Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-08-20
A BRAVE MEXICAN WOMAN
Rescued Child From n Fierce and
Hungry Jaguar.

Hungry Jaguar.
Great excitement prevailed in the
community of Magdalena, Mexico, a
few days ago when 1t was reported that
the 3-years-old child of Senior Antonio
Lopez, wealthy ranchman of the
vicinity, had been carried off by an
enormous wild animal, supposed to be
iaguar, but doubts were entertained of
the truth of the story till Lopez sent
word to his personal friends to aid him
in recovering, if possible, his child,
when a posse of 30 or 40 Immediately
started out to scour the country. 1t
seems that the lost little one had been
taken to walk by its older brother and
sisters, a boy of 10 and girls of 8 and
10, and the party had ventured into
dense thicket lying just outside of their
fathers ranch.
Little Juan was left sitting by himself
while the Others scattered about looking
for berries, &c, when his sudden scream
brought them running, only in time to
see the beast, which the children could
not identify, catch him in its jaws by
his garments and rush into the depths
of the thicket. The boy pursued him,
but only succeeded in frightening the
animal into run, while the little girls
ran shrieking to the house to summon
help. Meeting couple Of the herders,
they explained what had happened,
when the men set out on run for the
spot. They only succeeded, however,
in oyertaking the boy Juan, who had
lost sight of the running animal, and
could only indicate the mountains
in general way as the course it had
taken. The men hurried on, but, owing
to the dryness of the earth, were unable
to discover any trace of the jaguar ex-
cept from single shred OF a garment
worn by the little boy.
In the meantime Jesus Lopez had
been notified of the occurrence and the
posse Of nimrods had set out for the
mountains provided with bloodhounds,
which soon discovered the animals trail.
Following these the party reached a
small farm planted on the mountain
side, where they found a woman, who
was leading the lost child. She explained
that she had killed the iaguar, rescuing
the child, and was taking it back in
search of Its parents. The GOODNESS of
the woman and the extraordinary feat
NauoCl NliC party " AOuDL AilC
when she offered TO show them the car
cass of the animal and the weapon with
which she had dispatched it, and fol-
lowing her behind the wretched shanty
which was her home they found the
dead jaguar and beside it the bloody hoe
which had been this humble heroine's
only weapon. She gave the story briefly
and stated that she had been the only
person at home and was engaged in
working her garden spot when she heard
the frightened crying Of child in d
clump Of bushes close at hand.
Running TO the spot she saw the
| 1aguar, which seemed exhausted, lying
painting close to the child, which it had
dropped, but was watching as cal
might q mouse. AT the sight Of her the
animal sprang out snarling and made 9
| dash at the little one, US If to seize i
once more, but before it could lay hole
OF the child, the woman, placing herself
| between them, struck at the iaguar witt
the hoe, which she had never though
to drop. She missed the creature, tina
now turned on her and sprang upon he
with a cry of rage. She fell with thu
jagnar, but managed to roll to one sid,
and get upon her feet before the ANNA
recovered itself for another spring.
again rushed at her open-mouthed, whei
she struck it with hoe, woundlng il ii
the back and bringing the blood.
The animal rolled over on the grounC
in agony, vainly essaying to reach tn
wound, while the woman, snatching til,
child, ran in the direction of the cabin
but finding herself pursued by tn
jaguar, which on discovering their fligh
came springing after them with lou,
cries, she crouched behind a mass o
cactus plants, hoping their thorny iron
would prove barrlcade for them Tn
animal, however, seemed literally craze,
by the wound, and gathered itself 70
one tremendous leap, and cleared tn
cactus. striking on its head, it ap
pcared to be dazed for moment, whel
the woman, taking advantage of il
dizzy condition, brought her weapo
down upon its skull with such force q
to crack il, 1t died instantly, and, pick
ing up the child, she returned To iii
shanty, where she fed the little fellow
and arranging her dress, which ha
nearly been torn from her body. whe
the iaguar sprang upon her, had il.
started for the valley when she met til
, hunters.
i The woman, whose name is AMT
!, Delgado, is poor, ignorant creatur
: and scarcely seem to realize the nobilit
, of her deed, but to have acted solel
upon tho instinct of mother to guard
child. She is Of slight frame, and onl
about 5 feet in height, but very stror
from the life she leads. A purse