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ok off and flew up the ridge。〃
Shock； his two children； and Ewing Tilton； a neighbor； watched the creatures from a distance。 They were from four to five feet tall and had a wingspread of at least ten feet。 There was 〃a reddish cast〃 to their heads； but the witnesses did not see the famous glowing red eyes。
〃They had dark brown backs with some light flecks；〃 Ewing Tilton noted。 〃Their breasts were gray and they had five…or…six…inch bills； straight； not curved like those of hawks or vultures。〃
These reports indicate that some very unusual birds were in the general region at the time of the Mothman fracas； even though a systematic search of ornithological literature has failed to identify the creatures seen by Wolfe； Shock； and Ewing。 One Ohio college professor insisted it was a rare sandhill crane； so I carried a picture of the sandhill crane in my briefcase and not a single witness recognized it or thought it resembled what he or she had seen。
Altogether； more than one hundred adults would see this winged impossibility in 1966…67。 Those who got a close look at it all agreed on the basic points。 It was gray； apparently featherless； as large…or larger…than a big man； had a wingspread of about ten feet； took off straight up like a helicopter； and did not flap its wings in flight。 Its face was a puzzle。 No one could describe it。 The two red eyes dominated it。 （In a majority of the reports of angels； demons； and saucer spacemen the faces are also either covered in some manner or are nonexistent。）
The 〃ostrich〃 in Pennsylvania and the big birds in Ohio did not seem to fit into the picture。 If they were real birds of some kind； where did they go？ Why weren't they seen again？
On the evening of November 26； a housewife in St。 Al…bans； a suburb of Charleston； West Virginia； found Mothman standing on her front lawn。 Mrs。 Ruth Foster was one of the very few witnesses who claimed to see a face on the creature。
〃It was standing on the lawn beside the porch；〃 Mrs。 Foster said。 〃It was tall with big red eyes that popped out of its face。 My husband is six feet one and this bird looked about the same height or a little shorter； maybe。
〃It had a funny little face。 I didn't see any beak。 All I saw were those big red poppy eyes。 I screamed and ran back into the house。 My brother…in…law went out to look； but it was gone。〃
The next morning the winged phantom pursued young Connie Carpenter near the Mason； West Virginia； golf course （Chapter Two）。 That evening； it encored in St。 Albans。 Sheila Cain； thirteen； and her younger sister were walking home from the store when they saw an enormous 〃something〃 standing next to a local junk yard。 （*）
〃It was gray and white with big red eyes；〃 Sheila reported； 〃and it must have been seven feet tall…taller than a I man。 I screamed and we ran home。 It flew up in the air ｜ and followed us part of the way。〃
Aerodynamically； Mothman was ill…suited for flight。 A I creature larger than a big man； and therefore weighing in excess of two hundred pounds； would require more than a ten…foot wingspan to get aloft。 And large birds take off by running along the ground and flapping their wings frantically。 My favorite； the gooney bird of the Pacific； runs back and forth desperately trying to build up airspeed and then； more often than not； falls flat on his face。
Mothman； with his helicopterlike takeoffs； was impossible。
I was in Washington； B。C。； that November； harassing the air force in my black suit； when I spoke to Gray Barker on the phone。 Despite the furor then taking place in West Virginia； I had not heard or read a thing about the 〃Bird's〃 arrival。
When Gray brought the matter up； I thought he was joking。 A red…eyed bird with a ten…foot wingspan who loved to chase speeding automobiles seemed utterly ridiculous。 Now if it had been a ten…foot…tall hair…covered monster with a terrible smell I might have taken it seriously。
But Gray convinced me it was no joke。 I looked Point Pleasant up on the map 。。。 it was about eight hundred miles from New York 。。。 oiled my fourteen…foot monster traps； got into my car； and headed for the Ohio valley。
＇*＇ Monsters； UFOs； and apparitions have an； interesting affinity for garbage dumps and junk yards Even the famous miracle at Lourdes； France； in 1858； took place at the local garbage dump。
7 … The Night of the Bleeding Ear
I。
Gwendoline Martino was back in her apartment in Cherry Hill； New Jersey； early in December 1966； packing her things for a trip to Europe。 Her unlisted phone rang。 A female voice with a slight foreign accent came on the line。
〃Hello； Gwen？〃
〃Yes； this is Gwen 。。。〃
〃Gwen Stevens？〃
〃No； this is Gwen Martino。〃
〃You're not Gwen Stevens？〃
〃No 。。。 you've got the wrong Gwen。〃
This same woman called back again on two successive nights。 The conversation was always the same。 Mrs。 Martino was mildly irritated that the woman would call her three times in a row but she thought nothing of it until I met her a few months later and asked my routine questions about unusual phone calls。
Because of the woman's accent； it is possible she was asking for 〃Jen Stevens。〃 Mrs。 Martino had never heard of anyone named either Gwen or Jen Stevens。 But at that time a woman named Jennifer （〃Jen〃） Stevens was very active in UFO research in the Albany…Schenectady area of New York State。 Mrs。 Stevens experienced a wide range of problems with her unlisted phone and a personal tragedy which seemed to be related to her UFO investigations。
In February 1968； Mrs。 Stevens reported the following：
＇One＇ night when my husband； Peter； and I returned home we found Jenny； our fifteen…year…old daughter； in a highly nervous state。 She said the phone had been ringing all evening。 She would answer it and hear nothing at the other end but heavy breathing。 When her boyfriend called they were interrupted several times by high…pitched beeping noises and were also cut off twice。 The next day the calls continued。 Sometimes there would be mechanical sounds； and others； the high…pitched whining； beeping sound that sent sharp pains through the mastoid bones。 Our number is unlisted so I knew no one could have gotten it out of the phone book or through the operator。 We had long since screened all calls through another number in order to avoid cranks。 I called the telephone pany and they gave our line a plete check with NO findings。 The service man offered his personal opinion that the line 〃could have been tapped。〃
Several days after our telephone problems began； my husband； who is a building contractor； was in a large downtown Schenectady store inspecting some work and dropped into the snack bar for a cup of coffee。 A few moments after he seated himself； a tall； tan； 〃saturnine〃…looking man； whom my husband had never seen before； sat down next to him and started a conversation。 He began with； 〃There have been people watching the sky every night down by the river in Scotia。〃 Since Peter was one of 〃those people；〃 he was shocked 。。。 but kept cool and said； 〃I beg your pardon？〃
The man proceeded to talk about UFOs。 Peter tried to draw him out and asked his name； and so on。 All his questions were either parried or avoided。 My husband was beginning to feel a bit unfortable when the stranger finally excused himself after noting； 〃People who look for UFOs should be very； very careful。〃
At my request； Peter Stevens made two sketches of the 〃saturnine〃…looking man。 They sent me one copy and kept the other。 A few weeks later their home was broken into and thoroughly ransacked。 But nothing was stolen 。 。。 except their copy of the sketch。 （1）
Two months later Peter Stevens； a young man in his thirties； died very suddenly。 Anguished； Jen abandoned UFO research。 I never learned the full circumstances of his death。 She would tell me only that it was 〃related〃 to the UFO business in some way。
＇1＇ No one ever tried to steal my copy。 It was subsequently published in a special issue of Flying Saucer Review； June 1969。
I have shown Peter Stevens's drawing to numerous Men…in…Black witnesses over the years and the usual response is； 〃It looks close enough to be a brother。〃
Today 〃heavy breathers〃 plague telephone subscribers from coast to coast and are usually assumed to be sex nuts。 When I received many such calls in 1967…68 I recorded some of them and studied the tapes。 The sound is more mechanical or electronic than human and is probably caused by the introduction of a modulated current into the telephone line。 This phenomenon is not isolated to the cities。 People in remote towns with a population of only twenty…five or so also get these calls。 The heavy breathing of the sex nut who （supposedly） masturbates while he listens to a female voice on the line contains certain recordable vocal characteristics which are totally absent in the heavy breathing calls I taped。 Played at a slower speed； the recorded 〃breathing〃 was an evenly spaced series of pulses resembling the swishing sound of a phonograph when the needle reaches the end of the record and does not reject。 Heavy breathing would not be so uniform。
II
Mr。 Kevin Dee and his NICAP submittee urged Woodrow Derenberger to submit to a psychiatric and medical examination。 In early December Woody voluntarily entered St。 Joseph's Hospital in Parkersburg and underwent hours of tests administered by Dr。 Morgan （I have changed his name here for reasons that will bee obvious later on）； a leading local psychiatrist； and Peter Volardi； an EEG technician。 In his final report； Dr。 Morgan stated：
There was no evidences of abnormalities at all。 Subsequently； a report and interpretation was obtained from Baltimore； and the report indicated no abnormalities at all and was a perfectly normal electroencephalogram。 There was no evidence of organic brain damage or of seizure disorders。 We were particularly concerned about epilepsy and there was no evidence of this。 The record was a normal record with no indication of any central nervous system pathology at all。 There was no evidence of any psychiatric disorders。 I submitted a report to the Pittsburgh Submittee of NICAP； of the psychiatric examination of Mr。 Derenberger in which I stated that I could find no evidence of mental disorder。 There was no indication of any lower pathology。 I found Mr。 Derenberger to be normal。
The NICAP investigators sent the medical records on to the Washington office of the organization； along with detailed reports on Woody's encounter and his personal background。 Typically； the NICAP newsletter later devoted a couple of paragraphs to the Derenberger case； denouncing it as a hoax； misspelling Woody's name； and referring to Cold as 〃Kuld。〃 Woody had spelled the name C…o…l…d from the outset and it was spelled that way throughout the submittee's documents。 How NICAP arrived at the K…u…l…d spelling is a mystery in itself。
III
〃Look at that crazy character ing in downwind in that plane；〃 Eddie Adkins mented。 He and four other men were standing on the field of the Gallipolis； Ohio； airport； just across the river from Point Pleasant on Sunday； December 4； 1966。
At 3 P。M。 that afternoon a large winged form came cruising majestically along the Ohio River； just behind the airport。 The pilots later estimated that it was about three hundred feet in the air and was traveling about seventy miles an hour。 As it drew closer they realized it was not a plane but was some kind of enormous bird with an unusually long neck。 It seemed to be turning its head from side to side as if it were taking in the scenery。 The wings were not flapping。
〃My God！ It's something prehistoric！〃 one of the men cried。
Everett Wedge grabbed his camera and sprinted to his small plane。 But by the time he was airborne the giant creature had vanished somewhere Sown river。
Three days later； on December 7； I arrived in Point Pleasant for the first time。 I fo