Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-11-26
CATS GONE WILL.
The Thrilling Experience OF a Commercial
Man Ia the Woods Of New Jersey.

man th tne Noous tt new jersey
Owen Clark. a commercial drummer
of Newark \. D., went into the dense
woods about half a mile from the Pas.
sale river. opposite Belleville, one
Sunday aiternoon To look for mush-
rooms, lie was stopping under a
large tree To pluck a little button
when he WIS dashed TO the ground by
the violem; shock Of something that
alightcd ou Tie back Of his neck and
chung tacn' In his bewilderment Mr..
Clark at lir>t supposed the tired had
fallen on lIm, but rs the object that
was holding him down Kissed and
spat furiousiy, his next impression
was that "A whole colony of snakes had
attacked him simultaneously. His
third guess was correct. As his aSSlil.
ant clawed and bit him ferociously he
came to the conclusion that he had
been attacked by a cat. Mr.. Clark is
a powerful man, but his strength was
taxed to its full extent in his effort TO
struggle 10 his feet aud throw OIL his
aggrcssor. lie was badly lacerated
about the head and face, and some
seconds passed before he was able to
see what il was that had hurt him
Then he perceived. standing threaten
ingly before him. a few yards away,
an enormous cal. with glazing eyes
and distended tail. 1t was fully as
large as a wildcat, and il had all the
| appearance of a forest born animal.
with the exception of the fur, which
bore the tiger like stripes common on
the domestic tabby. II had sprung
from the tree, and Mr.. Clark
glanced at the branches he was much
disturbed TO see three other cats, each
as large and fierce looking as the one
that had attacked him, crouching
there, watching the one sided combat,
and evidently quite prepared to take
an active part in il If the fortune OF
war should seem to be going against
their companion.
Mr.. Clark felt that he was over
matched, and he began TO retreat a
tiously. leaving his hat behind him,
and walking backward with his face
toward the enemy. All the cats kept
up a savage splitting AT him, but they
did not pursue him, and he reached
the outskirt Of the wood without fur
Their injury. There he met a party Of
young men who we're hunting SPUR
rels. He showed them his cuts, which
were quite severe, and, procuring
stout sticks, they all went into the
wood TO look for the cats. They found
Mr.. Clark's hat, but the animals had
disappeared.
These creatures are well known 10
persons who frequent the woods that
they have made their home. They
are the progeny of an immense female
cat that some two years ago ran away
from the house Of a colored family
living near Avondale. Some boys
chased her, and she swan across the
PaSSaic river, and escaped into the
brush on the other side. 1t is said that
she had some wildcat blood in her
veins, and. she certainly brought up
her family wholly untrammellcd by
the restraints Of civilization. They
are veritable wild cats, and more than
once unarmed persons have been
severely mauled by them. Boys and
girls do not care 10 go nutting where
the cats have been seen. They have
been ir2 at several time, but they
seem to bear the proverbial multi.
plicity of lives of their tribe, for they
still decimate the birds and rabbits in
mild weather, and raid the surround
ingpoultry yards during the winter.
view York Tribune.