Historic Cryptid Headline: January 2, 1907 - Strange Monster Scares Citizens

Barbour County Index

January 2, 1907

“Strange Monster Scares Citizens”

Weird Baboon-Like Creature Seen Near Darby, PA.

May Be Practical Joke

Belated Wayfarer of Delaware County Frightened by Mysterious Thing and Many Residents Are Arming Themselves.

Darby, PA. – All Delaware County is stirred up over the supposed antics of an alleged wild animal which is asserted to look like a gorilla and to have frightened belated wayfarers almost out of their wits in various parts of the county. While it is believed by most persons that the whole thing is a practical joke on the part of someone who is literally making a monkey out of himself, still many of the more timid class are thoroughly alarmed and fully believe all the tales that are told about the mysterious creature.

Those professing to have seen the wonderful animal, assert that it sometimes goes upright like a man and then dashes along on all fours with marvelous speed, maintaining a queer galloping gait. They furthermore feel certain that it has a coat of dark hair, but that is not considered remarkable, as the weather is cool. Their stories of how they almost encountered the strange beast have been so thrilling that many of the negroes in the county cannot be induced to pass the spots where it is said to have been seen. Others have purchased pistols and go about armed, fully resolved to sell their lives dearly should they encounter the mythical monster in any of its hypothetical haunts.

Others take the thing seriously without being unduly alarmed and they try to explain the matter. That it is an ape escaped from zoological collection is the most commonly accepted theory. This was strengthened by a rumor that the authorities of the Zoological Gardens of Philadelphia were out looking for a lost Simian in Delaware County. But a telephone message to the zoo exploded the story. All the Philadelphia monkeys are safe in their cages. Their keeper respectfully suggested that the animal down by Darby is probably a monkey of native Delaware County stock.

Nevertheless, several persons in Springfield township are so convinced that there is a strange animal prowling about that they have set traps for it. Frank Carr is one of them, and he set a number of traps in an enclosure in the rear of his house near some woods where the reputed creature was reported to have been seen. It is now stated that the traps were found broken, the bait devoured and all evidences on hand of a struggle made by some animal.

The practical joker who is working the scare, if such is the case, has succeeded to an extent which may work his own harm. For there are a number of Delaware County citizens who, while not getting in hysterics about the matter, have quietly placed big guns in their hip pockets and are waiting for a chance to pot anything that looks like a baboon.

“Historic Cryptid Headlines” showcases actual articles involving cryptids that were published within United States newspapers back in the 1800’s-1900’s. The articles posted here are written exactly as they appeared during their original publishing date.

-The Pine Barrens Institute

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