This is the tale of the Northumberland Werewolf. It was believed, by the local people, that an old hermit was a shapeshifting wolfman after he was shot one night.
The following tale has been around for over a century and a half:
The area around Northumberland, Pennsylvania has had its share of strange occurrences over the years. In particular, the Todd Sees possible UFO abduction and subsequent death case. But there is also an older story from the mid-1800s that involves a possible 'werewolf.'
The early German farming communities throughout Pennsylvania were plagued by wolf attacks on their livestock. Young May Paul lived on a modest farm with her reserved family near Northumberland, PA. May's significant responsibilities on the farm included herding and tending to the family's sheep. The young lady was well-liked throughout the tiny community and had no trouble making friends. However, she quietly caught the attention of an elder gentleman whom everyone was fearful of. He would often be seen following the young lady around town, as well as watching her from afar as she tended to the flocks. Their kinship seemed strange and disturbing to many individuals, though never seemed to cross any boundaries.
As strange occurrences began to occur on surrounding farms, the Paul family farm seemed to stay safe. Wolf attacks on the surrounding sheep herds were becoming commonplace, and onslaughts were being reported in broad daylight. Yet the Paul family stayed safe from any encounters and didn't suffer one casualty.
Due to the recent attacks on the docile creatures, bounties were being paid out to hunters who could produce dead corpses.
Late one evening a nearby neighbor spotted the glowing eyes of a wolf being lit by the full moon. The man quickly retrieved his rifle and let off a fiery blast. The yelp and cries from the wolf echoed for acres. Feeling content that the predator was taken care of, the man retired for the evening. The following day, early dawn the man trudged through his land until he found a trail of blood. Through the thicket of trees, he followed the crimson trail until he came upon the body of the elder gentleman. The man lay dead from a single gunshot wound to the abdomen.
When the community got wind of what had happened, locals immediately branded the hermit a werewolf. Hadn’t he always been strange and secretive, living alone, and keeping to himself? They buried his body in the dirt floor of his cabin, christening the spot Die Woolf Man’s Grob, which translates means “The Wolfman’s Grave.”
Strangely enough, May Paul never lost a single sheep to a wolf attack, even though quite often, a large gray wolf would be seen menacingly around the perimeters of her property, staring ominously at the woman from afar.
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