Newspaper Clipping of the Day

Via Newspapers.com

This is for all of us who tend to think most small children are a bit demonic.  The “New York Herald,” December 2, 1888:

To the north and west of this city, about fifteen miles away, dividing this county from Cumberland and Franklin counties, is a ridge of mountains. In some of the mountain valleys the people are in a state of deep ignorance, seeing little of the outer world and scarcely touched by the civilization that is all around them. In one of these little corners of the mountain about two weeks ago was born a monstrosity that has filled the mountaineers with terror and dread. Among many of them superstition is religion, and they believe that the devil has appeared among them incarnate in the monster born in their midst.

During the past week rumors have reached this city of a fabulous creature, born in the mountain, and of the intense excitement prevailing in the neighborhood of its birthplace. The excitement spread to the lowlands, and those who had the courage to overcome their superstitious fears and visit the creature describe it as being somewhat larger than the average new born babe, and although the offspring of a white father and mother, dark in color and covered with short, black hair. From either side of its head grew short horns. A long tail hung to its feet, which strongly resembled the cloven hoof. In fact, to use the words of one who saw it, "It was the very picture of the devil."

There are many stories as to the incidents attending the birth of the monster, but the following story is the one which seems to have so fixed itself in the minds of the mountaineers that they cannot be convinced that the devil has not lived and been among them in the flesh. From what they say it appears that the father of the creature had some sort of a superstitious religious belief and tried to persuade his wife, who did not agree with him, to accept his opinions. Finally she declared that she would not do as he wished, and in blasphemous language declared that she would rather see the devil than to have a cross always before her eyes. Shortly after this declaration she gave birth to a horrible monster, as described above.

In terror the father summoned several neighbors, and one of them, more brave than the rest, offered to open a vein in the arm of the creature and bleed it to death. As he took his knife from his pocket the creature raised itself, got down from the bed, walked across the room, and returning addressed its would-be executioner in most terrible language, and threatened him with dire misfortune if he attempted to do it harm, and then declared it would live for seven days, and having revealed its object in coming into the world, would then die. It lived for seven days, and on last Monday, the eighth day, died, but without having spoken again. As strange as it may seem, this story has many believers, and there are few who do not shun the little cabin in the mountain in which lives the poor mother of the miserable creature whose birth and death have filled her neighbors with such uneasiness.