The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-08-26

r rOtl the W lrt county DeInOCrat.
BURNING SPRINGS, w. Va. !
August 18th, 1871.
EDS. DEMocRAT:-Our otherwise quiet
little town was thrown into the greatest
excitement owing to the favorable ter
mination Of the great ring hunt, .
which was proposed yesterday, for the
purpose Of exterminating family Of
panthers known to exist in a scope Of
country some two or three miles from
our Berg"
At halfpast seven, the young men,
comprising the hunt, assembled In front
and under the porch of the city ba-
kerry" belonging to John Shaier These
panthers have committed depredations
without number. A woman returning
home late one evening from a neigh
Dor s, a half mile distant, was astonished
to hear in the road over which she had
just travelled, what she supposed to be
the cry OF one of her own sex, as il in
mortal agony. Turning Immediately
around. for the purpose Of lending as
sistance if possible, she was, for a mo.
ment, as if petritied to behold bounding
toward her with the velocity OF race
horse, a mammoth panther, with head
erect, mouth open, tongue lolling out,
and eyes like balls Of fire. The woman
fled, uttering piercing screams, even
louder than those Of the monster which
was so eager to devour her. She was,
however, enabled to reach the fence,
before the animal caught hold Of her.
Her screams had brought her husband
from the field, where he had been fell
ing timber, in time to relieve her, with
his axe which he had carried with him.
One Of Mr.. William Martins children
also experienced nearly as narrow an
escape. The panther has killed such a
vast number OF lamts, pigs and chick
ems, that it has become scourge to our
neighboring farmers.
You will excuse this DEPRESSION, but
to understand the nature Of the brute,
it was necessary.
We elected Mr. Bennington captain, "
as he was considered a good hunter,
and had been out after the panther on
The previous day.
All things being now ready, we
mounted our horses and in few min
utes arrived at the foot Of the mountain
on the opposite side of which we expect,
ed TO overhaul the monster. Part OF
us, myself included, after fastening our
horses and seeing that our arms were
ready for instant use, began cautiously
ascending the mountain, while our COM
rades rode around its loot, leaving small
detachments at places where they could
climb over the rugged rocks juttlDg out
from the face OF the hill. When all
were in their places the signal to ad.
vance was given and we picked our way
as best we could until we came to an
abrupt halt, caused by moving Of the
the bushes in our front. We knew
that we had come to the right place,
and, placing my gun in the right pc,
sition, told Mr.. Maxwell to let go his
brace Of hounds. They immediately
rushed into the hazel thicket, only to
return in hot haste. Johnnie Wood
then volunteered to reconnolter. He
advanced cautiously into the thicket and
soon two shots, fired in rapid succession
told us palmer than words that the
game was there. "Hel p! Come quickly!
were the words that reached us as we
hurried into the bushes. The shots had
not been for naught, TOR there, lying on
the ground dead, wasa small cub, while
its mother was licking it over and over
again. The male was under a tree
upon which John was perched, trying
its best with its wounded leg to climb to
the limb upon which he was seated
deliberately loading hisgun. A. Clark
and VIM. Murray coming upon the
scene first, poured the contents OF
their guns into the male, but it seemed
only 10 enrage him the more. lie
squatted down upon his launches ready
Tor spring, as with his long, slim tail
he was flashing his sides. The men
upon seeing their danger, started back,
but "Dolph' was equal TO the emer'
gency. Hesitating but single insta ut
he sprang to one side OF the animal
and dealt it a crushing blow with his
dubbed gun. which laid the beast on
his side for a short time. Joe Maxwell
with large bore rifle, getting far
shot, sent halfounce ball crushing its
way through the skull OF the brute.
Bent" Wright having emptied his gun
was re loading it, when John, descend
ing from his tree, raised his gun to his
shoulder, and it again belched forth Its
contents, just in the nick OF time, Tor l.
not having my gun loaded being SO alb
sorbed in the scene in front OF me, was
in danger of loosing my life, by the
now furious mother, just ready to spring
upon me. The bali Of Johnnie's gun,
entered close behind her shoulders, and
penetrated her heart, but the impetus OF
her spring sent her against me, knock
ing me to the ground. Bent Wright
settled the other cub, and our party
hearing the shots, began to gather IN
and we returned home.
The people are coming from all over
IL horS The male Is