The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-05-26
A BATTLE WITH A LION
An Immense One of the Mexican
Species Makes a Furious
Fight.
Several Dogs Killed by the Brute
and One Hunter Badly
Mangled.
A Track Walker Kills a Large Panther
With a Hatchet-He Had a Mar
row Escape.

BRAzoR1A, Tex, May 2b.-The negroes of
the vicinity have been complaining for the
past two weeks OF some enormous animal
prowling about the country, and which sew
erel of them claimed to have seen; but the
story of the presence of any unusual crea-
ture was not credited until n day or two
ago, when a white laboser employed on the
Retrieve plantation came across the animal
in the act of devouring a young calf. The
calf had gotten out of its pasture and
strayed into a strip of timber about a mile
from the plantation, and through which
Davis, the laborer spoken of, CHANGED to be
riding, He says he was suddenly startled
by some creature bounding suddenly past
him out of a cluster of bushes, and saw
1t disappear through the thicket. The
moment after the frightened below of a
calf reached him, and riding hastily for
ward, he came upon the beast that he had
Seen, lying prone upon the PROSTATE body
OF the calf. He was unarmed save for u
small pistol, but he discharged this at the
marauder, which he took to be an norm
panther. 1t spranR up growing and show
ing its teeth, when he again fired at it, this
time %wounding it slightly in the jaw, at
which it turned and ran away. He thought
it best not to pursue it further without a
Gun and returned home to give the alarm.
His story received fresh confirmation soon
after by the discovery on surrounding plan
tations of mangled carcasses of calves,
young colts and cattle, showing that they
had been overpowered and partially de-
voured by some enormous beast of prey,
and that this creature WAS a member of the
feline race was evinced by the fact that all
of it's victims were torn in the throat,
through which wound the blood had been
sucked.
The local nimrods were much ruzzled to
identify the animal, as pa nthers and wild
cats are the largest wild beasts to be met
with, II the Indications were unmistak-
ably those of a creature much larger and
stronger than either. A hunting party was
Immediately organized. and pounds started
on the trail from the carcass of the calf
Davis had seen killed, when the scent led
straight to 3 small but dense swamp living
close to the Brazos. The dogs entered this
without hesitation, and were soon lost
sight of by the hunters, who, owing to the
Doggy character of the ground, were obliged
to follow on foot. but succeeded in over
taking the hounds after a mile or two,
when they found them engaged i'll a terrible
combat with an animal Frank Bates pro-
nounced to be a huge Mexican lion.
The dogs were fighting valiantly, but
were evidently getting the worst of
the affair. as several lay deed and 9TH
ers MORALLY wounded, were painfully drag
elng themselves to one side. After some
difficulty they were finally called off. and
a volley of shot poured into the lion. with
out, however, appearing to affect it in the
least. Snarling viciously and bristling
with rage it crouchod for n second anu
hurled itself bodily upon Jim Pinckney,
who happened to be slightly in advance OF
the others, knocking his gun from his hand
and throwing him violently to the ground.
As then attempted to lay hold of his throat,