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Authors: Daniel Cohen
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descriptions of the Jersey Devil. In general, the descriptions say the monster has a body like a kangaroo, a head like a horse, wings like a bat, horselike or piglike feet, and a forked or pointed tail.
That description makes the Jersey Devil sound like a joke. But it was no joke. During the nineteenth century a lot of people reported seeing the thing.
Others said they could hear its terrible screams in the woods. Strange footprints were found. The Jersey Devil was even accused of killing large numbers of chickens and sheep. Many people in the Pine Barrens were really afraid of it. They didn't like to go out after dark.
Outsiders thought "the Pineys," as the people of the Pine Barrens were sometimes called, were just superstitious. Late in the nineteenth century one man predicted that "with the advent of the new century," belief in the monster would die out. He was as wrong as he could be.
In the week of January 16 to 23, 1909, the Jersey Devil left the Pine Barrens and wandered around more populated regions surrounding the Barrens. The Devil or its footprints were seen by thousands. Many of those who reported seeing the creature were highly respected members of their communities.
There was, for example, E. W. Minster, the postmaster of Bristol, New Jersey. Minster was a light sleeper. At about two o'clock in the morning of January 17, 1909, he was awakened by a strange noise. He looked out his window, just in time to see the Jersey Devil fly past.
"Its head resembled that of a ram, with curled horns, and its long thick neck was thrust forward in flight. It had long thin wings and short legs, the front legs shorter than the hind. Again, it uttered its mournful and awful call—a combination of a squawk and a whistle, the beginning very high and piercing and ending very low and hoarse . . ."
On Thursday of that fateful week all the passengers on a late night trolley car going from Clementon to Camden, New Jersey, saw the thing circling overhead. The conductor, Lewis Boeger, later described what he had seen:
"In general appearance it resembled a kangaroo . . . It has a long neck and from what glimpse I got of its head its features were hideous. It has wings of a fairly good size and of course in the darkness looked black. Its legs are long and somewhat slender and were held in just such a position as a swan's when it is flying. We all tried to get a look at its feet to see what shape they were but the darkness was too great. It looked to be about four feet high."
There were hundreds of such reports in the newspapers throughout the area.
Then there were the footprints. The prints looked like the hoofprints of a small pony. They seemed to be all over the place. Some even appeared on the tops of roofs.
People were genuinely frightened. Many would not go out at night. Children were kept home from school. Hunting parties were organized. Many people claimed to have shot at the thing. There were even reports that it had been killed or captured. The reports turned out to be false.
Then, just as mysteriously as the Jersey Devil scare began, it ended.
While people stopped seeing the Jersey Devil, interest in the monster remained high. The Philadelphia Zoo offered a $10,000 reward for the capture of the creature. The Zoo director didn't really believe in the Devil. He said, "Undoubtedly it could draw crowds to the [zoo] and would be of educational value too if it exists. But my private opinion is that it is going to be very hard to capture."
There were plenty of hoaxes too. A couple of showmen named Jacob F. Hope and Norman Jefferies created their own Jersey Devil. They rented a large kangaroo, and fixed a set of false wings on its back. They painted green stripes on the animal. Then they put it on exhibit in Philadelphia. People had to pay a dime to get a quick look at it. Jefferies later admitted his part in the hoax.
An advertisement for the Jersey Devil hoax created by Hope and Jefferies.
After the one amazing week in
That description makes the Jersey Devil sound like a joke. But it was no joke. During the nineteenth century a lot of people reported seeing the thing.
Others said they could hear its terrible screams in the woods. Strange footprints were found. The Jersey Devil was even accused of killing large numbers of chickens and sheep. Many people in the Pine Barrens were really afraid of it. They didn't like to go out after dark.
Outsiders thought "the Pineys," as the people of the Pine Barrens were sometimes called, were just superstitious. Late in the nineteenth century one man predicted that "with the advent of the new century," belief in the monster would die out. He was as wrong as he could be.
In the week of January 16 to 23, 1909, the Jersey Devil left the Pine Barrens and wandered around more populated regions surrounding the Barrens. The Devil or its footprints were seen by thousands. Many of those who reported seeing the creature were highly respected members of their communities.
There was, for example, E. W. Minster, the postmaster of Bristol, New Jersey. Minster was a light sleeper. At about two o'clock in the morning of January 17, 1909, he was awakened by a strange noise. He looked out his window, just in time to see the Jersey Devil fly past.
"Its head resembled that of a ram, with curled horns, and its long thick neck was thrust forward in flight. It had long thin wings and short legs, the front legs shorter than the hind. Again, it uttered its mournful and awful call—a combination of a squawk and a whistle, the beginning very high and piercing and ending very low and hoarse . . ."
On Thursday of that fateful week all the passengers on a late night trolley car going from Clementon to Camden, New Jersey, saw the thing circling overhead. The conductor, Lewis Boeger, later described what he had seen:
"In general appearance it resembled a kangaroo . . . It has a long neck and from what glimpse I got of its head its features were hideous. It has wings of a fairly good size and of course in the darkness looked black. Its legs are long and somewhat slender and were held in just such a position as a swan's when it is flying. We all tried to get a look at its feet to see what shape they were but the darkness was too great. It looked to be about four feet high."
There were hundreds of such reports in the newspapers throughout the area.
Then there were the footprints. The prints looked like the hoofprints of a small pony. They seemed to be all over the place. Some even appeared on the tops of roofs.
People were genuinely frightened. Many would not go out at night. Children were kept home from school. Hunting parties were organized. Many people claimed to have shot at the thing. There were even reports that it had been killed or captured. The reports turned out to be false.
Then, just as mysteriously as the Jersey Devil scare began, it ended.
While people stopped seeing the Jersey Devil, interest in the monster remained high. The Philadelphia Zoo offered a $10,000 reward for the capture of the creature. The Zoo director didn't really believe in the Devil. He said, "Undoubtedly it could draw crowds to the [zoo] and would be of educational value too if it exists. But my private opinion is that it is going to be very hard to capture."
There were plenty of hoaxes too. A couple of showmen named Jacob F. Hope and Norman Jefferies created their own Jersey Devil. They rented a large kangaroo, and fixed a set of false wings on its back. They painted green stripes on the animal. Then they put it on exhibit in Philadelphia. People had to pay a dime to get a quick look at it. Jefferies later admitted his part in the hoax.
An advertisement for the Jersey Devil hoax created by Hope and Jefferies.
After the one amazing week in
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