The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-08-12
VERMONT WOLF.

rid their flocks Of almost as formidable an
enemy as those of Barnstable.
The Destroyer killed. About thirteen or
fourteen years ago, wolf crossed Lake
Champlain and killed number OF sheep
in some of the lake towns. He was pursued
and driven upon tho Green Mountain east
wsrdly of this place, and his pursuers then
gave up the chase. Soon afterwards the
farmers on the mountain had sheep killed
by wolf One day he would commit dep
relations Oh the west, and the next on the
east side of the mountain, at places dis
tant perhaps twenty miles from each other.
This, At first, led people to suppose that
there were number of these animals PrSwl-
ing about the mountain; till finally, by pur-
suing his track, it vas found 10 be one and
the same wolf. Every exeFtion wsa then
made to kill him, and for this purpose,
hundreds Of traps have been annually laid.
Multitudes Of persons have, every year for
twelve years past, spent days and nights
in pursuing him, and he all the while, has
been continually making ravages among
the sheep. About two years ago he was
wounded in his right hind leg, and the out
er cord above the gamhrel joint appears to
bave been broken. Since then he has been
easily identified by his track. He has been
so bold for two or three years pas. that be
has approached within a few PAGES of
dwelling houses, and has been IN the con-
slant habit of sporting with certain dogs. as
the latter animals do with each other. His
dePredntions have not been limited to sheep,
but he has destroyed great numbers of
calves, and some colts. The damage
which has been sustained by the farmers of
this county alone, from the destruction of
sheep, &c, by this wolf, is said not to be
less than two thousand dollars. Indeed, he
had become such & terror that farmers
who lived within HE wake, had wholly aban-
donsd the idea of keeping sheep, and all
others had adopted the practice Of yarding
their whole stock every night, near their
dwellings. Neighborhoods had entered into
an alliance to take their respective ssrns in
watching for hun. Last week Mr.. Calvin
Pier and Mr.. VIM. Arnold, with noble de-
termination TO support the American sys-
tenn against this old enemy of wool growers,
built scafIold in the tops of some trees
about fourteen feet from the ground, near
! the turnpike road about 20 rods from their
! houses, over which they made covering
with boughs, leaving an aperture on the
road side, through which they could put
/ their guns and look out for their prev.
Here they watched the major part OF two
! nights IN succession, but the wolf did not
make his appearance. On the succeeding
I day, they however found that he had passed
directly under their cabin. On the third
night, they again took their station in their
aerial guard house, AID little after dark
heard the wolf howl, ut considerable dis
lance, and soon discovered that he was
/ approaching nearer to them. They had
I placed large hound underneath them.
which, as the wolf approaches ran N quest
! oi BIN. They coon cane i'll cortaci e.isa
each o'1er, but the hound disengscet .nrr
aeb, raj towards his msF,er, aud re vc!E
Qr's'.ct after bin directly by the ra!,jn. In,
~''a s';c0 velocity ~ ts deprive ike Marks
'."'l IT ar opportunity to maze any thing
! Ike sure FIRE Tho h"oad passed on, but
was soon overtaken, and they had another
engagement. He again escaped and thew
both again approached the cabin, There be
ing bright moonlight both of the men
simultaneously discharged their pieces at
him, and the contents of both entered the
lack of the wolf, within about three inches
of each other, just in the rear of the should
ers. He ran about eight rods, passing d.
rectly under the cabin, and fell dead. He
was brought to this place on Saturday for
the purpose of securing the $50 bounty of
the State, and we found by measurement,
that his length from his nose to the end Of
his tail was six fest-and that he was,
when standing, about three feet high, much
larger than any animal of the kind that has
ever been seen in this country. He has in
maRy instances exhibited great ssgacitv.
but he probably never imagined himself
in danger from an enemy absVe this earth.
A DISAPPOINTMENT. John Birdsell was
convicted short time since at Cincinnati
(Ohioj of numbering his wife, and sentenc-
ed to be hung on the 24th ult. The day
previous to carrying the sentence into exc
eution, it was proposed to the criminal TO
| commute his punishment for solitary con.