The New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser

Extract of a letter from a gentleman at Portland, dated August 3.

" Several wild men. as some call them, have lately been hovering about the woods. and in the back towns of this country, to the terror of some of the inhabitants,particularly women and children.

It is not known what the exact number of them are, as they appear singly, but it is supposed there are four. They have been to several houses and demanded bread and other victuals of the women, whose husbands were from home, and when it has been given to them they have flung it in the faces of those women who gave it, and otherwise abused them by saucy language. On the appearance of a man they would run away. One of them who was found in the woods asleep, on being awaked by the approach of a person, drew forth a large knife as if to defend himself from any arrest.-It is supposed they are the persons who lately murdered two friendly Indians at Pine Creek : Whoever they are, it is probable they have done some mischief, and have fled from the hands of justice.

One of them was apprehended and carried before justice Freeman yesterday, and committed to jail : He says his name is Robert Barnard, that he came from Ireland about five years ago, and has since sailed out of Boston, New-York, Philadelphia, and Charleston ; that about nine months ago he went from Boston to Halifax in a large schooner, whereof one Hamilton was master : that said schooner was cast away near Halifax, whence a little more than three weeks ago he came through the woods alone, directly to this place, and that he has two uncles in Boston by the name of Barnard.

These, and other improbable and false accounts which he gives of himself, strengthens the suspicions against him as well as against the rest of them, who will probably hear of his being taken, and make off."