The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1895-05-22
ALEXANDRIA La, WEDNESDAY MAY %. 1885,
IMPRISONED BY WILDCATS.

IMPRISONED BY WILDCATS.
A Negro Fishcrman's Tale Of Siege He
Experienced Under Cart.
Old Jedge Spence, we'll known
negro fisherman of this place, had
an experience with wildcats. He
was returning from Milford on the
lower turnpike that skirts the Hou-
satonic river shortly after dark,
dragging his familiar old two wheel
ed wooden cart. Tho cart was empty,
for the old man had just carried
down to the village fish market a
couple of bushels of soft CLAIMS, and
having disposed of them was on his
way home. He was tired, and al
though the cart was light the road
is uphill nearly MI the way, and his
progress was slow.
just as he was passing through
Widow Benham's woods, which ad-
join the Grinnell place on the north,
he heard a low moaning upon the
ridge to tho right and back of him.
The jedge knew well enough what
the sound was, for he had not for
gotten an encounter of fortnight
ago with wildcats. He began to run
at sort of fast jog, still keeping
hold Of his cart pole. His speed
would have been greater if he had
left the vehicle behind, but no didn't
think of that. Before he had run a
dozen steps he heard tho mournful
cry answered from tho river bank
on his left not 100 yards ahead Of
him. He stopped and listened and
could hear the calls come nearer,
showing that The cats were closing
in on him. To add to his panic the
old ex-slave discovered on feeling in
his blouse that his graveyard rab-
bits left hind foot was not in its ao-
oustomed place. With no charm to
help him, he began to plan a way
out of the scrape. First it occurred
to him that he mightswim across to
Duck island near the Stratford
shore, but as the water was so cold
and the island @ full mile away he
gave up that scheme. At tho mo-
ment no abandoned it the brush
cracked right behind him, and turn
ing he saw q 1.-the, dark body emerg-
ing into the road. Quickly he over
turned his deep sided little cart in
the road and crawled under it.
Soon he heard the low calls close
by, and then came a distinct sniff at
the edge of the cart. The sniff was
satisfactory, it seemed, for the two
beasts now began paving away at
the dirt under each edge. The jedge
waited until he thought they had
scooped quite little cavity and one
intruding paw had torn his coattail,
and then he managed to shift the
cart along by easy jumps till he had
travelled a yard or more. After one
or two of these mining ventures the
wildcats decided t'haS6 tho process
was too slow. They then proceeded
to Jump on the wheels and tried to
pry the whole thing over. Fearing
they would succeed, tho old man
thrust one finger out through knot.
hole in the bottom Of the cart SO
that he might hold 1t down. With
yell one Of his enemies struck the
finger and ripped it open. All he
could do after that was to press his
knees and shoulders against the sides
and ends of the cart and pray thai
his muscles would not give out.
The cats next tried to force the
cart out of the road down the rive
bank, and they nearly succeeded
Luckily they pushed it against
post, and there it stuck. A fur.
seemed to seize the pair at this fail
ure, for they both sprang on the OF
Tending cart and began to tear ant
splinter the boards. They had sue
ceeded in loosening q board in on
side when the sound of approaohin!
wheels was heard. The jedge SO
up loud calls for help, and the wild
cats crawled back into the brush
They leaped out again on the new
Corners, who turned out to be Ler
Smith and Lighthouse Charley Bald
win. Lem carries a good old fash
toned six shooter, and he speedil
let down one of the pair and wount
ed it's mate so that 1t fed. The
righted the Garland found the jedg
nearly dead with cramps and fear
Wheeler's Farms Comm Cor. Ne
York Sun.
: Almost q Suicide.
Weiss, tho opera singer, was
very handsome man, but SO thi
that he wore what on the stage
, called a "shape"-a complete suit
!. padding from neck to ankles, wo,
! next the skin. One night he w
, playing in an opera in which
{ wore flowing robes and was able
dispense with it. In the course
3 the performance an appalling shri,
!. astounded the players, and a cor
I phee rushed into the greenroom wi