The Stories
The story at right was taken from the New Haven Register, August 21, 1895. It was originally printed at about the same time in the Winsted Evening Citizen. Unknown to readers at the time was that Louis Stone, a young reporter Louis Stone at the Evening Citizen, had fabricated, or greatly embellished the entire story.
The distinguishing aspect of this episode is that in the months that followed the original article's publication, the media and locals collaborated and worked quite hard to validate the original claim. Who or what was this wild man? Was he a threat? Where can he be found? Who will he torment next?
Regional media reporters flocked to Winsted, interviewing locals, who rewarded them with sensational descriptions.