St. Louis [Missouri] Globe-Democrat

January 17, 1885

A Horrible Monster.

Special Dispatch to the Globe-Democrat.

VINCENNES, IND., January 16. – Some hunters were startled a few days ago by the appearance of an uncouth, horrible-looking animal, south of the O. and M. Railroad bridge over Fox River, near Olney. They had killed but little game, and were consoling each other over their bad luck, when their attention was attracted by a noise to the top of a fallen tree, and looking up they beheld a monster such as they had never seen before. They describe the beast as the ugliest looking animal they ever saw. Its head and face
resembled that of a [dark-skinned human], with a very large mouth full of sharp, fang-like teeth. Its neck was two or three feet long and covered with short red colored hair; its body was five or six feet in length, and was covered with scales that looked bright like those of a sun-fish; its tail was three or four feet long and curved up over its back; its legs were short and the feet webbed, and the toes had long claws. One of the hunters, who got too near in trying to throw a rope over its head, was struck by the animal’s tail, and he tumbled headlong twenty feet away. The animal then made for the creek and disappeared. The beast had been devouring a hog. A party has been organized for the capture of this wild animal. The parties who describe it are good men and perfectly reliable.

[Thanks to Jerome Clark for this report.]