Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1853-02-03
Fight with Jaguar, or American
Tiger.

Tiger.
A correspondent of Tile GalUeStOn
NerS gives the following account of des-
perate fight between Mr.. Absalom Will
liams, who is about seventy years of age,
his wife, and an enormous tiger, which
occurred about the 1st of December. at
Mr.. w IS residence:
The tiger was first discovered on the
premises of Mr.. James Drake, who lives
in the north portion of Jefferson County,
where it entered his enclosure, attacked
his horses, and killed one, besides wound
ing two others. While the tiger was
committing its depredations, it was dis
covered by Francis Drake, son of the
proprietor of the premises, who fired
shot gun at it, wounding it in the side, but
not dangerously, when it made its escape.
The next day, while Mr.. and Mrs. Will
liams were sitting in their house, (the
rest of the family absent, they were start
led by strange noise in the yard, in
front of their house. Mr. W., on going
out, discovered his dog engaged with
tiger, when he seized an ox-yoke and
aimed blow at the "varmint," but, mis-
sing it, struck his dog. The dog then
got away from the tiger and retreated.-
In an instant the tiger sprung on Mr..
Williams, and, seizing him by the hand,
jerked him about twenty feet. The old
gentleman finding himself in the too pow
erful grasp of the wild animal, courage
ously determined to give it the best
Trough and tumble fight" in his power,
and, having no weapons within reach, he
seized the tiger by the throat with his
other hand, and, throwing his whole
strength forward, crushed the tiger to
the ground, both falling side by side.--
At this time Mrs. Williams came to the
rescue, with gun, which she snapped at
the tiger, but, there being no priming in
the pan, it did not go off. Mr.. W. then,
with one arm round the tigers body,and
graspipg its throat with his other hand,
by an effort, disengaged himself. The
tiger discovering a new adversary in the
person of Mrs. W., jumped at her, and at
tempted to grasp her head within its jaws,
while it struck and lacerated her breast
with its fore paws. She tried to avoid
the monster, but was felled to the ground.
The tiger made another grasp at her head.
his upper teeth penetr ating at the top of
the scull and sliding along the bone,
peeled off the skin till they met the lower
teeth, penetrated on the right side of her
face.
In the meantime, Mr. W. had seized
the ox-yoke again, and, giving the tiger
a tremendous blow, caused it to leave
Mrs. W., when it leaped into the house
and got under the bed. The door was
Immediately closed and the monster Sc
cured. Mr.. W., was exhausted fromthe
effects of his wounds, from which the
blood flowed in streams; but not so his
better half When she saw their mutu-
al foe thus attempt to take possession of
their house, she determined to finish the
battle, and, Notwithstanding the severity
of her wounds, her dress almost entirely
torn from her person, and covered with
blood, she deliberately took the gun, and,
shaking some powder from the barrel in
to the pan, placed the muzzle between
one of the openings which the logs of the
house afforded, and fired with steady and
deadly aim. The tiger was killed.
When subsequently measured, it was
found to be twelve feet from the tip of
its tail to its nose.
During all the time the fight was going
on, no one but those engaged in it were
within hearing. Mr.. W.'s nearest neigh
Dor lives three miles off. However, as
Mrs. W. was washing the blood from her
person, neighbor came riding by, and,
alarmed at her appearance, inquired the
cause. The old lady, unable from the
loss of blood to speak, pointed to the
dead body of the tiger.
The escape of Mr. and Mrs. Williams
is indeed wonderful, and they are now
recovering gradually from their wounds.
Mr.. W. jokes about the tiger fight, and
intimates that the old lady was most en-
ragged when the "varmint" took posses
sion of his bed and house. 1t need hard
ly be added that Mr.. Williams is brave
man. He fought the British at Newt Or
leans, and subsequently the Mexicans; in
the cause of Texas; but this last fight is,
perhaps, the most singular of ALL His
wife, in intrepidity and daring, is worthy
of him, and the two, together, are of that
courageous class that have encountered
forest wilds and frontier dangers-the /
pioneers of Christian civilization and A
merican institutions.