The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-03-03
a WILDCAT UNDER HER BED.
And After a one-sided Scrap Her Life
was Saved by a Young Girl.

was Saved by a Young Girl.
From he Philadelphia Times.
Arkadelphia, Ark, Feb l4--Mrs Han
nah Claiborne, an aged lady of this county
and the mother of two of the most proti-
nent farmers of this vicinity, was badly
bitten few nights ago by wildcat that
attacked her in her bedroom, and which
would in all probability have killed her
had 1t not been for the timely arrival and
assis ance of her l6-ycar-old grand
daughter Rosa Lennon, who finally de-
spaUched the animal
Mrs. Claiborne had been ill and had re-
tired early TO her room on the night men
TONED, leaving the other members of the
family togo TO services at the church in
town, the old lady residn g with her son,
VINO owns pla, e some seven or eight
miles from this city. As was her custom,
she stopped down 10 look under her bed
before getting into it, and saw that there
was some 90 ect under it. Her eyesight
being bad, she was unable to make out
the object, beyond the fact that it was
not man, and selling the broom she
tried 10 dislodge it by poking it out with
this weapon.
She was soon startled by hearing the
object give cry OF fury and pain, and
was next upset by the thing flying from
under the bed with q suddeness and
strength that took her so by surprise
that she was unable to cry out for help.
The creature, large wildcat, few at the
old ladys throat and attempted to seize
her by it. but with such strength a. she
possessed she held it back, though this
was accomplished with such trouble that
she could not throw of the cat which
chung to her, tearing her garments and
scratching her desh most cruelty with its
claws.
At this point Miss Rosa Lennon re-
turned from a visit she had been paying
at neigh boris, and before going TO her
own room paid a call to the door to her
grandmothers to see if the old lady
wanted anything for the night But on
knocking and receiving no reply she CON
cluded that Mrs. Claiborne had gone to
church with the others, and was about to
go on to her own apartment when she
heard her grandmother family struggling
and the cat gave snarl as the old lady
attempted TO cry out, though the weight
on her chest kept her from gaining her
breath sufficiently for this
she threw open the door, and, seeing
the cat, ran back and cried to her father
for assistance, thinking him in his sitting
room, but finding that he, too, had gone.
she entered his room, and, taking down
his rife, went back with it to where she
lltiA 4Clb lACI dSCu IGLetbiN6' WHO Idu DY
this time tainted. The wildcat still clung
to the body, and only turned its head as
the girl entered.
Fearing to fire lest she wound her
grandmother, Miss Lennon sought by
some strategy TO induce the cat to leave
the PROSTATE body of the old lady, but
though she threw books and such things
as were not likely to hurt her grand
mother if they went astray, the animal
refused to leave, and atlast Miss Lennon
gave it up, and started over to a neigh
boris to procure assistance.
In passing through the hall, however,
she happened to see a large buggy whip
standing behind the door. and. Selling
this, she returned to the room and struck
at the cat, lashing it severely about the
head. The creature spraug up with a
scream, and watching her chance, the
girl fired, but the shot went astray and
only cut away part of the door The cat
rushed at her and the girl stepped back,
slipping behind the door until she could
aim again.
From this coiGn of VANTAGE she fired.
this time killing the cat by sending the
entire contents of the rife into its BODY
1t was found that the cat was suffering
already with terrible wound in its side,
where, in all probability some hunter had
shot it some days before, and that it had
entered the house in search of water, and
then had crept under the bed to die. Mrs
Claiborne, though badly hurt, has nearly
recovered from her scratches, but still
suffers from the nervous shock.