Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1891-10-09
THE MAN KILLER.
BY NJ. QUAD.

We had almost reached the source
of the Nerbudda River, in the Prov
ince of Bengal, India, when we heard
of q man-eating tiger which had ter
rorized space of country as large as
any two counties in the state of New
York. The Bengal tiger is held up by
| showmen and others to be the largest
and fiercest in India. While this i,
not a fact, as all tigers are alike in
disposition and when full grown dc
not differ much in size, our informant
put this animal down as something OF
a wonder. 1t was, he declared, the
largest tiger ever seen in that district,
and the animal was positively without
fear. There were five native villages
in the district where he roamed, and in
five months he had killed and devoured
over 40 people. lie had finally grown
so bold that most of the people had
fed from the district, while the area
of cultivated land had been reduced
by two-thirds.
No foreigner can understand the
feelings of native of India towards
this dreaded animal, the tiger. Fear
and superstition and helplessness are
all mixed up, and between them the
beast has his own sweet way until
some white man GENES along and
offers to rid the district of the terrible
pest. The idea of whole villages be.
ing abandoned becausa a tiger was
prowling around strikes one as alb
surd, but such had been the case there,
A..d act aLe dig sIatest vGUlb llitu uceII
made to kill the beast. lie had be-
come so emboidened that he would
enter village by daylight, select his
victim and trot away with the poor
wretch, unmindful of the hullabaloo
raised by the terrified villagers who
had escaped his teeth and claws.
Next morning, after receiving the
news, we broke camp and marched
across Ithe country to one of the vii
lagos, arriving there about mid-after-
noon. We found the entire popu.
lace shut up in their cabins and in
mortal terror, as the beast had visited
them the night before, broken into 0
cabin and killed three persons. One
of these-a man-had been dragged
off to the thickets, leaving plain trail.
The village consisted of about
eighty huts which were scattered ovel
two acres of ground To the west OF
it was densely wooded country, and
the thickets came down to within q
few rods of the huts. The tiger had
his lair in this forest, and always
camo down along nullah or creek,
which was dry at that season.
1t is a fact that has been verified {
hundred times that a man-e eating tigel
somehow discovers the presence OF
white hunters about. This fellow had
been in the habit of walking into tho
village daily for two weeks, but wc
knew that he need not be expected on
the first night of our arrival. w
watched for him at three different
points, but every thing was quiet as il
lie had fed the neighborhood. Mex
day we laid our plans. The tiger
might come by the nullah again, buI
it was more than probable that ht
would take some other route, | was Il
occupy hut at the head of the vii.
lage, the Judge one in the centre anC
the Colonel was to be intrenched SO as
to cover the usual approach.
The tents were very primitive
affairs, being made of light poles an(
having matched roofs. The one
occupied belonged to the family re
Gently slaughtered by the tiger
Though knowing the great risk they
ran. they had left a window at til,
back end unguarded. The animal ha(
leaped in through this hole, which
was eight feet above the earth, and
after killing the man, had attacked
wife and child simply from desir,
to slay. He had gone ont of the win
dow holding to the mans body, ant
had even walked through tile villag,
carrying the dead in his mouth as
cat does a mouse.
During the day they told us severa
stories, showing the remarkable bold
ness and ferocity of the beast. o.
his first appearance in the neighbor
hood he had wayldid three womel
going to the spring for water. Thi
was about an hour before sundown
Hg killed two and terribly clawed III,
third before she got away. lie di,
not drag the bodies away or eat an,
portion of them, and that was proc
that he killed for the sake of KILN.
and was far more dangerous than Tia
average mans eater.