Harrisonburg Daily News
Harrisonburg, Virginia]

February 16, 1909

PAGE COUNTY MYSTERY.

Covered with Feathers, Head Like

Horse, Barked Like Dog.

A county correspondent of the Page Courier says: Mr. R. L. Williams, near Cave Hill, one night recently, while on his way home from Luray, encountered some strange creature. According to Mr. Williams’ description, its body was covered with feathers, had a head like a horse, and barked like a dog! This strange creature (it is said) had previously been seen in Roanoke, then in Baltimore – no doubt on the hunt of Bob then! Bob says he was in close proximity to the creature. He turned pugilist then, putting in a right hand upper cut, but coming wide of the mark, the[n] took to his heels and fled!

Thanks to Jerome Clark for this item.

What is intriguing is that during this same year, newspapers across the Northeast and in NY-NJ spread the tales of the sightings of the winged “New Jersey Devil.” Those, it turns out, were based on a real estate hoax.