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URECAT - UFO Related Entities Catalog

URECAT is a formal catalog of UFO related entities sightings reports with the goal of providing quality information for accurate studies of the topic. Additional information, corrections and reviews are welcome at patrick.gross@inbox.com, please state if you wish to be credited for your contribution or not. The main page of the URECAT catalog is here.

January 19, 1909, Gloucester City, Pennsylvania, USA, Mr. and Mrs Nelson Evans:

Brief summary of the event and follow-up:

"Jersey Devil" literature reports that on January 19, 1909, at 2:30 a.m., at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Evans, a Gloucester City paperhanger, of the 200 block of Mercer Street, strange noises awakened the frightened couple. Peering out of their bedroom window, they watched for full 10 minutes what was called the "Jersey Devil" cavorting on the roof of their shed. According to the Press, Mr. Evans went to the police headquarters and gave this statement:

"About two o'clock", said the paper hanger, "my wife and I were aroused by a noise on our shed roof. I went to the window and looked out and then I called her. We saw the strangest beast or bird, I don't know which, you ever heard of."

"It was about three and a half feet high, with a head like a collie dog and a face like a horse. It has a long neck, wings about two feet long, and its back legs were like those of a crane, and it had horse's hoofs. It walked on its back legs and held up two short front legs with paws on them."

"As far as I could tell, the thing seemed to be trying to get into the shed. My wife and I were scared, I tell you, but I managed to open the window and say 'Shoo!' and it turned around, barked at me, and then flew away."

His wife reportedly told basically the same story, adding that the creature's wings "made no sound at all until it began flapping its wings. Then it sounded s-zzz s-zzz s-zzz just like the muffled sound a woodsaw makes when it strikes a rotten place."

Hundreds of curious people flocked to the Evans home the next day, where Evans gave escorted tours to his shed. The Philadelphia Evening Bulletin published a sketch supposed to show the creature.

Basic information table:

Case number: URECAT-001462
Date of event: January 19, or 21, 1909
Earliest report of event: January 1909
Delay of report: Day, days.
Witness reported via: Not known.
First alleged record by: Newspaper.
First certain record by: "Jersey Devil" book.
First alleged record type: Newspaper.
First certain record type: "Jersey Devil" book.
This file created on: April 10, 2013
This file last updated on: July 15, 2013
Country of event: USA
State/Department: New Jersey
Type of location: On shed roof seen from home window.
Lighting conditions: Night
UFO observed: No
UFO arrival observed: N/A
UFO departure observed: N/A
UFO/Entity Relation: None
Witnesses numbers: 2
Witnesses ages: Not reported. Adult or aged.
Witnesses types: Not reported. A man, paperhanger, and his wife.
Photograph(s): No.
Witnesses drawing: No.
Witnesses-approved drawing: Maybe.
Number of entities: 1
Type of entities: Winged quadruped
Entities height: 1 meter
Entities outfit type: None.
Entities outfit color: N/A.
Entities skin color: Not reported.
Entities body: Not reported. Wings about 0.60 meters long, four legs, hind legs like a crane, two short front legs with paws.
Entities head: Head like a colley dog, face like a horse, long neck.
Entities eyes: Not reported.
Entities mouth: Not reported.
Entities nose: Not reported.
Entities feet: Horse's hooves.
Entities arms: Not reported.
Entities fingers: Not reported.
Entities fingers number: Not reported.
Entities hair: Not reported.
Entities voice: Barked.
Entities actions: Cavorted on shed roof, barked at witness and flew away when witness says 'shoo!'.
Entities/witness interactions: Barked at witness and flew away when witness says 'shoo!'.
Witness(es) reactions: Observed, said 'shoo!' at it. Later had people tour the site.
Witness(es) feelings: Frightened.
Witness(es) interpretation: Not reported or "Jersey Devil".
Explanation category: Possible confusion, bird, sandhill crane.
Explanation certainty: Medium.

Narratives:

[Ref. su1:] "THE SUN" NEWSPAPER:

/p>

WHAT AILS SOUTH JERSEY?

Strange Conduct Even Though This is the Hot Apple Teddy Season [*]

PHILADELPHIA. -- Jan. 20. -- All south Jersey had posses out to-day hunting the "Leed's devil," the strange monstrosity, according to all accounts, which has been leaping, flying, running and hopping over the towns in that section for the last week. Most of those who have been scoffing for the last two days began to-day to believe there is something stranger than usual about south Jersey.

The "devil" leaves two tracks like those of a pony, the cloven hoofs being clear. It walks on two legs and shows a facility in scaling six foot fences and leaving its tracks a mile apart that has made south Jersey argue it has wings. Its tracks were found to-day in Philadelphia in two places, 4521 Samson street and 2337 North Sixteenth street. Its course ranges from Woodbury, Salem, Gloucester, Clayton, Williamstown, Glassboro and all the towns in Cumberland county.

The "Devil" gets its name from the fact that thirty-five years ago there was a similar appearance, of which the tracks started from a cave a Leed's Corners in Cumberland county. In Gloucester it has been seen. Nelson Evans, a paper hanger living at 205 Mercer street, Gloucester City, declares that he and his wife saw the "Devil" early this morning as he sat on the roof of their back shed. White faced and trembling, Evans entered police headquarters there this morning.

"About 2 o'clock this morning," said the paperhanger, "my wife and I were aroused by a noise on our shed roof. I went to the window and looked out and then I called to her. We saw the strangest beast or bird, I don't know which, you ever heard of.

"It was about three feet and a half high, with a head like a collie dog and a face like a horse. It had a long neck, wings about two feet long, and its hind legs were like those of a crane. It had horse's hoofs. It walked on its hind legs and held up two short front legs with paws on them. It did not use the front legs at all while we were watching it. We hid."

[*] A local cider brand.

[Ref. wn1:] "WINCHESTER NEWS" NEWSPAPER:

/p>

QUEER CREATURE CAUSES ALARM

DEVIL HORSE ROAMS ABOUT FRIGHTNING PEOPLE IN VICINITY OF PHILADELPHIA

SEARCH MADE BY ARMED MEN

Hunt for Strange Animal That Make Odd Footprints and Through Open Snow on Only Two Legs

Philadelphia. -- Clearly defined in the crust of the snow, the footprints of a two legged beast or bird, shod with steel, are creating a tremendous sensation in this city and the South Jersey towns. People who read this narrative may form their own opinions as to the cause of these manifestations.

It was originally intended to treat this subject with a light and scoffing touch; to make merry over the mystery of "Leed's Devil" that has transformed scores of towns and hamlets in Camden, Gloucester and Burlington counties, into settlements of timid folk, where women and children fear to walk abroad at night, and armed men make nocturnal searches.

Before noon, however, the telephone wires were hot with messages from persons who had seen the hoofprints. Two men declared they had seen the marks in their own yards in this city. They were William L. Smith and William Heimbold, and their neighbors know them for sober and truthful men.

Of course, practical people scoff at these reports, but none has yet offered an explanation that will meet the situation. Then comes Nelson Evans, a paper hanger from Gloucester City, with the declaration that he and his wife saw the "devil" early in the morning as he sat on the roof of their back shed.

White-faced and trembling Evans entered police headquarters there the other morning and leaned up against the wall.

"I saw it", he whispered, round-eyed with recollection.

"You did!" exclaimed the chief. "What did it look like?"

"About two o'clock", said the paper hanger, "my wife and I were aroused by a noise on our shed roof. I went to the window and looked out and then I called her. We saw the strangest beast or bird, I don't know which, you ever heard of."

"It was about three and a half feet high, with a head like a collie dog and a face like a horse. It has a long neck, wings about two feet long, and its back legs were like those of a crane, and it had horse's hoofs. It walked on its back legs and held up two short front legs with paws on them."

"As far as I could tell, the thing seemed to be trying to get into the shed. My wife and I were scared, I tell you, but I managed to open the window and say 'Shoo!' and it turned around, barked at me, and then flew away."

The tracks were first seen after the heavy snowfall, but at first nothing was said about them, as they were believed to be the work of some practical joker. Then it was noticed that the mysterious creature left hoof prints in farm yards and on roofs of buildings as well.

Marks of the beast were found in Gloucester, Mount Holly, Clayton, Woodbury, Wenonah, Manuta, Paulsboro, Lumberton, Ayerstown, Vincetown, Almonessen, Mount Ephraim and other towns within a radius of twenty miles of more. This nearly upset the theory that it was the work of a joker and the oldest inhabitant got busy.

He remembered that as far back as 1869 that part of South Jersey was visited by a creature that was known as "Leed's Devil," because it was supposed to emerge from Leed's point, on Bringantine beach. The "devil" reappeared in 1874 and 1879 and even as recently as 1904.

Early in the morning there came a report that the monstruosity had crossed the river and was disporting himself in the yards of residents of Samson street, above Forty-fifth street.

A young man who gave his name as Harry L. Smith, said that in the yard of his home there were marks like the foorprints of a two-legged horse.

[Ref. mm1:] JAMES MCCLOY AND RAY MILLER:

The authors indicate that on Tuesday, January 19, 1909, at 2:30 a.m., at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Evans, a Gloucester City paperhanger, of the 200 block of Mercer Street, strange noises awakened the frightened couple. Peering out of their bedroom window, they watched for full 10 minutes the Jersey Devil cavorting before their eyes on the roof of their shed.

These 10 minutes allowed Evans to give a detailed impression:

"It was about three feet and a half high, with a head like a collie dog and a face like a horse. It had a long neck, wings about two feet long, and its back legs were like those of a crane, and it had horse's hooves. It walked on its back legs and held up two short front legs with paws on them. It didn't use the front legs at all while we were watching. My wife and I were scared, I tell you, but I managed to open the window and say, "Shoo!" and it turned around, barked at me, and flew away."

His wife told basically the same, adding a detail about the sound of the creature's wings:

"It made no sound at all until it began flapping its wings. Then it sounded s-zzz s-zzz s-zzz just like the muffled sound a woodsaw makes when it strikes a rotten place."

[Ref. jc1:] JEROME CLARK:

Jerome Clark says on January 21, 1909, at 2 a.m., Nelson Evans of Gloucester City heard something on the roof of the shed in his backyard, he investigated and according to the Philadelphia Public Ledger of the 22nd, he saw:

"It was about three feet and a half high, with a head like a collie dog and a face like a horse. It had a long neck, wings about two feet long and its back legs were like those of a crane, and it had horse's hoofs. It walked on its back legs and held up two short front legs with paws on them. It didn't use the front legs at all while we were watching. My wife and I were scared, I tell you, but I managed to open the window and say 'Shoo!' and it turned around, barked at me and flew away."

[Ref. ks1:] KARL N. SHUKER:

The author says that in January 1909, the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin carried the drawing of the Jersey devil based on the eyewitness descriptions of Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Evans of Gloucester City, New Jersey.

[Ref. jc2:] JEROME CLARK:

Jerome Clark says on January 21, 1909, at 2 a.m., Nelson Evans of Gloucester City heard something on the roof of the shed in his backyard, he investigated and according to the Philadelphia Public Ledger of the 22nd, he saw:

"It was about three feet and a half high, with a head like a collie dog and a face like a horse. It had a long neck, wings about two feet long and its back legs were like those of a crane, and it had horse's hoofs. It walked on its back legs and held up two short front legs with paws on them. It didn't use the front legs at all while we were watching. My wife and I were scared, I tell you, but I managed to open the window and say 'Shoo!' and it turned around, barked at me and flew away."

[Ref. mm2:] JAMES MCCLOY AND RAY MILLER:

The authors indicate that during the rash of sightings that week of 1909, Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Evans, of Gloucester City, had a good look at the Devil as he walked around the roof of their shed for a full 10 minutes late in the night. Terrified, they noticed its features and Evans told a local paper the 3.5-foot-tall creature had a head like a collie dog and a face like a horse. "It had a long neck, wings about two feet long, and its back legs were like those of a crane, and it had horse's hooves. It walked on its back legs and held up two short front legs with paws on them." Evans managed to shoo it away but said that the departing creature "turned around, barked at me, and flew away. Hundreds of the curious flocked to the home the next day, where Evans gave escorted tours to his shed.

[Ref. ch1:] CHARLES H. HAPGOOD:

The author says a famous Jersey Devil incident occurred on January 19, 1909, in Gloucester City, where Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Evans saw it from the bedroom window at 2 a.m. They watched it 10 minutes as it cavorted on the roof of their shed, and an illustration appeared in the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin a few days later.

[Ref. wi1:] WIKIMEDIA COMMONS:

Semi-famous newspaper illustration of the New Jersey Devil, from Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, January 1909. It was drawn from an account of a Devil sighting by Nelson Evans of Glouchester, New Jersey, USA: "It was about three and a half feet high, with a head like a collie dog and a face like a horse. It had a long neck, wings about two feet long, and its back legs were like those of a crane, and it had horse's hooves. It walked on its back legs and held up two short front legs with paws on them. It didn't use the front legs at all while we (he and Mrs. Evans) were watching."

[Ref. ar1:] ALBERT ROSALES:

Albert Rosales indicates that in Bristol, New Jersey, on January 19, 1909 at 02:00 a.m., "A husband and wife spotted a strange creature on the roof of their shed. They watched it for about ten minutes. It was about 3-feet and a half tall, with a head like a collie dog and a face like a horse. It had a long neck, wings about two feet long, its back legs were like those of a crane and it had horse’s hooves. It walked on its back legs and held up two short legs with paws on them. The husband attempted to scare the creature by yelling at it, but it turned around, barked, barked at him, and then flew away."

Albert Rosales indicates that the source is "Jerry A Young, Mysterious Monsters".

[Ref. ar1:] ALBERT ROSALES:

Albert Rosales indicates that in Gloucester City, Pennsylvania, on January 21, 1909 at 02:00 a.m., "Nelson Evans heard something on the roof of the shed in his backyard. On investigating he encountered a bizarre creature described as about 3 ft and a half tall, with a head like a collie dog and a face like a horse. It had a long neck and wings about 2 ft long, and its back legs were like those of a crane, and it had horse’s hoofs. It walked on its back legs and held up two short front legs with paws on them. When it saw the witness it turned around baked at him and then flew away."

Albert Rosales indicates that the source is "Jerome Clark, Unexplained!".

[Ref. sl1:] STEVEN LEMONGELLO:

The writer tells of the Jersey Devil sightings from January 16 to 22, 1909, 100 years ago, refering to the 1976 book "The Jersey Devil" by James F. McCloy and Ray Miller Jr.

He says the Evans family in Gloucester saw the Devil on their roof, leading to the scientifically accurate cartoon from the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin that illustrates this story, in which the Devil "appears rather emaciated. Whether that's due to not feasting enough on the flesh of young children is as yet unclear."

He writes the good farmer Nelson Evans said: "My wife and I were scared, I tell you, but I managed to open the window and say 'Shoo!' and it turned around, barked at me, and flew away."

[Ref. ch1:] MICHAEL NEWTON:

The author says that in Gloucester at 2:30 a.m. on January 19, 1909, Nelson Evans and his wife saw the Jersey Devil outside their home. Nelson described it as about eight feet and a half high, with a head like a collie dog and a face like a horse. It had a long neck, wings about two feet long, and its back legs were like those of a crane, and it had horse's hooves. It walked on its back legs and held up two short front legs with paws on them. It didn't use the front legs at all while they were watching. Both were scared, but Mr. Evans managed to open the window and say, 'Shoo!' and it turned around, barked at me, and flew away.

Two local hunters followed its trail for 20 miles, and then lost it.

[Ref. oh1:] OLIVER HO:

The author says that on January 19, 1909, a man named Nelson Evans saw the creature in front of his house. he was scared but managed to chase the monster off. It made a barking sound at him and then flew away.

[Ref. gm1:] "JERSEY DEVIL" GOOGLE MAP:

Glouchester City, NJ January 19, 1909

Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Evans were awakened around 2:30 am by strange noises in the night. They reported watching the creature for almost 10 minutes on the roof of their shed. Mr. Evans described it as "about three feet and a half high, with a head like a collie dog and a face like a horse. It had a long neck, wings about two feet long, and its back legs were like those of a crane, and it had horse's hooves. It walked on its back legs and held up two short front legs with paws on them. It didn't use the front legs at all while we were watching. My wife and I were scared, I tell you, but I managed to open the window and say, 'Shoo!' and it turned around, barked at me, and flew away."

[Ref. jv1:] JUANITA ROSE VIOLINI:

This author says that on January 19, 1909, in New Jersey, at 2:30 a.m., Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Evans, awakened by a strange noise, looked out their window and watched the Jersey Devil on their shed rooftop for ten minutes before Mr. Evans bravely chased it away.

Points to consider:

Before discussing this particular case, I must make some general remarks about what was called the "Jersey Devil".

In Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, for nearly two centuries at least, some people give reports of encounters with a "creature" whose descriptions suggested that it was some sort of "devil", though in my opinion it was often merely a large bird in migration there, the sandhill crane.

Ufologically, these stories are mostly not considered as related in any way with UFOs or UFO occupants, in my opinion too they should not be part of a catalog of "close encounters of the third kind".

However, some ufologists included such stories in such catalogs, thinking for some reason it does have something to do with the UFO question. Most of the time, they do not include all the Jersey Devil reports, but only a few of them, maybe due to lack of documentation or maybe for some other reason I do not understand.

So I have to include all these stories, because if some source considers, rightly or wrongly, that this a UFO-related, then it is within my scope, not to immediately and arbitrarily disregard their idea, but to evaluate it, and thus to collect the documentation and the comments about it. And therefore, I have to check and document all reported, not just those selected arbitrarily by these ufologists who believed this is UFO material. This is why you cans see I have a file for each Jersey Devil reports, even those that were never included in the ufology literature.

I should note that most stories are fragmentary, often because the sources write about several observations, and what is said about one report is supposed to be implicitly true for the others. I do not do it that way; I publish case files individually and discuss each on its own merits or issues, and offer a specific assessment for each case. But of course, generalities can be said on these reports. As I do not want to disconnect individual reports from these generalities, I make the following notes.

I want to first list the various explanations offered for the "Jersey Devil" - they could apply its late equivalent the West Virginia "Mothman" which was introduced in UFO books the 1960s:

Now let's see this report.

The sketch given by Wikipedia [wi1] was printed in almost every book evoking the "Jersey Devil", and countless websites, usually without the association to the specific case, and no reference to a source. Occasionally it is mirrored, sometimes colorized with one or the other color.

With a better resolution, it looks like here below - hoofs at the front legs, horseshoed (!) hoofs at the hind legs:

A website says it was "drawn by the police" but I doubt it, it looks like drawn by a crafted illustrator.

Except for the "front legs", the "creature" seems to be a bird of respectable size and frightening looks.

One will not fail to note that this reportedly happened at two in the morning, thus in dark night, and that the shed was not perhaps not right next to the witnesses. With the ambient "Jersey Devil" craze already well covered by the newspapers, it is not stupid to think that a sandhill crane was spotted.

Mr. Evans himself said that "its hind legs were like those of a crane", and the "hoofs" of a horse could have be a misinterpretation due to shadows caused by a depression of the legs in the snowy roof of the shed. The press had reported "mysterious traces" compared to horses or ponies, previously.

There is not enough information to make the sandhill crane explanation a certainty, but there is not a single piece of information that would support she saw a real devil, or an alien, or a pterodactyl, "Bigfoot" or anything extraordinary.

/p>

"Sandhill Crane" (Grus canadensis) - pictures above - is a species of big crane living in North America, Canada, and in the extreme northeast of Siberia. Some are resident, some are migratory, passing sometimes indeed by the states where the "Jersey Devil" was reported.

Its wingspan can reach more than 2 meters.

List of issues:

Id: Topic: Severity: Date noted: Raised by: Noted by: Description: Proposal: Status:
1 Ufology Severe April 10, 1909 Patrick Gross Patrick Gross Case with low strangeness. Help needed. Opened.
2 Ufology Severe April 10, 1909 Patrick Gross Patrick Gross No sign of investigation or checking. Help needed. Opened.

Evaluation:

Possible confusion, bird, sandhill crane.

Sources references:

* = Source I checked.
? = Source I am told about but could not check yet. Help appreciated.

Document history:

Authoring

Main Author: Patrick Gross
Contributors: None
Reviewers: None
Editor: Patrick Gross

Changes history

Version: Created/Changed By: Date: Change Description:
0.1 Patrick Gross April 10, 2013 Creation, [su1], [wn1], [mm1], [jc1], [ks1], [mm2], [ch1], [oh1], [gm1], [wi1], [ar1], [sl1], [mn1], [jv1].
1.0 Patrick Gross April 10, 2013 First published.
1.2 Patrick Gross July 15, 2013 Addition [jc2].

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