Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-12-17
A Panther Hunt in Vermont.

Last Friday, a. Mr.. II. N. Fits, of
West WardsbOro, and a Mr.. s. s. Perry
were going to their work, blasting lime
rock from a ledge situated in the edge Of
Stratton, they noticed the tracks Of a wild
animal. Supposing they belonged TO q
bear they concluded TO follow them for a
short distance to satisfy their curiosity.
| These soon led Into piece of woods
| about mile southwest OF tn village of
West Wardsboro. Here Mr. Fits and his
companion abandoned their search, In.
tending to secure help and follow IL the
next morning. Saturday morning the
hunters, about sixteen in all, armed with
rifles, shot-guns and revolvers, and accom-.
panied by several dogs, started for the
animal They first passed around the
woods to make sure that the supposed bear
had not left his lair, and then the whole
| place was surrounded with a chain of
armed men to prevent his escape If he
| should make q break for the mountains.
Twelve of the hunters were thus arranged,
while Messrs. Fits, Perry and II. b.
johnson, with two boys and four dogs, en-.
tered the woods to stir up the beast The
dogs were kept back by ropes until the
proper time and place should be reached,
and the hunt commenced. The trail of
the previous evening was soon struck, and
in few moments they came upon the
half-devoured remains of hedgehog. The
bed where some large animal had lain the
night before was discovered, and fresh
tracks were apparent on all sides. The
uneasiness Of the dogs, as they struggled
to free themselves from their leashes, also
made evident the near presence of the
game. When they were loosed they
darted through the brush, yelping and
hur rft,.r L. Ill
fast as possible. Soon the barking ceased
and the animals rushed hither and thither
hunting for the trail, evidently at loss
Mr.. Perry, however, who was armed with
shotgun doubly- loaded with shot and
ball, discovered dark-looking object in
the top of a tall hemlock. Without a
moments warning he raised his gun and
fired, and the dark object came tumbling
TO the ground, disclosing TO the eyes of the
astonished hunters a regular American
panther. Although shot through the breast
and with one of his fore-legs broken by the
fall, the magnificent animal was disabled
but not conquered, and, as the dogs attacked
him, clearing himself with his uniniurcd
paw, he leaped into the air over the heads
of the men, and landed in th.cket a
dozen or fifteen feet away. The dogs,
however, were gritty and terribly in ear
nest, and when he leaped again he carried
one of them with him, clinging to his
flank. He attempted to climb tree, but
this, in his disabled condition, was i'm
possiblei so, dropping to the ground, he
made a dash for clump of dead tree.
tops, few yards distant. Away went the
panther and the dogs, scratching, snarling
and yelping, while the men followed close
behind, urging on the dogs. Hitherto the
demonstrations of the hunters had been
more noisy than effective; but, as the
panther was disappearing in a thicket of
spruce trees, johnson seized him by the
tail, and called on Perry for help in max
Ing the capture. Perry Loyalty respond
ed; but, just as he had got good hold,
the beast gave leap, carrying both of
the men with him, and for few moments
aerial navigation was nowhere. The
panther went over trec-top, but the men
remained on the other side, still clinging
70 his tail. He tried 10 turn and fight
them, but the dogs were on hand. Just
at this moment JOhnson bethought himself
OF his revolver, and five pistol bullets were
lodged in his head. Still the fight con-
tinued, and Mr.. Fits, who had not been
an idle spectator, managed to get rope
around the panther's leg and fasten him
to tree. Shot-guns and pistols were
empty, Dut the panther, lnOugn weakened,
refused to die, and the life of the king
of the American forests" was brought to
an ignominious close by the use of a
pocket-knife and cudgel. He measured
seven feet from tip to tip, and weighed
105 pounds. Three toes were gone from
one of his fore-feet, seeming to indicate an
intimate acquaintance with steel trap
some time in the past. Hunters and dogs
escaped unhurt-a fact probably due to
the severe injuries sustained by the ami
NAL in the early rart of the fight. The
carcass was borne in triumph TO the vii
lage and exhibitcd TO the wondering eyes
of the inhabitants -Rutland Vt.) HerdLd.