Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-11-01
AFIGHT WITH AN EAGLE
iBRILLiNa STORY OF AN rNovuNrEr
How Hs was Captured 10 o FOE Trap and
the Manner In Whicu He was
Finally Ovsrpoysred

How Ne was Captured 10 Foa Trap and
the Manner In wnicn He was
Finally Ovsrpowsrsd.
Lewis Williams, who lives In an isolat-
ed spot In the Preston mountains, q few
miles from stockport, Pa, having set
trap to capture fox, which he had rea
son to believe was csrrying away his
chickens, went out Wednesday morning
to look at II, and found 1t gone. The trap
had been chained to . small stake in the
ground, and this had been pulled up and
was missing with the trap and chain. On
his way home from search for the ami
NAL, Mr.. Williams saw flock Of crows In
| piece Of woods quarter OF mile or 90
furiously and oircling around above the
tree tops in one particular spot. Mr..
Williams proceeded thither and had just
entered the edge Of the woods when he
heard the rafting OF chain I; and stimuli.
taneously an enormous bird strutted ou.
from behind tree, dragging the missing
trap, chain and stake. The jaws OF the
trap were fastened to one leg Of the bird,
which was bald eagle of the largest
size.
The eagle flew from the ground and wa,
rising with difficulty toward the top Of Q
tall dead tree. Williams fred at it.
manning one of its wings, and it fell tc
the ground. Thinking to capture thu
bird alive. Williams approached 1t, but II
spite of its crippled wing and .s5 ourder
OF the trap or Is log, the bird flew at hin
and .ttaoked him with such fury that h'
turned and fed from the woods.
Hurrying back home, Williams, with
out saying anything to Others, procured
stout rope and q large feed-bag. On hi
1 L. Il. a. he, Dc hkS q
: the crows, which had attracted his atter
ton to the spot in the first place, wer
, lowering over the place where he had lei
the eagle, and from their peculiar erie
aud frantic actions he inferred that some
thing unusual had occurred during hi
absence. The crows, kpowing BY th
wonderful instinct they possess that th
, eagle was wounded, and hating a. the
do all large birds, had swooped down O
the eagle and attacked IL In It's cripple
> condition. This attack had been disa
, trous to the crows, for when William
again reached the spot there lay dead ne'
the enraged eagle, and several others We
n dragging themselves away out Of i
reach, uttering tho sharp, cultural G.
which they only utter when wounded
a In trouble.
The eagle no sooner saw Williams a
proachlng again man IL rusneu at nll
q Williams had made O moose in one end
& the rope he carried, and when the Gag
flew at him he waited until it was almC
upon him, and then quickly threw Il
= moose over the birds head and 1t slipp
II down around the wings. He then thrs
the bag over the bird. As Williams sto
& with his arms around the great body
Q the bird, endeavoring to secure the mou
n of the bag around Its legs, the eagle su
denly sprang against him, and striki
him in the stomach with its one free tale
with one fierce downward stroke, ripp
the clothing from him, and tore the 81
IN from the flesh in long strip clear to
re waist.
,e Williams quickly released the bird, a
:. made haste to reach his house, supposi
70 that he was terribly injured. Two men W
we're thrashing buokwheat for him VI
then informed of the presence of the ca
"a in the woods, and they went to the s.
or and succeeded in overpowering it. I
a. eagle will measure at least eight feet fr
Il tip to tip of its wings, and stands nea
four feet high. These birds still nest
ey in the wild and rocky elevations in I
region.