Wild Man’s Identity - August 30, 1895

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The North Adams Daily Transcripts,
Friday Afternoon, August 30, 1895
Wild Man’s Identity
Strange Marauder Now Known to be a Full-Grown Gorilla.
Has Been Prowling Around For Three Years.
Will be Found Hard to Shoot and Still Harder to Capture.
Winsted, Conn., Aug. 30.-The Connecticut wild man, that has divided honors with the sea serpent, is a full-grown gorilla. John G. Hall runs a stage between here and Sandisfield, Mass. While he was passing through Colebrook a large animal crossed the highway on all fours and leaped a stone wall. Hall and his passengers at first thought it was the wild man.
The animal when the stage approached, stood erect. Hall drew a revolver. The beast did not stir. Hall stopped his horses and was getting a good aim at the brute, when off it sped on four feet into the “Injun meadows,” uttering awful cries.
Mrs. Mushone and Miss Sadie Woodhouse of New York City, who are summering in Colebrook, also encountered the animal while they were driving in Winsted. The creature, when they spied it in the “Injun meadow,”
Was Standing Upright.
They are positive that the “wild man” is the gorilla. They say that it has large, white teeth, black hair, and a muscular form and is about 6 feet tall.
It is thought the gorilla made its escape from some circus and has since made its home among the Litchfield hills. It has been heard from in Norfolk, East Canaan, North Goshen and Sandisfield Mass.
The gorilla spent last winter in the southeastern part of Norfolk. Charles Benson of that town saw it jump from a tree. The brute chased him into the house.
A party of Norfolk people saw it enter a hole in the mountain last spring, and after closing the opening with huge chains, they went to bed. In the morning they
Found the Chains Broken.
John Williams of West Norfolk met the gorilla three years ago while he was returning home one night. The ground was covered with snow, and the footprints of the animal where traced into the mountains.
A son of Richard Parson, a Sandisfield Farmer, saw the gorilla steal one of his rabbits.
Mrs. George Marvin of South Norfolk saw the gorilla robbing her hen roost one morning last winter.
It became so hungry that nearly every farmer in the outskirts of Norfolk saw it prowling about his farm.
Carl Monroe and Joseph Bruley shot at the gorilla last winter, but bird-shot had no effect.
NOTE: Winsted Herald has an article also and it is called The Winsted Wild Man.