Attacks:
Bizarre Slaughter Of Sheep / Mysterious Attacks In Russia / Cattle Killings In Kenya / Cattle Ripper/ Chicken Killer
Bizarre Slaughter Of Sheep
"In the month of May, 1810, something appeared at Ennerdale, near the border of England and Scotland, and killed sheep, not devouring them, sometimes seven or eight of them in a night, but biting into the jugular vein and sucking the blood. That's the story. The only mammal that I know of that does something like that is the vampire bat. It has to be accepted that stories of the vampire bat are not myths. Something ravaging near Ennerdale, and the losses by sheep farmers were so serious that the whole region was aroused. It became a religious duty to hunt the marauder. Once, when hunters rode past a church, out rushed the whole congregation to join them, the vicar throwing off his surplice, on his way to a horse. Milking, cutting of hay, feeding of stock were neglected. ...Upon the 12th of September, someone saw a dog in a cornfield, and shot it. It is said that this dog was the marauder, and that with its death the killing of sheep stopped. For about four months, in the year 1874, beginning upon January 8th, a killer was abroad in Ireland. In Land and Water, March 7, 1874, a correspondent writes that he had heard of depredations by a wolf, in Ireland, where the last native wolf had been killed in the year 1712. According to him, a killer was running wild, in Cavan, slaying as many as 30 sheep in one night. There is another account, in Land and Water , March 28. Here, a correspondent writes that the marauder was not a dog. This correspondent knew of 42 instances, in three townlands, in which sheep had been similarly killed---throats cut and blood sucked, but no flesh eaten. The footprints were like a dog's, but were long and narrow, and showed traces of strong claws. Then, in the issue of April 11th, of Land and Water, came the news that we have been expecting. The killer had been shot. It had been shot by Archdeacon Magenniss, at Limoreville, and was only a large dog." However, in the Clare Journal are reports up to April 27th that show that the shooting of the large dog had no effect on the killings...so another large dog was shot...and then another. Each time a large dog was blamed and shot but the killings actually continued. "The depredations were so great as to be described as 'terrible losses for poor people.' It is not definitely said that something was killing the sheep vampirishly, but that 'only a piece was bitten off, and no flesh sufficient for a dog ever eaten.'"(Pages 643-645)
"The scene of the killings shifted. Cavan Weekly News, April 17--- that, near Limerick, more than 100 miles from Cavan, 'a wolf or something like it' was killing sheep. The writer says that several persons, alleged to have been bitten by this animal, had been taken to the Ennis Insane Asylum, 'laboring under strange symptoms of insanity.' It seems that some of the killings were simultaneous near Cavan and near Limerick. At both places, it was not said that finally any animal, known to be the killer, was shot and identified. If these things that may not be dogs be, their disappearances are as mysterious as their appearances." (Page 645)
"There was a marauding animal in England, toward the end of the year 1905. London Daily Mail, Nov.1, 1905--- the sheep-slaying mystery of Badminton.' It is said that, in the neighborhood of Badminton, on the border between Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, sheep had been killed. Sargeant Carter, of the Gloucestershire Police, is quoted --- 'I have seen two of the carcasses, myself, and can say definitely that it is impossible for it to be the work of a dog. Dogs are not vampires, and do not suck the blood of a sheep, and leave the flesh almost untouched.' And, going over the newspapers, just as we're wondering what's delaying it, here it is---London Daily Mail, December 19 ---'Marauder shot near Hinton.' It was a large black dog. ...We learn that the large, black dog had been shot upon December 16th, but that in its region there had been no reported killing of sheep, from about November 25th. The look of the data is of another scene-shifting. Near Gravesend, an unknown animal had, up to December 16th, killed about 30 sheep (London Daily Mail, December 19)." (Pages 645--646)
" ...We go to the newspapers published nearer the scene of the sheep-slaughtering. Bristol Mercury, November 25 ---that the killer was a jackal, which had escaped from the menagerie in Gloucester. And that stopped mystification and inquiry, in the minds of the readers of the Bristol Mercury. Suspecting that there had been no such escape of a jackal, we go to Gloucester newspapers. In the Gloucester Journal, November 4, in a long account of the depredations, there is no mention of the escape of any animal in Gloucester, nor anywhere else. In following issues, nothing is said of the escape of a jackal, nor of any other animal. So many reports were sent to the editor of this newspaper that he doubted that only one slaughtering thing was abroad. 'Some even go so far as to call up the traditions of the werewolf, and superstitious people are inclined to this theory.' " (pages 645-646)
"Early in the morning of March 3, 1906, the sentry at Windsor Castle saw something, and fired a shot at it (London Daily Mail, March 6). The man's account of what he thought he saw was not published. It was said that he had shot at one of the ornamental, stone elephants, which had looked ghostly in moonlight. He was sentenced to three days' confinement in barracks, for firing without proper cause. It would be interesting to know what he thought he saw, with such conviction that he fired and risked punishment--- and whether it had anything to do with---Daily Mail, March 22 --- that about a dozen of the King's sheep, in a field near Windsor Castle, had been bitten by something, presumably a dog, so severely that they had to be killed. In the Daily Mail, March 19, is an account of extraordinary killing of sheep, 'by dogs,' near Guildford, about 17 miles from Windsor. 31 sheep killed in one night."(Page 647)
"There are stories of wanton killings, or of bodies that were not fed upon. London Daily Express, Aug.12, 1919 ---something that, at Llanelly, Wales, was killing rabbits, for the sake of killing---entering hutches at night, never taking the rabbits, killing them by breaking their backbones." (Page 647)
London Daily Express, Oct.14, 1925--- the district of Edale, Derbyshire, terrorized, quite as, centuries ago, were regions by stories of werewolves. Something, 'black in color and of enormous size,' was slaughtering sheep, at night, 'leaving the carcasses strewn about with legs, shoulders, and heads torn off; broken backs, and pieces of flesh ripped off.' Many hunting parties had gone out, but had been unable to track the animal. 'People in many places are so frightened that they refuse to leave their homes after dark, and keep their children in the house.' If something had mysteriously appeared, it then quite as mysteriously disappeared." (Page 646)
top
Mysterious Attacks In Russia
"A woman in a field--- something grabbed her. At first the story was of a marauding panther that must have escaped from a menagerie. See the Field, Aug.12, 19, 1893--- an animal, supposed to be an escaped panther, that was preying on human beings, in Russia. Look up records of werewolves, or supposed werewolves, and note instances of attacks almost exclusively upon women. ...General R.G.Burton (...who was in Russia at the time...) had no opportunity to visit the place 'haunted by this mysterious animal,' but he tells the story, as he got it from Prince Sherincki, who was active in the hunt. An unknown beast was terrorizing a small district in the Orel Government, south of Moscow. The first attack was upon the evening of July 6th. Three days later, another woman was grabbed by an undescribed animal, which she beat off, until help arrived. That day, a boy, aged 10, was killed and devoured. July 11th--- a woman killed, near Tronsa. 'At four o'clock, on the 14th, the beast severely wounded another woman, and, at five o'clock, made another attack upon a peasant girl, but was beaten off by a companion, who pulled the animal off by the tail. These details are taken from the official accounts of the events.' There was a panic, and the military authorities were appealed to. 3 officers and 40 men were sent from Moscow. They organized beats that were composed of from 500 to 1,000 peasants, but all hunts were unsuccessful. On the 24th of July, four women were attacked and one of them was killed. Something was outwitting 3 officers and 40 men, and armies of 1,000 peasants. War was declared. Prince Sherincki, with 10 officers and 130 men, arrived from St.Petersburg. We notice that in uncanny occurrences, when there is wide publicity, or intense excitement, phenomena stop--- or are stopped. War was declared upon something, but it disappeared. 'According to general descriptions, the animal was long, with a blunt muzzle, and round, standing-up ears, with a long, smooth, hanging tail.' We know what to expect. In the Field, Dec.23, 1893, it is said that, after a study of sketches of the spoor of the animal, the naturalist Alferachi gave his opinion that the animal was a large dog. He also concluded because of the marks of protruding nails in the sketches. But also it is said that plaster casts of the footprints showed no such marks. It is said that the nail marks had been added to the sketches, because of assertions by hunters that the nail marks had been seen. Writing 30 years later (Chambers' Journal, ser.7, vol.14, p.308) General Burton tells of the animal as something that had never been identified." (Pages 647-648)
top
Cattle Killings In Kenya
In the London Daily Mail,on May 18, 1925 it was reported " that for some years, an alarming epidemic of sheep-slashing and cattle-ripping had been breaking out, in the month of April, on Kenya stock ranches. Natives were blamed, but then it was learned that their cattle, too, had been attacked. Then it was proved that the chacma baboons were the marauders. Possibly the baboons, too, were unjustly blamed. Then what? The wounds were long, deep cuts, as if vicious slashes with a knife; but it was explained that baboons kill by ripping with their thumbnails." (Page 878)
top
Cattle Ripper
" The most widely known case of cattle-mutilation is that in which was involved a young lawyer, George Edalji, son of a Hindu, who was a clergyman in the village of Wyrley, Staffordshire, England. The first of a series of outrages occurred upon the night of Feb.2, 1903. A valuable horse was ripped. Then, at intervals, up to August 27th, there were mutilations of horses, cows, and sheep. Suspicion was directed to Edalji, because of anonymous letters, accusing him. After mutilation of a horse, August 27th, Edalji was arrested. The police searched his house, and, according to them, found an old coat, upon which were bloodstains. In the presence of Edalji's parents and his sister, the police said that there were horse hairs upon this coat. The coat was taken to the police station, where Dr.Butler, the police surgeon, examined it, reporting that upon it he had found twenty-nine horse hairs. The police said that shoes worn by Edalji exactly fitted tracks in the field, where the horse had been mutilated. They learned that the young man had been away from home that night, 'taking a walk,' as told by him. The case against Edalji convinced a jury, which found him guilty, and he was sentenced to seven years, penal servitude. ...Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, with much publicity, took up Edalji's case. In his account, in Great Stories of Real Life, Doyle says that when the police inspector found the old coat, upon which, according to him, there were horse hairs, Mrs.Edalji and Miss Edalji examined it and denied that there was a horse hair upon it: that Edalji's father said: 'You can take the coat. I am satisfied that there is no horse hair upon it.' Doyle's statements imply that somewhere near the police station was a stable. As to the statement that Edalji's shoes exactly fitted tracks in the field, where the horse was ripped, Doyle says that the outrage occurred just outside a large colliery, and that hundreds of excited miners had swarmed over the place, making it impossible to pick out any one track. Because of Doyle's disclosures ---so it is said ---or because if the publicity, the Government appointed a Committee to investigate, and the report of this committee was that Edalji had been wrongfully convicted. ...According to a reconsideration, by the English Government, in the Edalji case, the slasher of cattle, of Wyrley, remained uncaught. In the summer of 1907, in the same region, again there was slashing. Aug.22, 1907--- a horse mutilated, near Wyrley. It was said that blood had been found on the horns of a cow, and that the horse had been gored. Five nights later, two horses, in another field, were slashed so that they died. September 8--- horse slashed, at Breenwood Staffordshire. A young butcher, named Morgan, was accused, but he was able to show that he had been in his home, at the time. They had been injured 'by barbed wires,' or 'by nails projecting from fences.'" (Pages 878-880)
top
Chicken Killer
During the winter of 1904-1905 on Binbrook Farm "something was killing chickens, in the farm yard, and in the henhouse. All were killed in the same way. A vampirish way? Their throats were torn. ...Out of 250 fowls, Mr.White says he has only 24 left. They have all been killed in the same weird way. The skin around the neck, from the head to the breast, has been pulled off, and the windpipe drawn from its place and snapped. The fowl house has been watched night and day, and whenever examined, four or five birds will be found dead." (Pages 663--665)
top
|
