The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-06-07
IN A PANTH ER'S JAWS.
Battle With Ferocious Bsast on a
Railroad Track.

bAIGlo Win FeroclouS b EAST on q
Railroad TRACK.
From the 50. Louis Globe Democrat
Mike Donovan, track-walker employed
by the Southern Pacific railroad and in
charge of the section at Stella. Fort Bend
county, Texas, Yves recently attacked by a
large panther, and only with much difficulty
| succeeded in killing the beast. Donovan,
armed only with Ratchet and wrench, was
engaged in his daily inspection of the track,
and had reached part Dor dered on one
side by dense thicker of postoaks, when
his attention was attracted by a rustling in
the underground.
The next moment he was startled by the
panther hurting itself upon him. The
attack was SO unexpected that the man
staggered and fell under the creatures
weight, but managed to deal 1t a blow with
his Ratchet, which, without wounding it
severely, caused 1t to spring from his body
with hoarse cry. Donovan had only tins
to scramble to his feet. however, before the
panther returned to tho attack, screaming
fearfully. He met it with uplifted Ratchet,
and cut 1t deeply about the head and should
ers, but the Infatuated creature, though
bathed in blood, appeared only the more
determined IN its animosity, and sprang
upon its foe with such force as to again fell
him TO the earth, when it endeavored to fix
upon his throat. Unfortunately for the
man, the panther's assault had knocked his
Ratchet from his grasp as be fell, leaving
him with bare hands to grapple with the
snarling, maddened animal tearing at him
with distended claws, and suffocating him
with its fetid breath as its gaping mouth
strained at his throat.
1t was only by the exertion of his utmost
Ak-S - -
grasp ON the panther's throat and SO pre-
vent it from getting at his own, but new
horror confronted him as they struggled
msdly over the pebble-strewn road-bed
The panther had thrown him across the
track, and. In spite of his frantic efforts to
throw it off, held him with bis back across
the rails.
The shrill whistle Of the afternoon train
here warned him of the approach of hor-
rible death, and, literally sick with terror,
be exerted himself with q strength borne of
desperation, aud succeeded tor a moment In
so crushing the panther's throat that the
beast gasping for breath, relinquished its
hold sufficiently to enable him to roll to
one side of the track. before he could rise,
however. the panther fell upon him again
aud as they closed in their deadly embrace
the long train swept by. Donovan says
that so close were they to the track that the
passed. He screamed Justify for help but
suppOses that the noise of the train pre-
vented his cries from being heard.
The panther appeared frightened out of
its senses by the thunder of the locomotive,
and springing up from Donovans body
made for the woods, screaming at every
jump. The Irishman here was enabled to
recover his footing, and seized his wrench
that lay near, then running to an adjacent
tree, braced himself against it, awaiting
the return Of the panther, which, on seeing
the train disappear, advanced toward him
as undaunted as at first Donovan raised
the heavy wrench as it reached him, and
brought It down with full force on its head.
The blow sent the creature reelipg to one
side.
The man, with another blow, succeeded
in knocking it over and stunning it, when,
running for his hatchet, he dispatched the
animal by nearly severing the head from
the body. Donovan was badly scratched
about the limbs and breast, and pretty
much exhausted by his fearful struggle, but
otherwise uninjured. The panther was a
large one, of species known as gray CATS"
and bore the marks Of q still infiamed gun
shot wound, given probably by some hun
ter, and which had evidently run the ami
NAL mad.