The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1895-12-19


One OF the most important events
that has transpired for many years oc
Cured recently on the farm Of Edward
Praxton, at the top Of the mountains
near Hopewell, New Jersey. 1t was un.
doubtedly the fiercest and strangest bat.
tie that was ever fought between fowl,
beast and bird.
The participants were gray eagle,
land turtle, dog, two cats aud rooster,
and the result of the battle is two dead,
one dying and another cripple for
life. The land turtle alone came out of
the fray unscratched. It is thirty. five
FOUNDER and is kept chained to stake
just inside the wirecircled summer yard
set apart for new broods of incubator
chickens. Its presence there is suppos.
ed to protect the chickens from weasels.
The turtle has developed something of
his snapper" brother since being
chained.
Just out of reach of Mr.. Turtle one
of Praxton's black cats was lying with
litter of kittens around her. Beside
the mother cat old Tom lay summing
himself. Tom had killed eight chicken
hawks in his time, Farmer Praxton
says.
Suddenly there was Tapping of
wings, and over the wire screen few q
big gray eagle. The bird was evidently
after an old rooster that was in the
yard; but, miscalculating his distance he
lit on the ground in the smaller coop
like yard. When the bird lit he struck
the mother cats tail and instinctively
closed his talons down on it.
In the twinkle of an eye the fight was
on. The cat screamed and then jumped
for the eagles throat, which she couldn't
reach. The feathers flew, strong wings
beat the plucky cat, and the screaming
and screaching was deafening. Praxton
and Joe Clandening, his hired man,
i rushed into the coop. The big tom cat,
the hawk. killer, jumped into the fray
and attempted to seize the eagle by the
throat. For his pains he received a dig
from the eagles beak which tore off
two irches of skin The eagle released
the mother cat aud attempted to get
out of the penlike coop, but the half
roof prevented his escape, and as it
again lit on the ground both cats made
for it. Nearly all the feathers were
scratched from the birds noble breast
and it was bleeding freely. Old Tom
was tore in several places and 80 was
the mother cat.
Suddenly the eagle caught Tom in his
talons, and as he did 30, again attempt.
ed to make off. Just at this moment
the old rooster was struck by the tip of
of the eagles wings, and like a game
cock he rushed at the eagle who pecked
him just back of the neck, tearing open
the flesh and nearly severing the
neck. Then the mother cat, almost
covered with her own blood and that of
Tom, was fighting the eagle single hand
ed. With "Sic'em, Peter Clenden.
ing succeeded in inducing an old cur
dog to enter the coop. The dog joined
the battle against the eagle.
During the melee the innocent turtle
chained to the stake had several times
been tackled but apparently took no
offence. When Pete, the dog, joined
the fight he forced the eagle again to the
turtles side of the coop, and still hold.
ing to the tom cat, the birds free leg
several times struck the turtles head.
Suddenly the head shot forth, and the
next instant the eagles leg was seized
between the bony jaws of the turtle.
With scream the bird released Tom
and turned his attention to the turtle.
His beak made no impression on the
turtles shell, and the latter retained
his hold on the eagles leg. Once the
eagle rose couple OF feet in the air
and lifted the turtle clear off the ground.
The bird returned his attack on the
dog, with the result that the cur went
jumping into far corner. Then, max.
ing supreme effort, the eagle broke
from the turtle, escaped from the pen
and scared slowly and laboriously over
the mountain.
The fight lasted perhaps five minutes
all told, Praxton says: On entering the
coop he found that the old rooster was
dead, and 80 was the tom cat. The
mother cat was almost skinned alive,
and is dying. Pete, the dog has ap.
parently lost an eye, he is terribly lacer.
ated. Praxton says he cannot live.
The coop was strewn with eagles
feathers and blood and on going near to
where the big land turtle was chained
Paxton picked up what can be nothing
else than the foot and about an inch
and half of the leg OF the eagle, which
had been bitten off by the turtle.
No excuse for sleepless nights when
you can procure One Minute Cough
Cure, This will relieve all annovances