Old Encounters

Skepticide123 said:

I can't tell if this is a piece of creative writing, but I don't think so. And it is shocking. The paper is SO old it is hard to read and doesn't submit to OCR well. The part about the strange balloon sounds like some kind of angel hair or something similar. I don't know what to make of it... Sounds abduction-like.
Here is a badly transcribed excerpt. There is lot more:
Supposedly happened in 1801..
THE TERROR OF GUERANDE. - Geelong Advertiser (Vic. : 1859 - 1929) - 3 Apr 1866

"He was entirely nude ; and his death had apparently been caused by no weapon, but the corpse presented a shocking appearance; it seemed as though the man had been crushed and smashed together by some vast mechanical power"


"The people got the loan of a stout sentry-box from the^rfmrffne on the Guerande road ; and'this* wooden box they placed in a concealed corner of the farmyard from which the sheep had first been stolen. For eight nights Lanwic. Beaucfi, ,the saulnizr,! remained in that box without hearing or1 seeing anything remarkable1The ninth night was exceedingly dark. It was about midnight, or porhaps shortlyrafter it, when he was startled by hearing the clanking of a chain in the air, apparently right in front of him. He stated next ' morning that he had rushed out of his box, heard a loud, ringing noise, but could see nothing. 1 It was Considered quite as likely, however, that he had-been overcome with fear, and" never stirred from his post. The most important testimony was that of a humble vihager of Saillie, who was in expectancy one night that his cow was about to.calve. About one o'olockin the morning he went out into the back yard,-and was about to cross to the rude mud-built cow-ho,use, when ho : dropped .the flint

; arid steel , whorowith ho had intended to:: light a small lamp which he carried; He stooped down to seek.for them, : assisted by the clear starlight, and! was in this position when he suddenly, heard a loud noise overhead, and the next moment he felt himself nearly caught by two large iron clasps. Horrified, he looked up and saw some great black object hovering in the air,'and then, deadened by a sudden spasm of fear, he fell flat and rolled oyer into a gutter leading from the cowhouse, where he lay insensible. When he came to himself it was two o'clock; he was cold and wet, but otherwise unhurt. He entered the house, awoke his two sons,

and with them sat up during the might; for no one of them dared to sleep," ;-vow, this man had gone out with a thick fur cap on his head, as protection against the night air. The cap, as he had supposed, was left outside when he had stumbled terror-stricken into the house. Next morning, however, it was nowhere to be seen ; but a beaver hat, battered and worn with rain and wind, was found in a ditch a few hundred yards off. When the story was spread abroad as the last visitation of the mysterious marauder...."

Click to expand...

nivek said:

That's some disturbing events, it does sound abduction-like, I read it over quickly last night, going to reread it again later today...

...

Click to expand...