of the captive mermaid were indeed terrible; it required all the efforts of her captors to hold her, such a Herculean task being rendered the more difficult on account of her slippery scales. She finally went into hysterics and fainted as she fell into the arms of one of the party. It was deemed best to leave her at Kessler’s place, where Mr. Kessler has a few unused beer tanks, in one of which they placed the mermaid, Drs. Cole and Carmicehal will bring her to Helena. She will be placed in a tank now building for her in the rear of Parchen’s drug store.
“She is a very beautiful creature with pearly teeth. Her hair is raven-black and falls in great profusion and luxuriousness about four feet down her back. She is a fine specimen physically, stands about five feet ten inches, and weighs one hundred and seventy pounds. She can articulate and apparently talk with great vehemence, like all other females. A doctor who was in the party, captured one of the males of this singular race of amphibious human beings, after a desperate struggle. The doctor will have a large glass tank built for the merman, which he will place in the rotunda of the Helena hotel, where thousands of tourists and the scientific world generally can have the opportunity of gazing upon this, the greatest of all modern discoveries, in a living and progressive age.
“The merman is a very handsome fellow. His beard is raven-black and reaches down his breast of shining scales about three feet. His hair is of the same color and about the same length as his whiskers. His moustache is about six inches on either side and is very luxuriant. He weighs two hundred and thirty-seven pounds. I forgot to mention that
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these amphibious people have long appendages or tails closely resembling those of the alligator. The tail of this mermaid measures three feet and nine inches. The tail of the merman is three feet and eleven inches, and covered with scales.”
Mr. Mulhattan’s story was such a remarkable one that no one in THE INDEPENDENT office would credit it, especially as none of the parties whom he named as being of the party could be found, either to substantiate or deny it. “I had an idea you would not credit it,” he said, “so I have secured the following affidavit:”
"TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: Before me, a notary public, in and for the county of Lewis and Clarke, state of Montana, appeared Dr. C. K. Cole, Attorney-General Haskell, Judge Armitage and Jerome Norris, who hereby testify on oath that a race of amphibious human beings, with scales and tails was discovered in a subterranean lake near the Broadwater hotel, Feb. 26, 1892.
“Subscribed and sworn to before me this 27th day of February 2892.
“JAMES SANDERS, SR.,
“Notary Public, Helena, Montana,”
It was quite late last evening when Mr. Mulhattan called: too late to interview Mr. Parchen or Mr. Kessler, and neither could be raised by telephone. An effort will be made to-day to get at the merits of the story.
The Helena Independent. (Helena, Mont.), 29 Feb. 1892.
Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.
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