The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-03-17


Sleigh Ride In Saratoga County.
A correspondent OF the Sdratogian
writes from Conklingville, Saratoga
County, N. Y, one of the most remark
able stories of encounters with wild
beasts that have lately been told. In
brief il is as follows
A man by the name of George Hinck-
ley was, on Friday night, Feb. %, driv-
ing from Corinth to Conklingville some
what belated. There was no moon and
the road was uncertain, owing to the
rough weather which had prevailed In
that section for two weeks or so past.
He was in light cutter, well protected
from the cold by robes and blankets,
and was driving spirited horse. 1t
was about IL o'clock, and he was nearly
at his journeys end. The road lay
through some underground of woods.
While the horse was jogging along at a
moderate trot, suddenly he stopped.
threw his ears forward, gave a furious
snort, and refused to go further. The
driver urged him to go, and finally
struck him with halter, taSe strap end
of which was tied to the cutter in order
to prevent its dropping out and becom-
ing lost. The horse jumped forward in
a frightened manner, but before he had
taken three steps huge panther sprang
from behind low evergreen close by
the track and leaped into the cutter. AS
it struck the cutter its forepaws came
with great force against Hinckley's
breast, and with one blow with its
powerful nails the mans clothing was
stripped clean from his skin. Hinckley
bad the halter with which he had just
struck the horse still in his hand, and
instinctively he laid it with all his might
upon the head of his assailant. By one
of the blows the headstall passed over
the panther's head. 1t being slipping
moose, the next effort to strike drew the
moose tight about the panther's neck.
Then desperate hand-to-hand, as it
were, fight ensued. The man struggled
to throw off the beast, but succeeded
only so far as to prevent it from fasten-
ing its powerful jaws upon his now bare
neck. The panther grabbed the mans
left arm, which it bit through and
through, the blood which flowed only
seeming to make it more furious. With
his right arm Hinckley frightened the
slipping moose around the animals
throat. SO tight was it drawn by that
strength which comes of desperation
that the pather was choked so that it let
go it's hold on the mans arm and
gasped, at the same time stripping the
victims clothing and lacerating his skin
with its sharp claws, With the first
spring of the panther, accompanied as it
was with wild, fierce growl, the horse
took fright and ran at full speed, every
leap fairly lifting the cutter from the
track. Thus, while Hinckley was strug-
Cling for life in the cutter, the horse was
running away. But the running away
of the horse proved to be the salvation of
the driver for in making short turn in
the road the cutter was overturned,
dumping driver and panther out upon
the frozen snow. The moment they
struck earth, however, they parted COM
pany. One end of the halter being fas-
tened to the cutter and the other end
tight about the wild animals neck, the
latter was dragged after the flying steed,
its body jumping and bounding along
the road. The running away of the
horse saved Mr.. Hinckley's life. He
was left by the roadside, whence he in
course of time found his way to habi-
tation. The horse ran till he got loose
from the cutter, and then he went to
Conklingville. The cutter, badly shat
tered, was found half a mile from the
spot where the panther leaped from be-
hind the bush. The animal was dead,
choked to death, and badly bruised.
The substance of the correspondents
story is as given above, and we for
bear from casting any doubts on so
tragic tale.