The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-08-12
A Desperate Struggle In the Noun
Trims.
TFrcm the Reading PENN Eagle.1

[Frcm the Reading PENN Eagle.I
A correspondent sends the following very
thrilling account of a desperate struggle
with a mammoth catamount In the Blue
Mountains, about seven miles from Feathe.
rolfvile, on the extreme northern edge of
Albany township. He says: II have just
learned The particulars of strollipg cncoun-
ter had on the mountains on Wednesday
evening OF this week, which has caused i
great deal of talk in this section. For weeks
past PEOPLE coming Gown or crossing the
hills baye reported at various times having
seen large wild animal, and others as
having heard deep growls and strange
noises at certain hours Of the night. A
farmer along The base Of the hills named
Ezra Seasoning lost two young calves and
an entire litter of young pigs in the short
space of eight days, aud he attributes the
loss to the iucurSious Of this strange animal.
These reports came to the ears Of Rudolph
Pflrger, IN old hunter and trapper, who has
passed fully forty years on the mountains.
He made several efforts TO hunt up the
strange animal, but to DO purpose. AT last
he concluded to organize a small hunting
party. He had some one TO write to Schuyl-
kill county TO two old friends Of his who
were also engaged in hunting, and who had
likewise passed more than half their lives
on the mountains. On Tuesday last they
arrived on loot over the bills, and stopped
mt the cabin Of Pfleger that night, deter
mined to start out US soon as they were
rested. Their names are Henry VaDcolt and
Thomas Arson, two EngliShmep, who first
came to the mines when the canal was built,
but gave up their business aud took to the
hills soon alterward. On Wednesday after
noon about 2 O'Clock the three started out
on three different pathways, the men
having previously agreed to meet at the
"big tree" point about five miles OH 10
the mountains. They were well armed, and
determined to hunt up the mysterious ami.
anal If it were possible. Nothing happened
10 any OF the party up to the tune ~hen
Pfeger and Vancolt arrived at the tree, ~hich
was within half hour Of each other. Nothing
was seen or heard Of Arson. The Sun
had gone down behind the hills, and
the forest and woods were becoming GLOOMY
In the dusk. Arson was making his way
slowly and cautiously through deep and
tangled underbrush, and when about one
hundred yards from the point of meeting be
determined ts pass up through q small IA.
vine whose sides were overriding with dense
underground of shrubs. When directly un-
der a small crag, and walking along with his
head bent to the ground and his form dou.
bled ia creeping GNder low vine, al of a
sudden he heard CRASH overhead, and
the next minute he felt the claws
OF an. apiUal sink in has neCf and GeSh,
accompanied with fierce grOwls. BY
very quick movement, Arson swung
around bis arms, grasped the animal by Che
neck With both bands, and held it in dis
yise-like grasp. He then staggered back 20
the clearing, when the animal shook off the
hunters grasp and made an effort ito bite his
neck. Quick rs thonght the man grzsped Il
knife ia his belt, and with fearful velocity
swung it around and sunk it deep into the
animals eide. The brute gave long, low
howl, and amidst the excitement, man;
and beast rolled over on the ground
and as they did SO the former,
received three severe bites in the shout
der. The Srowls OF the animal attraet-
ed the attention Of the rensining two
hunters, who came dashing through che
brush towards the spot where the hunter
and the brute were tusseling on the ground.
The struggle did not last long Arson
plunged his knife the second time in the
animals body, and ia few minutes it rolled
over in its own blood and died.
The hunters then examined it and found
1t to be species Of panther, and which was
thought TO be u catamount of the mammoth
species. 1t weighed one hundred and forty.
six pounds, and measured four feet five and
a half inches long, not counting the length
OF its tail, which was two feet one inch. 1t
stood two feet eight inches high, and was
knit and very compactly built,