The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-10-09
THE MAN-EATER'S JAWS.
Six Villages in Iudia Devastated by Tigers
in Broad Day.

Six Villages in Iudia Devastated by Tigers
in Broad Day.
From the London Times
Mr.. II. G. Turner, acting agent to
the government of Vizagapatam,
writes to the chief secretary to the
Madras government from Lothudedda
on June 3, 1884, as follows: 81 have
the honor to report that the neighbor-
hood of this village, together with the
adjoining villages belonging to Gan
gareZ Madgole, are infested with man
eating tigers to such an extent as to
render some special measures
being taken for their destruction
matter of the most urgent i'm
portance. During the last four months
upwards of forty people have been
killed in the vicinity of the police sta
lions of Paderu, Nandapoor, Padawa
and Sujankota. In the neighborhood
where 1 am now encamped, which is
within the circle of the Lamsinghi
police station, upwards Of thirty-fve
people have been killed in the last
twelve months, and in both places
there is a weekly recurrence of deaths
from the same cause. The panic that
exists here is terrible. People will not
go out of their houses after dark.
They are obliged to gather in large
parties to go to market; villages are
deserted; cultivation is pursued under
the greatest difficulty and in constant
trepidation. This morning L was
shown deserted village abandoned
on account of the tiger terror.
Recently man and his wife were
ploughing near this abandoned
village, when tiger attacked the man
in the middle of the day. He hit him
with bill-hook, and the tiger turned
oh the woman and carried her off be.
fore his eyes. On the same road 1 was
shown two spots whre the tiger carried
oil two men in enc day. Yesterday 1
was shown place where tiger
sprang upon constable, knocked
him down, and mauled him so sv erely
that he died the next day. This con-
stable was one of a guard who were
escorting about one hundred
people home from market. Three
days ago village munsit came to see
me, with the story that tiger got
into his yard, in the middle Of vii
lage, and seized his wife, and, al
though he beat it off, the poor woman
died the next day.
81 think it likely that this UMPIRE
cedented human slaughter may arise
from an unusual dearth of firearms
in the country. 1t is clear to me that
if something is not done to stop these
ravages the country side will be
gradually depopulated. 1 should say
that at least six villages have been
abandoned quite recently from this
cause, and this means that lands
have fallen out of cultivation,
that the people try to live on
jungle produce, aid, failing that, go
off to the plains us laborers. 1t is not
only the absolute danger to life that
we have to think about, but likewise
this disastrous stopping of all agri-
cultural operations. 1t is horrible to
contemplate the feelings OF a poor Ia
borer going out for his days work to
a field a few hundred yards from his
house, with the knowledge about him
that there is an even chance of his be-
ing carried away from the side of his
plough, or that his wife may be seized
when she is bringing him his midday
meal. Yet this is, and must be, the
attitude of mind of every man in this
country who pursues the usual peace
full avocation of the husbandman."