Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-09-15
HUNTING A PANTHER.
How General Mitchell Organized Bis
skirmish Party and Led ITEM
on to Victory.
An Exciting Chase, interrupted
Only by MOnster snakes
Capturing the "Var.
mint live.
Cor. Nashville Banner.

sives you the beginning Of the hunt
after the panther in our midst, aud OF
tho organization Of q party by our es'
teemed fellow citizen, General Ind.
Mitchell, Of their leader, as he is the
best fox hunter in this section. Well,
John organized his crowd on the third
day Of this month, being our county
court day, and on Tuesday morning
at daylight the parties, as ordered By
the General, took their respective po-
sitions as follows:
First party, just in the edge of the
woods land in sight Of our beautiful
city) near Judge W. w Goodpas>
turo's turnip patch on the side Of the
mountain, under the leadership OF
Thomas Bates, and this is where, or
near where, the panther was last seen.
| His sharp shooters were Henry Gull
lum, who last saw the panther, Ase
Dalton, (preacher,) Thomas Webb
and Others Of like ilk, his picked
crowd armed with rifles, shotguns and
pistols, as General Mitchell told them
it would not be against the law to
carry arms on this occasion.
Second party, under the leadership
Of Winton Tays, q good citizen Of our
county, took position in Benjamin
Ledbetter's apple orchard, where
Uncle Ben's fine winter apples grow.
Uncle Ben said; boys, catch the
panther, but let my apples alone, as
they are not ripe" that being one of
the places the varmint had been seen.
MI. Tays had for his crowd Rob
Ramsey, Elvin Mordocks, Farley
Roberts and others as his sharp
shooters.
Third party, under tho leader
ship of Ellis Copeland, one Of the
Big 10 stock, stationed at Henry
Hoover's on one Of the ways the
panther has travelled, with Jerry Max,
we'll, Anslun Christian and our beau
tiful Circuit Court Clerk, John II.
Led, and others as his sharpshooters,
armed as FIRST stated.
Fourth party, under Colonel Brooks,
one Of our best citizens and o good
woodsman, versed in all the natures
of the panther, aud who helped to
take in the panther mentioned in
Zoab's Communication, who had for
woodsmen Washington West, Logan
Tays, DR.. Whitney, DR.. H. Stevens
John W. Allread and Uncle Ben Led.
better as his picked followers, armed
as above. When the organization was
complete, the General, making head
quarters at John Lea's stillhouse,
issued the following:
General order No. l, September 3.
1t is ordered by these headquarters
that Henderson Savage, the best fox
hunter in the world, take with him
Drummer Sounder Shoremeet, Never
quit Fifer and Slyhunter, and start at
Judge GoodpAsture's turnip patch
and 20 south; and that james Swift,
the next best fox hunter in the world,
take Taylor Slim Neck, Old Suse and
Wan, and start from Colonel Brooks
in what is known as the Bread Tray
Hollow and north, and that Ase Cor
mack take Trowser, Little Drummer
and Tyler and start at HenTyH lowers
and 20 east, and that Jesse Slower and
Joel Garrett, two good hunters, take
Neverfail, Garfield, Henry Clay and
go in this order, start from their re-
spective positions at daylight on the
to morrow.
[Signed] j.. NJ. D. MITCHELL,
General Commanding.
All the parties met as ordered, and
moved like clock work. Il will here
state to tho reader that the storm sew
erAl years ago blew down all the tim
Der on this mountain, which is a very
high peak OF the Appalachian range,
and the small bushes grown up since
make ita perfect wilderness for several
miles square.) And when the party
under Mr.. or Captain Bates reached
the summit, they saw that all the
grass and weeds fort considerable dis.
lance around was gone, this put the
Captain 10 his wits, and on looking
around they found a huge rattlesnake
busy picking grass, and then Harry
Oullom fred, shooting the monster
just behind the ear, which caused
death instantly. The monster meas.
ured eight feet and had sixteen rattles
and a button. At about 9 am. the
party under Ellis Copeland, one Of the
Big 10. stock, began to smell some
thing Of snaky smell, and Ellis says ;
Boys, watch for snakes" And the
party under Colonel Brooks, moving
west, had not gone far before they saw
fresh signs OF some great monster,
where the earth had been torn up like
great hog wallows. He says: Boys,
this is no panther sign" And the
party under Winton Tays, going north,
saw nothing of interest until they
passed the Bread Tray hollow, and
upon the side Of the mountain, near
Colonel Brooks, they heard a sound
like that Of q mighty hurricane coming,
when Washington West said: boys,
that is no panther; there is something
else in these woods. John Mitchell,
it he is general, don't know as much
as Uncle Wash" and so the parties
keep closing from their respective
positions.
AT about IL am. the familiar yelr
Of S~ayage's old Sounder was heard
near Colonel Brooks, in the head Of
Breadtray Hollow. Soon thereafter
all Of Saysge's hounds Joined in the
chase, and things began TO be excit,
ing, and all at once all noise ceased
and when Savage's party got TO where
they last heard their dogs, to theil
surprise they found, in close proximi,
", all Of Savnge's dogs dead, havinl
been ripped open and left. Then al
the other dogs we're called for, ant
soon the monster was up again, al
parties closing for the center, %stoppiDl
occasionally to kill q large r~attlesnak,
or copperhead. As we neared III,
center, the excitement run higher
until finally we hove in sight, apt
there, in the midst Of about twenty
five Of the best trained dogs that eve
run these woods, was the monster ius
going through the dogs, who seemed
bent on taking him alive. The Genera
stoed his ground giving order
to stand firm and the yarmipI
is ours. You might look roupJ
and see Ase Dalton on his knees pray
ing, Henderson Savage saying Some
other sort of words about his dog
, being killed, and Jim Smith, who by
the way, is one Of the Lords servants,