The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1884-02-28

w Hc.i OOlc OliCuS d!iu -AeTdS6Tie
was i'll this upper country; !. few years
ago, many of our readers may possibly
remember having heard of the escape
OF a large lynx and leopard from til, ir
cage while crossing the country be-
tween Fergus Falls and Morris. They
escaped through the bars which were
broken by the overturning of the
wagon when they were travelling, the
driver of the wagon being very SER
riously injured; and, in consequence
the horses ran away and were not
captured until late at night. Although
search was made in every direction
no trace Of the fugative leopard or
lynx could be found, nor was there
any trace until late in the season,
when a resident of this county who
was hunting in upper Grant county.
shot and killed the lynx which had
ferociously attacked him. The farm.
ers in the vicinity hal been losing
sheep. calves, etc., without being
able to find any clue to the thieves,
and were very much astonislied when
the news was circulated that the lynx
had been killed. Many of them had
read the story of the escape of these
animals, in their local papers, but re-
garded it as hoax Or an advertising
effort on the part of the Circus man
ayers. There had been one or two
mysterious sdisappearances after night
fail, in Grant and upper Stevens, and
it was then thought that the leopard
had destroyed and eaten these indl-
viduals; this. however. has never
been verified by the production of the
bones. In the woods Of eastern
Grant in the unsettled neighborilood.
near Ashby, the occasional traveller
has caught \ glimpse now and then of
a monster-like cat. which although
fully able to cope with good sized
man. was never known to a'tack the
traveller. The farm houses in the
vicinity suffered severely from the
depredations of the r,onster and
many were the Plans laid for it's cap
ture. but they all failed although we
are told that tho animal entered the
very village of Ashby, AMI stole
enough mutton for weeks food
while the inhabitants were taking
their noon day meal. Miss Gunhitd
Severson the daughter Of a well
known farmer. lately deceased, was
returning to her horne last week.
when her horse suddenly TOOK fright,
overturned her in the snow aud then
ran away. Miss Severson soon dis
covered the cause OF the horses
alarm, which,as she described it, was
the largest wild animal that she had
ever seen. The young l,dy realized
her danger and began at unce to look
around for means To ohyiate it, and as
good fortune would have it she found
them close by. II mnng the purchases
she had made, and was bringing home
was some fresh meat and Il large
quantity or loose arsenic 10 roisun
rats with. lit being well known how
prevalent these pests are in the vicin.
ity of the timber4 The young lady saw
in q moment how utterly impossible
1T was to try to escape hy running
away, and reaching over to where the
parcels lay as they had been fiung
from the sleigh, she opened the paper
containing tie arsenic and covered
the inside OF large beef steak will,
it. and flung it TO the leopard, which
Immediately devouretl it, and was
almost as quickly seized with fright.
full spasms Of pain, resulting in almost
instant death. Tie horse hav.
ing reached the young Ia.
|dy's home without her. as.
sis: lance was soon hr ,ught 70 our nm ,
heroine. and it is safe to say tnat a
more marked evidence Of presence of
mind has never been chronicled ill,n
that displayed hy Miss Severson in
the above encounter. The leopard
(for 1t proved 10 be the Identical
animal which had escaped several
years befOre) measured nine fact
from the end Of b nose to the tip OF
his tail. and is i much PRICED trophy.
Miss Severson has received many
Offers for the skin but has refused
them all. The young lady il nov
visiting some friends lii Stevens
county and is the object Of much a..
tention. 5