Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-06-08
A PANTHER HUNT.
A GREENBRIsR COUNTY MANS LIVELY LITTLE
TIME.
Some Queer observation-disclosures ID Fight
Robbers at Work Fatal Accident
General State NOws.

Maj. Randle Blackman, well known
Greenbrier county farmer, had dan
gerouS adventure recently with young
panther which he had been trying to
tame. He had taken the creature when
month-old cub from the mother, which
he had killed last fall, and had reared it
by hand, keeping it confined in small
pen near his residence. The panther,
up to the time it attacked Maj. Black
man, appeared to be quite tame, and
even atfectiOnate toward him, allowing
him to caresS it at will, and deDorting
itself as house cat whenever fendled
or approached, so that the farm
er entertained no fear of it
whatever. He still contends that the
animal showed symptoms of madness,
and otherwise would not have attack I'd
him. He entered the pen one morning
with its breakfast, and perceiving the
panther crOuched in one corner called
to it, thinking perhaps it had rot seen
him, but on the creature Snarling and
showing its teeth he retreated hastily to
the door, He had not time, however, to
leave the pen before the panther with
sudden spring bounded upon him. The
movement was so unexpected that the
Major was wholly unprepared for the
attack and staggered back, nearly losing
his footing, but retaining his hold of
the bucket in which he had carried the
panther's breakfast, brought it down
on the animals head with all the
strength he could summon. Gain
ing moments respite he ran into
the yard, closely pursued by the
panther, which sprang upon him, knock
ing him down, but making no further
attempt to harm him beyond snarling
and bristling at his slightest movement
as it lay at full length on his PROSTATE
body. Major Blackman dared not even
call out for assistance. lest he provoke
the animal into biting him, but his son,
Carter Blackman, seeing from window
his fathers danger, rushed from the
house armed with small revolver, the
only weapon on the place. The boy was
afraid, however, to use the revolver lest
the shot intended for the panther strike
his father, so catching up garden hoe
lying near he attacked the animal with
that. At the first blow the animal
leaped up, and with scream Of rage
flew at the intrepid boy, who struck at
it with the hoe again and again, and
finally stunned it by blow just at the
base of the brain. The animal rolled
over and lay motionless; but, suspicious
of its condition, Major Blackman placed
the revolver to its ear and fired. AS he
did so the panther reused, and turn
ing it head suddenly, prevented the
bullet from entering its brain. 1t in
flicted, however, long, ragged wound
along the side OF the head, laying the
bone open and carrying the ear entirely
away The animal, screaming, and
frothing at the mouth, rolled over and
over on the ground in agony, clawing
the earth and biting at such furious
rate that for time both father and son
feared to approach it. 1t attempted
several times to leap at them, but the
blood, flowing freely from the wound
and filling its eyes, blinded and con-
fused it so that it appeared unable to
locate them. In few minutes it began
to drag itself painfully in the direction
of it's pen, when Blackman, to put it
out OF its suffering, advanced and shot
it in the neck. As was afterward aScer-
tanned the shot severed one OF the larger
veins, and, with the blood Spouting
from the wound, the panther rolled over
dead.
The storm of last Wednesday evening
in the Kanawha valley, was quite seri-
Gus, there being a regular cyclone in the
Witcher'S creek nelShborhoOd. 1t
swooped down on the mountain side and
tore almost every tree off from space
of about an acre, Leaving the earth al
most bare behind it, The house of VIM.
McConahay, which was in its path. was
completely unroofed and one of the
chimneys blown down. The storm then
lifted and the next place it struck was
on Witcher's Creek island, where trees
were twisted off and blown down or torn
up by the roots. The steamer Sonoma
caught a part of the wind and her stage
was lifted up in the air, wrenched
from its faStenings and thrown down on
the deck.
The minerologistS now at work in this
county to ascertain the quantity OF the
iron ores imbedded in our mountains are
meeting with much success. We under
stand that several valuable veins have
been struck from ten to fifteen feet in
thickness or depth, and in other places
the veins run so deep shat the bottom
has not yet been found. No doubt our
hills are full of the precious metal. En-
! couraging reports are being sent to the
various railroad magnateS. and the
only question now as to railroad is,
who will build it?-PendletOn Ne,US.
The vote in Blue Sulphur and Mead
ow Bluff districts, Greenbrier county,
appropriating $4,000 to the capital
stock of the Greenbrier and Gauley rail-
road, resulted: Blue Sulphur-For sub
scrption, PIC; against, 1873. Meadow
Bluff-For, 240; against, 81. The ma
! jority in excess of the necessary two
thirds, in both districts, aggregates &C.
Miss Cynthia Duke died at her home
in Huntington a few days ago. aged so
years. Miss Duke was probably the
largest woman in West Virginia, weigh
ing $50 pounds at the time of her death.
She measured eight feet around the
waist.
The search for Ada WhitecottOn, the
little four-year-old Pendleton county
girl, who wandered away from home
about three weeks ago, has been a6an-
doned, and her whereabouts is as com
plete a mystery as ever.
At Grass Lick, Jackson county, last
Wednesday, there was a violent hail
storm during which pieces of ice, "Sev-