The article below was published in the daily newspaper The Star Tribune, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, on page 9, on September 19, 1954.
See the detailed case file here.
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PARIS -- (INS) -- Italy's mysterious "flying cigar" is the latest of many strange objects seen and reported throughout Europe in recent months.
Earlier this summer, Norway had reports of "interplanetary" visitors spotted in the country. They were reported as "long-haired creatures," apparently harmless.
A much more specific case of unwordly visitors, however, curretly is intruiguing France. It involves weird, three-foot-high midgets who supposedly paralyzed a French worker with a ray gun when he saw them.
The story, under investigation by police, was told by Marius Dewilde, 34, a metalurgy worker in Lille. His friendsvouch for him as a "clear-headed, solid citizen."
DEWILDE TOLD police:
"It was about 9:30 p.m. I was sitting in the kitchen reading. In the backyard, Kiki, my dog started barking so loud that I went out to see what was wrong.
"I noticed on the railroad tracks a few yards on my left, a dark-colored form, but I thought it was only a cart some farmer left near the tracks.
"Then to my right, I heard footsteps. I turned on my flashlight. Then I saw two things.
"The one marching ahead turned to look at me and my flashlight picked up a metallic reflection from his head. I had the distinct impression he had his face covered with a kind of deep-sea divers's helmet.
"THEY WERE very small - only about three feet hight, but very wide-shouldered and the helmet over the head seemed enormous to me.
"After the first few seconds of amazement, I ran toward the garden gate to cut them off. At that moment, a square opened in the dark form.
"A projector was aimed at me, giving an intense light with green reflections. Its beam paralyzed me. I wanted to shout, but I couldn't. My legs wouldn't obey me.
"Finally, I found control of my muscles and started toward the dark form. But already, it was taking off the ground."
