The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1891-03-21
TALE OF AJAGUAR'S TAIL
BOW the Widow Lssthsu Captured . six Han.
drsd Pound Jsgusr--Ths Animal Bs-
siessd Her pomieils for Days
Tho Stery's Sources

journal, the New 1ork tribune,
founded by Horace Greeley. We have
SO many times announced the killing
OF positively the last OF the race. con-
tinues the Tribune. that we hate 10
acknowledge the appearance OF an
other. But individual humiliation
must not be allowed TO stand In the
way OF truth. 30 we freely admit that
another jaguar. perhaps the largest
ever seen. was killed a few days ago
In Arkansas.
In the northwestern part OF Arkan-
sas. about half way between Sweet
Home. Washington county. aud Rob
inson's Cross Roads. Benton county.
lives a woman named Mrs Martha
Leathers. moro generally known AS
tho Widow feathers She is lady Of
some three-score years and ten, and
she has lived alone for the last twenty
years In wild neighborhood, several
miles from the nearest house. About
ten days ago she was awakened one
night by strange noise on the roof.
Hastily dressing. she stepped out of
the one door OF the cabin and looked
up. What was her horror 10 see In
the bright moonlight an immense
jaguar alternately scratching at the
shingles and gnawiDg NJ the corner of
the chimney. and occasionally striking
the roof violently with his tail and
making a loud report The widow
looked only n moment when she quick
ly went back in and bottled the door.
She had no weapons OF any kind.
The night was bitter cold, and IL oc-
Cured 10 her that the beast had prob
ably sought the chimney for warmth.
and that il she built good fire and
got IL thoroughly warmed through.
1t would perhaps go away. She
soon had roaring fire leaping up
the chimney from the big stone fire.
place. As she expected. this pleased
the jaguar. and he ceased scratching
and gnswing and began to purr. maxi
ing sound like "A buzz-saw when it
the shingles with noise which re-
sembled distant thunder. IL the fire
got little low he would slap his tail
on the roof angrily three or four times
with such force that 1t shook the
house.
As IL grew light the widow crept out
OF the door and again surveyed the sit
uation. The jaguar was sitting up on
his launches contentedly purring and
warming his forepaws over the top OF
the chimney. She did not look long.
fearing that he would see her. but
went back, and, the jaguar pounding
the roof with his tail for more fire, she
piled on dozen more sticks OF wood.
She thought that the beast would GER
tainly leave at sunrise, but 1t did not.
1t merely lcaped down aud got one OF
her pigs and returned TO the roof,
where IL devoured the pig and heat for
more fire. This kept up for four days.
two pigs being sacrificed each day, and
an immence amount OF firewood. Some
times the jaguar would sleep for an
hour or SO, but would always wake up
cold and begin pounding on the roof
On the morning OF the fifth day tho
widow feathers decided that something
must be done. IL was growing monot-
pnous. Such a thing would grow mo-
notonous even here in New York.
We should hate 10 have a jaguar on the
OF roof the Tribune building, gnawing
TT the tower and Dulverizing the slate
shingles with his tail to inform the
janltor that his feet were cold.
At 3 o'clock on the fifth day Mrs.
Leathers went into the loft with
three-inch augur. Selecting a time
when the jaguar was purring his
loudest she bored hole in tho roof
about foot and half behind where
she calculated ho sat Her Judgment
was good. and when she looked up
Through the hole she could sec his tail
wagging backward and forward across
L. Reaching out with one hand she
Seized his tail aud drew about two
feet OF IL down through the hole. Be-
fore the beast knew what was going
pn she tied knot In the tail. so that
Az could not be withdrawn. Then,
while the jaguar writhed his body
about and uttered the most terrible
cries ever heard In Northwestern Ar
kansas, she walked three miles through
the woods TO Ben Hawkins place and
got him 10 come over and shoot the
animal. after which sho united the
knot In his tail and allowed Il 10 roll
70 tho ground. II weighed six hum
dred and fifty pounds.
Tho reader will observe that the
circumstances surrounding the killing