The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-01
ATTACKED BY FIVE OWLS.
a Farmer Who Had to Run for His
Life From the Infuriatcd' Birds.
From the Philadelphia Times.

From the Philadelphia Times.
Along toward midnight a short time
ago, Alonzo Hicks, a farmer, living near
here, went up on High Hill chestnut!ng.
There is a chestnut tree there that is
very old, and it produces nuts of extra
ordinary size The tree is known among
chestnut gatherers as the "old veteran"
and every year there is strife among
the residents in the neighborhood over
who shall get the biggest end of the
crop. Hicks thought he would steal a
march this year. and visited the tree
about week earlier than usual.
The odd veteran" shows signs Of Ge-
cay. Its rugged trunk is hollow, and
holes have been cut into 1t by wool
peckers and squirrels from top to bot
TOM
Hicks pulled off his coat, and, raatcn-
ing a heavy mallet with which to pound
the limbs, to his waist, climbed TO the
tnImost branches and began TO hammer
them. The frosts had not been heavy
enough TO open the burrs so that they
would yield the nuts freely, and Hicks
had TO do some pretty heavy pounding IN
order to get any results.
He was slowly working his way down
the tree, hammering as he Went, when
his attention was attracted to a large
mole IN the trunk, from which squeak
ing sound came. Curious TO learn Wnat
made the noise, Hicks put his eye - the
hole and tried to make out what was be-
n
he couldn't see anything. but the squeak
ing kept on.
Raising mis- mallet, Hicks struck the tree
trunk heavy blow near the hole, and the
next instant he was knocked off his feet
by blow in the face. He fell oYer, but
managed to save himself from going 70
he ground by catching a limb. Before he
could get good foothold on the uabs he
was dealt another terrific Nblow or the
back of the head and another in the back.
Hicks hadn't yet been able to get s.ghs
nT1TtDIE know
4 what it was that was whacklng away at
ann, made an extra effort, and hnally sue
eeiled IA getting astrlde OF IIn1. JUST
g. ne did SO there was chorus OF angry
slaeals, and three immense owls Owed
al his head.
Hicks threw up his arms to protect his
lace, and as he did so two more of the
n h.rds emerged from the hole in the trunk
II ol the tree and threw themselves against
~ with all their might.
Ine blows staggered Hicks, but ne man
d-ed TO keep his seat and just as one CT
~ largest of the owls swooped down on
nm, he raised the mallet and hit 1t a
AZ that sent it tiuttering to the ground.
The fall of one of their number APP
JARED to set the remaining four birds
Ky. and they charged the man in a
.iy. Hicks managed to protect his face,
one of the birds sent his beak into one
ms hands, and wounded it so painfully
I4l the man dropped the maliet He was
io& defenseless, and the birds kept up a
.ely tattoo on his head and body.
illtAs hat had been knocked off, and
mead was exposed to the beaks and
'"s Of thehngry birds, who took advan-
-e of the fact, and clawed out his hair
iore up his scalp until the blood began
lNckle down his face
Ae owls were making a desperate effort
st at the mans face, but he kept II
tered with his arms. His shirt sleeves
r. torn TO shreds, and the flesh of his
was lacerated fearfully.
was all that Hicks could do to keen
position on the limb, the owls came
-nst him with such force and finally,
~ that he was getting the worst Of
usht, concluded that discretion was
better part of valor, and, keeping his
under cover as much as possible, de-
H-ed the tree
iealing like mad the owls followed the
NoWn, dancing Jig on his back and
HHB his head numerically Tho back
III -7 vest was torn out completely, and
r7nft was ripped into ribbons.
III As managed TO get 10 the ground. but
ds no better able 10 protect himself
" Hst the birds than before and, turn
a -al ne started to run. The birds were
I'll l9r business. and they kept after
~ never missing an opportunity 20 ger
iiek with their bills and talons.
Ns HFed about a mile from High Hill
PC spirited for home az "a pace thai
-'4 nave made a professional runner en-