The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1875-12-23
b. rlsrnru ussr.

Last Friday, as H. y. Fits, of Wes
/ Wardsboro, aad s s. Perry wcre goln.
, TO their wotk, blasting lime rock from !
ledge situated In the edge Of SlrAttop
they noticed the trscks OF wild Animsl
Supposing they belonged 10 bear, they
eoucloded 10 follow them a short dis
tAnoe 70 satisfy their curiosity. Thes,
soon led into piece Of woods, about :
mile southwest Of the village OF WesI
WArdsboro. Here Mr.. Fits and hi,
companions sbandoned their search, in
ten ling 10 secure help and follow Il ul
the next morning, Saturday morning
the hunters, about sixteen in all, armed
with rifles, shot-guns and reyolyers. and
accompanied by several dogs, started for
the animal They drst passed around
the woods to make sure that the supposed
bear bad not left bis lair, and then the
whole place was surrounded with a
chain Of armed men, 10 prevent his es-
cape If be should make 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, entered the woods to stir up
the beast. The dogs were kept back by
ropes until the proper time aud place
should be reached, aud the hunt com
menced The trail OF the previous even
| ing was soon struck, and IN a few mo-
ments they came upon the half deyoured
remains Of q hedgehog. The bed where
some large animal had lain the night be-
fore was discovered, and fresh tracks
were apparent on all sides. The uneasi-
ness 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 yeIping and barking,
while the hunters followed on as fast ss
possible. Soon the barking ceased and
the animals rushed hither and thither
hunting for the trail evidently at a loss,
Mr.. Perry, however, who was armed
with shotgun, doubly-loaded with shot
and ball, discovered dark looking OBJ
ject IN the top of tall hemlock. With
out a moments warning be raised his
tumbling to the ground, disclosing to the
eyes of the astonished hunters regular
American panther. Although shot thro'
the breast aud with one of his fore legs
broken by the fall, the magnificent AMI
NAL was disabled but not conquered, and
as the dogs attacked him, clearing him
self with his uninjured paw, be leaped
into the air over the heads Of the men,
and lapded in thicket dozen or fifteen
feet away. The dogs, however, were
gritty and terribly in earnest, and when
he leaped again he carried one Of them
with him clinging to his flank. He at
tempted to climb tree, but this, in his
disabled condition, was impossible; so,
dropping to the ground, be made dash
for clump OF dead tree tops, q few rods
distant. Away went the panther and
the dogs, scratching, snarling and yelp.
ing, while the men followed close behind
urging on the dogs. Hitherto the de-
monstrations of the hunters had been
more noisy than effective, but as the
panther was disappearing 10 tbicket OF
spruce trees, johnson seized him and
called on Perry for help in making the
capture. Perry Loyalty responded, 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 tree top bat the men re-
maned on the other side, still clinging TO
his tail. He tried to 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 bad not been
an idle spectator, managed to fasten
rope around the panther's leg and fasten
him to tree. Shot-guns and pistols
were empty, but the panther, though
weakened, refused to die, and the life OF
the king of the American forests was
brought 10 au ignominious close by the
use of pocket.knife and cudgel. lie
measured seven feet from tip to tip and
weighed l05 pounds. Three toes were
gone from one fore foot, seeming TO
evince an intimate acquaintance with a
steel-trap some time past. Hunters and
dogs escaped unhurt "a fact probably due
ito the severe injuries sustained by the
animal in the early part of the fight. The
carcass was borne in triumph to the vii
lsge, and exhibited to the wondering
eyes OF the inhabitants.