15:34.639 article I read you, but here we go hopes had 243 00:15:34.639 --> 00:15:37.240 not been abandoned Friday night in the search for a 244 00:15:37.279 --> 00:15:39.720 wild woman who is reported to be living in the 245 00:15:39.759 --> 00:15:43.399 swamps a few miles below here. The first reports were 246 00:15:43.399 --> 00:15:47.360 given last Wednesday, when Pink Walker, a farmer who lives 247 00:15:47.399 --> 00:15:50.240 below here, said that the woman approached him where he 248 00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:53.639 was at work in the woods. A search was made, 249 00:15:53.679 --> 00:15:57.200 but no trace of her was found. Rumors were spread 250 00:15:57.279 --> 00:16:00.360 Friday that other people living in that vicinity he had 251 00:16:00.360 --> 00:16:04.120 seen a wild woman. Walker is said to have stated 252 00:16:04.159 --> 00:16:08.039 that she had long hair, she was manlike, and wore 253 00:16:08.240 --> 00:16:13.519 very little clothing. Okay, that's another. Here's one more again. 254 00:16:13.600 --> 00:16:15.799 I'm assuming this is from the call, but it says 255 00:16:15.840 --> 00:16:19.879 wild woman eludes Smith County posse. All right, this is 256 00:16:19.919 --> 00:16:24.399 September two, the day after the first article. Smith County's 257 00:16:24.440 --> 00:16:27.320 wild woman is still at large, roaming the woods of 258 00:16:27.320 --> 00:16:31.399 that county at will and eating raw rabbits and other tidbits, 259 00:16:31.480 --> 00:16:35.200 unmolested by the rules of etiquette and unhampered by the 260 00:16:35.240 --> 00:16:39.519 criticisms of society. Efforts of a posse is said to 261 00:16:39.559 --> 00:16:42.120 have contained at least one hundred and fifty seekers for 262 00:16:42.240 --> 00:16:45.519 the wild woman. And determined to catch her, have returned 263 00:16:45.600 --> 00:16:51.159 to their homes solely disappointed and painfully unrewarded they didn't 264 00:16:51.200 --> 00:16:55.480 find her. The posse was headed by Sheriff TJ. Tullis 265 00:16:55.480 --> 00:16:59.320 and Town Marshall Borough Blakeney of Taylorsville in the name 266 00:16:59.360 --> 00:17:02.639 of the law to capture the wild Woman of Leaf 267 00:17:02.759 --> 00:17:06.079 River Swamp or know the reason why they now know 268 00:17:06.240 --> 00:17:09.640 they couldn't find her. The party formed at the home 269 00:17:09.680 --> 00:17:12.960 of Pa Walker, who reported seeing the demented woman who 270 00:17:13.000 --> 00:17:16.359 claims to have lived in the swamps the past six years, 271 00:17:16.400 --> 00:17:18.880 and took to the lowlands of the river at eight 272 00:17:19.039 --> 00:17:22.960 thirty o clock space fifty paces apart. The party moved 273 00:17:23.000 --> 00:17:26.240 down the river for several miles to the abandoned sawmills 274 00:17:26.359 --> 00:17:29.359 site where the young woman claims to have lived, without 275 00:17:29.440 --> 00:17:32.640 seeing any trace of her. The search was given up 276 00:17:32.680 --> 00:17:36.240 about ten thirty o'clock and the party made its way 277 00:17:36.359 --> 00:17:39.839 back to the starting point. It is likely that no 278 00:17:39.920 --> 00:17:42.559 further effort will be made by a posse to run 279 00:17:42.599 --> 00:17:45.720 the woman to earth, but that if she reappeared, it 280 00:17:45.799 --> 00:17:48.680 is planned to secure dogs and put on her trail. 281 00:17:49.480 --> 00:17:52.759 The woman, extremely muscular, is said to be covered in 282 00:17:52.920 --> 00:17:56.079 short brown hair. That's the end of that one. And 283 00:17:56.119 --> 00:18:01.000 here's one more. I don't see the title for it, mitral, Okay, 284 00:18:01.039 --> 00:18:04.079 the title is wild Woman. I'm sorry. Unmolested by the 285 00:18:04.200 --> 00:18:07.880 rules of etiquette and unhampered by polite society, A wild 286 00:18:07.960 --> 00:18:10.599 woman has been eluding all searchers in the woods of 287 00:18:10.640 --> 00:18:14.519 Smith County, famous now as the wild Woman of Leaf 288 00:18:14.599 --> 00:18:18.000 River Swamps. She dines on raw rabbits and other tidbits, 289 00:18:18.039 --> 00:18:21.720 wears little if any clothing, and is covered with short 290 00:18:21.759 --> 00:18:25.839 brown hair, and has been seen several times but never captured. 291 00:18:26.319 --> 00:18:28.599 And I think that's the last article. But anyway, I 292 00:18:28.599 --> 00:18:32.079 thought that was interesting, and you all may not think 293 00:18:32.079 --> 00:18:37.160 it is. But I have so many people, most of 294 00:18:37.240 --> 00:18:40.039 them that I know are dead now dead and gone, 295 00:18:40.640 --> 00:18:45.200 but uncles and aints and just people I grew grew up. 296 00:18:45.319 --> 00:18:48.559 This team down there around Amy and the tom Bigbee 297 00:18:48.680 --> 00:18:52.240 River bottoms. That's where my people lived, and I would 298 00:18:52.240 --> 00:18:54.559 love to have them around and ask them if they 299 00:18:54.640 --> 00:18:57.359 remember this, because a lot of them were live in 300 00:18:57.440 --> 00:19:00.880 nineteen twenty nine. Anyway, I thought i'd take a break 301 00:19:00.880 --> 00:19:04.079 from working at Sunday. I'm trying to crank some workout 302 00:19:04.200 --> 00:19:07.960 that's due Tuesday. Missed the great camp out at Land 303 00:19:08.000 --> 00:19:11.759 between the Lakes with some friends because of this damn 304 00:19:11.880 --> 00:19:15.720 work good griefs driving me crazy. I thought i'd just 305 00:19:15.759 --> 00:19:18.640 put this podcast out real quick and I don't know 306 00:19:19.319 --> 00:19:22.200 ten fifteen minutes long. Hope you guys enjoyed it and 307 00:19:22.200 --> 00:19:27.359 I'll see you on the next video. Thank you. I'm 308 00:19:27.400 --> 00:19:32.000 not interested in bigfoot research whatsoever. I'm not interested in 309 00:19:32.079 --> 00:19:35.559 camping out to look for them, gathering evidence of anything 310 00:19:35.599 --> 00:19:38.000 that has anything to do with looking for them to 311 00:19:38.079 --> 00:19:41.720 prove they exist. I know they exist. I've seen them. 312 00:19:42.599 --> 00:19:45.079 There is at least one clan that lives in this 313 00:19:45.119 --> 00:19:47.720 particular area, and I'm not the only one who has 314 00:19:47.799 --> 00:19:50.880 seen them. You could say that all the farmers who 315 00:19:50.920 --> 00:19:53.119 live in this area have seen it, and we all 316 00:19:53.160 --> 00:19:57.119 know they're here. We choose to leave them alone. I 317 00:19:57.160 --> 00:20:01.720 am other than a farmer, a paranormal investigator. I live 318 00:20:01.759 --> 00:20:04.319 on my family farm that has been in my family 319 00:20:04.359 --> 00:20:08.079 for over two hundred years. This particular house that I 320 00:20:08.160 --> 00:20:12.039 live in was built in eighteen sixty. Of course, it 321 00:20:12.039 --> 00:20:15.039 has gone through many updates through the years, and it 322 00:20:15.079 --> 00:20:18.319 also happens to be haunted. But that's not really why 323 00:20:18.359 --> 00:20:23.359 I'm sending this This property borders the largest land state 324 00:20:23.440 --> 00:20:26.680 park in this state. There are thousands of acres of 325 00:20:26.799 --> 00:20:29.200 forest in this area, which a lot of people find 326 00:20:29.279 --> 00:20:33.799 surprising for this area of Illinois. Our fields are spread 327 00:20:33.839 --> 00:20:36.279 out a bit in this area, and instead of taking 328 00:20:36.319 --> 00:20:38.640 the highway, we would cut up over the ridge and 329 00:20:38.759 --> 00:20:41.799 end up on the blacktop road that ran behind the park. 330 00:20:42.720 --> 00:20:45.680 I've heard about bigfoot all my life, and sometimes the 331 00:20:45.759 --> 00:20:48.759 other farmers in the area would mention seeing one or 332 00:20:48.799 --> 00:20:51.839 catching a glimpse of one from time to time. I 333 00:20:51.880 --> 00:20:54.440 didn't pay much attention to it because at the time 334 00:20:54.960 --> 00:20:58.359 I never had had an encounter. I would sit out 335 00:20:58.400 --> 00:21:01.079 on the back deck at night, would hear wood knocks 336 00:21:01.119 --> 00:21:05.279 in an occasional whoop, but I never saw one. Sometimes 337 00:21:05.319 --> 00:21:07.440 I would take a baseball bat and hit a tree 338 00:21:07.519 --> 00:21:10.119 or even the railing of the deck, and sometimes I 339 00:21:10.119 --> 00:21:14.079 would get an answer. In the late nineteen nineties, I 340 00:21:14.160 --> 00:21:16.119 cut up over the ridge and I was on the 341 00:21:16.160 --> 00:21:19.279 black top. I was almost to the back entrance of 342 00:21:19.319 --> 00:21:22.440 the park when this huge creature jumped the fence along 343 00:21:22.480 --> 00:21:25.559 the park. It was on my right and it stood 344 00:21:25.680 --> 00:21:28.359 in the road. I had to slam on my brakes 345 00:21:28.480 --> 00:21:31.119 or I would have hit it, and when I stopped, 346 00:21:31.319 --> 00:21:33.559 I could not have been more than twenty feet away. 347 00:21:34.680 --> 00:21:37.799 This thing was huge, and I'm guessing it was seven 348 00:21:37.839 --> 00:21:40.480 and a half feet tall and three feet across at 349 00:21:40.480 --> 00:21:43.799 the shoulders. It had dark brown hair all over its 350 00:21:43.839 --> 00:21:47.400 body except on its face. It had a broad nose, 351 00:21:47.640 --> 00:21:51.680 wide set eyes, and a protruding forehead, and its arms 352 00:21:51.799 --> 00:21:55.319 almost appeared to be normal from the shoulders to the elbows, 353 00:21:55.880 --> 00:21:58.839 but from the elbow to the hands, the arms were long. 354 00:22:00.039 --> 00:22:02.839 Stood there and we made eye contact for what seemed 355 00:22:02.880 --> 00:22:05.720 like a full minute. I had the window down on 356 00:22:05.759 --> 00:22:07.880 my truck, and there was a slight breeze, and I 357 00:22:07.920 --> 00:22:11.599 caught a whiff of a strong odor. It was almost 358 00:22:11.640 --> 00:22:14.200 like a bad body odor, like someone who had not 359 00:22:14.319 --> 00:22:17.920 had a bath in months. It never made a move 360 00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:20.960 towards me. It just stood there, and then suddenly it 361 00:22:21.079 --> 00:22:23.839 crossed the road and went down the hill to my left. 362 00:22:25.039 --> 00:22:27.000 I tried to see where it was going, but the 363 00:22:27.039 --> 00:22:29.920 trees were so thick and I couldn't see it. It 364 00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:33.519 was almost like it vanished. The sun was setting, but 365 00:22:33.640 --> 00:22:36.160 it was not quite dust, so there were still plenty 366 00:22:36.240 --> 00:22:39.200 of light. The sun that was left was behind me. 367 00:22:40.079 --> 00:22:42.400 I rolled up my window, and I locked my doors, 368 00:22:42.440 --> 00:22:45.200 and I turned around and I went back home. When 369 00:22:45.200 --> 00:22:47.920 I got home, I told my mom what I had seen, 370 00:22:48.519 --> 00:22:52.359 and she never said a word. She just nodded. Her 371 00:22:52.440 --> 00:22:55.400 response made me think she had seen it, or at 372 00:22:55.480 --> 00:22:59.440 least knew of its existence. We never had problems with 373 00:22:59.480 --> 00:23:02.799 them coming down to the farms and bothering our livestock. 374 00:23:02.920 --> 00:23:05.359 But I think that's because there are so many deer 375 00:23:05.440 --> 00:23:09.039 around here and there's no need to come raid a farm. 376 00:23:09.400 --> 00:23:11.799 But listening to them, you can tell there are more 377 00:23:11.880 --> 00:23:14.880 than one. You will hear a tree knock coming from 378 00:23:14.880 --> 00:23:18.319 one direction and it will be answered from another. The 379 00:23:18.359 --> 00:23:22.640 same with the whoops. This farm sits near the Mississippi River, 380 00:23:22.920 --> 00:23:26.319 and in December of twenty fifteen, we had what you 381 00:23:26.440 --> 00:23:30.079 might call a freak of flood. We have flooding in 382 00:23:30.119 --> 00:23:33.880 the spring, but never in the winter. It was flooding 383 00:23:33.960 --> 00:23:36.440 our land, so my mother and I moved into a 384 00:23:36.480 --> 00:23:41.599 house in town. Three weeks later, the floodwaters receded enough 385 00:23:41.640 --> 00:23:43.960 that we could have moved back, but we decided to 386 00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:47.359 spend the rest of the winter in town. We had 387 00:23:47.359 --> 00:23:50.480 a hired hand and he called one day to say 388 00:23:50.480 --> 00:23:52.880 that he had seen a bigfoot crossing one of the 389 00:23:52.920 --> 00:23:56.519 pastures near the house. This was the first time he 390 00:23:56.599 --> 00:23:59.559 had seen one, so he was very excited and even 391 00:23:59.599 --> 00:24:03.039 a fresh I went down there to check things out 392 00:24:03.079 --> 00:24:06.480 and to assess any damage from the flood. It had 393 00:24:06.519 --> 00:24:09.519 snowed a couple of inches the night before, not much. 394 00:24:10.519 --> 00:24:12.559 My farm hand and I went to the house and 395 00:24:12.599 --> 00:24:15.440 there were these huge footprints that looked like it had 396 00:24:15.440 --> 00:24:18.640 walked around the house and had even stopped to look 397 00:24:18.680 --> 00:24:22.240 into four of the windows. I believe they know who 398 00:24:22.279 --> 00:24:25.680 belongs here, and since we were gone, it was looking 399 00:24:25.799 --> 00:24:29.720 for us. I know it sounds silly, but that's my opinion. 400 00:24:30.799 --> 00:24:33.000 This is the only time I know of that one 401 00:24:33.039 --> 00:24:36.200