Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-16
HUNTING A PANTHER.
Connecticut Farmers Go Cunning for
a Big Marauding Beast.
1T HAS TERRORIzED A COUNTY.
Terrific Fight Between 1t and Ferocious
Bull 1t Attacked.
CARRIES OFF CALVES AND CHICKENS

Especial TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPATCH.)
DANBURY, Aug. ia big panther i.
terrorizing the farmers in the neighborhood
of Beaver Brook Mountain, and hunting
party has been organized and will start out
tonight to capture the beast. 1t is Q
ferocious fellow, half as big as a calf and as
active as a cat, and stops in a cave in the
mountain, where it was tracked Tuesday by
Henry Somers, who was in search of a lost
calf. He found lot of bones at the en-
trance to the cave and part of the carcass
of his lost calf. A big panther was killed
over on the north side of the mountain last
fall, and this one is believed to be one of its
offspring or its mate.
The panther has grown very bold, and
during the past two weeks it has been fire.
quently seen prowling about the back yards
and farm houses at the foot of the noun
tain, and last week party of children who
were picking berries on the mountain side
met the animal in the woods, but they ran
and screamed and the panther turned tail
and disappeared.
ITS SCREAMS ARE AWFUL.
1t has frightened several persons nearly
out of their wits by its unearthly screams,
but it seems to be a coward in the presence
of human beings, for it has nevor attacked
anybody. Wednesday at midnight John
Griffing, who lives just at the foot of the
mountain on the east side, was awakened by
a commotion and the believing of a bull in
a field about 100 yards from the house.
There have been several cases of cattle
stealing in the neighborhood, and Farmer
Griffing's first thought was that thief had
yentured into the field and was being killed
by the bull, which is an ugly creature.
Awakening his hired man, he seized
club and hurried out. Instead of the thief
he expected, he found the bull engaged in
battle with a strange, cat-like animal. There
was new moon, and it was light enough to
discern the animals across the field. Mr.
Grifing sent the hired man back for gun,
while he crept stealthily forward under the
shadow of the stone wall which enclosed the
combatants. Then he.
WITNESSED A THRILLING SPECTACLE.
The bull had its adversary at bay and was
endeavoring to catch the animal upon its
horns. But the smaller animal sprang
aside each time and the bull rushed by and
turned and charged again, believing with
rage at its disappointment At length the
big cat tired of such play and as the bull
charged again it darted past, then turned,
and, with bound, landed squarely upon
the bulls back. The bull, snorting and bel
lowing this time with pain as well as rage,
dashed off across the field endeav,ring all
the while to shake off the burden But the
animal clung to its foe, sinking its claws
into the bulls flesh at every step.
Just as the bull dashed toward Farmer
Griffings' hiding place the man approached |
with the gun and the strange animal, catch !
ng sight of him, jumped from the bulls |
back and moment later was gone in the |
darkness. The bull was terribly lacerated |
md had to be shot.
One night last week Mr.. Somers, who dis
overed the panther's hiding place, went
nto his yard very late and the sBme strange |
nimal darted away from the chicken coop,
nd, with scream that awakened every