The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-04-15

The Strange visitor That Came In the Night
to Ranchman McMahon's Bedside.

Is II possible that there II, after all, n ground
work Of truth under the old Indian belief that
when a victor eats the heart Of a fallen foe he
inherits the desirable qualities Of that foe? 4
case came to the attention Of the police surgeon
this morning which reminds one very forcibly
Of that legend.
NJ. j. Mcmahon. a ranchman living near River
Bend on the Union Pacific road. eighty three miles
east Of Denver, came into town this morning
for surgical treatment, and the story he tells II
weird and startling in the extreme. MI. Mcmahon
Is not much interested in the psychic phenomena
involved, nor Is that To b. expected when he ap
prehends that he Is in danger OF hydrophObia,
The prevention Of that dread malady and not the
solution Of the problem 81 transmig ration or
kindred questions is what brings him 20 Denver,
Mr.. McMahon is q widnwnr, and lives with
two II his hired hands at his ranch, Yesterday
morning he was awakened about 3 O'Clock by q
heavy blow against the window near his bed.
He lay still and listened, and presently he again
heard a sound asof a body being hurled against
the window. Three times this was repeated,
and at the fourth blow the window gave way
with a loud sound II splintering frame and fall
ing glass, and an animal sprang into tn" room.
II was too dark for Mr.. Mcmahon TO see what kind
of q beast had com" 10 visit him. Tn room was
very dark, and he had not a frearm in the house,
nor a weapon ofany kind at hand. So h" lay
quiet and waited. The animal came up TO the
bedside, and. instead of leaping upon him as he
had feared, il stood quietly looking at him. and
finally laid its head on the bed and galed Al him.
Its action was 81 much like that Of a collie which
MI, NC MdnOn u<&u 10 Keep tnht NJ put out MS
hand 20 touch il. lie put his hand on the animals
head and stroked II down over the back, as he
used 10 do 10 his dog, and he did this several times
without a sound OF a motion on the part Of his
string V iStDr.
Then the weirdness, the s'rangeness, the un-
naturalncSs Of the uncanny situation dawned
was certain that he had either a strange wild
beast from the plains or a mad animal To deal
with. His two hired men were asleep in the sec
ond room from his, and he was alone in the dark
pAso Nth this strange nYegpnFa His nNTr-
no longer remain sill ,cinng a blanket he
leapcd, from the bed and, protecting his hand
with tho animal, Probably The challenge was
accepted, and a pair Of great fangs pierced the
sis lsi, M HSd s%ns xoi '4 a eri nis on 'i lfe br n1Gs ,n Miin
and wrcnched his right Tree, tea ring two long
gashes in the flesh, Then, still holding thc
,h,oqt at, u with his left; o,Dd he tho Wound M TN
In an endeavor TO smother IL His frantic grasp
on the throat Of the animal was So fierce HAT
his thumb was spraincd and almost d!slocatcd,
momentanly to ge! free from his grip and clutch
his own throat He screamed for his hired men
10 bring q light tina! he might see, a least, what
he was fighting. They were 80 slow in com
ing that he kncw the battle would Re over leiore
they arrived. so he threw his antagonist on the
floor and got outside the door
Than he told his hired men the situation. They
lit lamps, armed themselves with clubs, and
peered cautiously in at the door FIRST they
the form Of a very large coyote lyine: on tie bed
| lie lay outstretched, with It's paws ON the pillow
and his head between them, Just as the faithful
collie used to lie, The men. wanted 10 kill him
with their clubs, but Mr. Mcmahon forbade il.
and told them 10 drive him into q yacen, room
and hold him prisoner Mr.: Mcmahon went
TO the kitchen and began To battle his wounds
while the men prepared the room for the coyote.
Before they We're ready he lcAped out al the
window by which he had entered, and walked
round to the kitchen, Standing on. his hind
legs the animal placed his front feet on the window
sill and for several minutes stood gazing AT MIR.
Mcmahon as he Cleansed his liberated hand.
Then he got down and walked dciectcdly away
| over the plain and was lost 10 sight.
Mr. Mcmahon Is greatly exercised over the
affair, believing that the brute was suffering from
rabies, Those who are disposed To delvr into
the weird beliefs Of the rcdmrn are wondering
n this may not he the coyot" who ate the heart
OF the collie, and il now Inhabited by his spirit