The Black Hand Gorge Demon

The Swamp Road Chronicles^®

"The Blackhand Gorge Demon"

(Editor's Note: This is a continuation of the "Deputy Jim" report. This part of his report occurred near Blackhand Gorge and is outside of our area of inquiry here at "The Swamp Road Chronicles^®", but it is interesting and should, I believe, be well received by our followers, so I am including it here.)

Thirty years ago, when I was just a rookie cop, I worked the graveyard shift and reported to work about 10:30 pm. In the locker room we would assemble for our roll call and nightly briefing. Our duty sergeant was a very experienced and no-nonsense man. On one night in late October he seemed even more serious and quieter than usual. He actually came in a few minutes late, he was never late. He really seemed very distracted and disturbed by something. His face had an ashen hue and he was a little shaky. The lieutenant, who was listening in on the briefing, asked the sergeant if he was ok and after a moment of hesitation he told us what was bothering him.

As you read this, bear in mind that this was a very no-nonsense man who was not prone to telling stories.

He said as he was driving in to the station on his motorcycle, he was approaching a bridge that crossed over Blackhand Gorge. I was dark, it was remote. While he was about 100 feet from the edge of the bridge he saw something climb up from under the bridge, clamber over the guardrail and stare in his direction. He said it looked just like every report of a Bigfoot he had ever heard, except that it had 2 curved horns protruding from the front of its head. He slammed on his brakes and they stood there staring at each other for about 8 seconds, he estimated. They were only about 50 feet apart, he could see it very well in the headlight of his motorcycle. He said the creature seemed to come to its senses and hurried across the road and, climbing over the guardrail, it descended out of sight back under the bridge. Just as it disappeared from his sight he was nearly overcome by a strong odor of sulphur, what people used to call 'brimstone'.

He could not bring himself to cross over the bridge, even though he was armed, and so, he back-tracked, taking a longer route to the station, which was what made him late.

Of course, we were all excited and wanted to find out what that creature was, so after our shift several of us went to that bridge, armed of course, and searched under the bridge and along the banks of the stream, but found nothing, which was probably a blessing. The next afternoon we went back again, this time taking our wives with us; they had wanted some adventure too. Again, nothing was found, but as they say, "A good time was had by all."

After a few months of taking a longer way to work, the sergeant resumed going over the bridge and never reported seeing the creature again. I absolutely believe the sincerity of his story. Who knows what lives on the edge of reality?

(Editor's Note: "Deputy Jim did not refer to the creature as a 'demon', that was an editorial choice. Because it had horns and smelled strongly of sulphur, I think it was a demon. Throughout the centuries, people who reported seeing a demon or even the Devil himself, have consistently reported smelling 'brimstone.'

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