NAKED MAN SCARES CHILDREN IN WOODS

Unknown Miscreant Terrorizes Residents of Teall, Paul and Peck Avenues

WOMAN HUNTS WITH WHIP

Two Little Girls Chased by Strange Character Flee to Their Homes – Others Report Seeing the Undressed Man – Neighborhood Pestered by Tramps.

Residents at the junction of Paul, Peck and Teall avenues are incensed at the acts of an unknown man who for several days has been suddenly appearing before children in the woods about that neighborhood only partially dressed.

On Tuesday afternoon, Helen Yorman, the daughter of  Mr. and Mrs. Adolph T. Yorman of No. 137 Paul avenue, and Eva Harrington, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Harrington of Peck avenue, asked their parents if they could go and pick thimbleberries in a woods that runs near the junction of Teall and Peck avenue.

The request was granted and the two little girls, who are about 10 years old, started out on the journey.  The children picked berries in the woods for some time and shortly after 4 o’clock in the afternoon they started back home with their baskets full.

When they had passed out of the woods and were walking along Teall avenue a man leaped out from among the bushes.  He was nearly naked and motioned to the girls to come back.  They children, terror-stricken, dropped their   baskets and ran toward the Harrington home on Peck avenue.

Woman Took Whip in Hunt.

Hurrying  into the house they told Mrs. Harrington what had happened.  Mrs. Harrington took a long whip, which she thought would serve the purpose if the man was found, and started in search with the children.  The place where the man jumped out from the underbrush was visited, but there was no person about or no clothes on the ground.  Mrs. Harrington walked about the district for some time, but she could find no trace of the man.

The children were so frightened on  sight of the naked individual that they could not render a very good description of him.  However, they stated that he was more than six feet in height and wore glasses and a soft hat.  They said that he didn’t speak to them, but that when they started to run the man followed them for a short distance along the side of the trees, making motions to them.  Other children have reported seeing the miscreant in the woods at various times.

Mrs. Harrington said that she had lived on Peck avenue for a little more than a year.  The neighbors had warned her of treacherous men who were in the habit of lounging along Teall avenue.  She has relatives living on Manlius street and when going to their home often take a short cut.  When asked if she was not afraid to go along the way alone and sometimes even at night, Mrs. Harrington replied :

“No, why should I?”

“What if the man should jump out into the road and stop your journey?”

“Well, I always carry a rawhide whip, and if the man gets in my way he will get one of the best beatings ever.”

Complain of Tramps

People in Teall avenue have complained of tramps making the district near Paul avenue a hangout. They come in troupes of four and five and make the fields their night lodging house.  Some of them even come along in the day and, discovering a shady tree, take part of their clothes off and sleep for two and three hours.  Most of them, if awake when women pass by, make remarks to them.

Within the last week on of these men approached two small girls who were walking along Manlius street.  He walked up between them and started in a conversation.  He showed them some lewd post cards and then asked one of the little girls for a kiss.  The children became scared and ran away.  The man also disappeared when a search was started.

The fathers of children in the neighborhood, where all of these incidents are taking place, have been discussing plans of getting rid of the men.  It is said if one of them is caught a sound thrashing will be his pay.

Source : The Syracuse Herald Saturday Evening, August 5, 1911.