Media Article

Southeast - Renfrew County - On Prettis Island near Pembroke

Man or Gorilla?

Newark Daily Advocate

Newark, Ohio

Wednesday, August 1, 1883

Ottawa, Ontario, August 1, Pembroke – About one hundred miles north of Ottawa – The extraordinary character who is scaring Canucks has a lively sensation in shape of a Wildman eight feet high and covered with hair. His haunts are on Prettis Island, a short distance from the town and the people are so terrified that no one has dared to venture on the island for several weeks.

Two raftsmen named Toughey and Sallman armed with weapons, plucked up sufficient courage to scour the woods in hope of seeing the monster. About three o’clock in the afternoon their curiosity was rewarded. He emerged from a thicket having in one hand a tomahawk made of stone and in the other a bludgeon. His appearance struck such terror to the hearts of the raftsmen that they made tracks for the boat which was moored by the beach.

The giant followed them, uttering demonical yells and gesticulating wildly. They had barely time to get into the boat and pull a short distance out into the stream when he hurled the tomahawk after them, striking Toughey in the arm and fracturing it.

Sallman fired two shots but neither took effect, the giant retreating hurriedly at the first sounds of firearms. It is more than probably that the townspeople will arrange an expedition to capture it if possible what Toughey describes as a man who looks like a gorilla, wandering about in a perfect nude condition and with the exception of the face, completely covered with a thick growth of black hair.

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