The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-11-07
4 STRUGGLE WITH PANTHER
Experience OF Woman Picking
Berries in Maine Woods.
(From the Boston Globe)


Rome, Me, Aug. 21--Mrs. Anna Per-
kins. one of a party Of burberry pick
ers which went to the Dead River sec
ton a week ago. had an experience with
a panther which she will long remem-
Der.
She became lost from the party in the
morning and Edward Lapham, who
went IN search Of her. located her in
the woods Just as the panther sprang at
her. The animal. misiudging the dis
lance, had landed at her feet, and she
had tainted and fell upon him. Lapham,
with a club. rained blows upon the
panther. which soon bounded off into
the wuo1s-
The berry pickers went to Chain Of
Ponds. as the section is called. in
Franklin county. They arrived after
two days OF travel, and built a rude
bough camp for shelter. and the fol-
lowing day began picking bluebeTries.
In the party were Mr.. and Mrs. Fred
Littlefeld and two daughters, Mr.. and
Mrs Wallace Traitor and son. Willis.
Edward Lapham, Walter Lapham, Do
ris Mosher. and Emma Pease, all Of the
north part Of this town.
The party found berries not as p,enti-
full as expected, and in scratching out
the places where the berries grew the
thickest. the members of the party
werc often separated.
The fourth day OF the stay In the fields
Mrs Perkins separated from the rest and
went of toward the north, where she said
she believed the berries would be more
plentiful Mrs Perkins went nearly to the
edge Of the woods. which was something
like half a mile from where the rest OF
the party were She told the others that
If she did not find the berries as thick as
she expected she would be back in a little
while. She was expected to reioin the
rest of the party at lunch anyway.
Fortunately for the woman Edward
Lapham decided that he had better look
her up just before lunch hour. With this
idea In view Lapham started in the direc-
tion in which Mrs. Perkins had been seen
going.
When Lapham reached the vicinity OF
the woods he called to Mrs Perkins and
heard her answer some distance away
10 the west Proceeding in the direction
from which the woman's voice had come
he soon saw her among the bushes a. work
Almost at the same instant he also saw
q panther. peering over the tops of the
| bushes at the woman. The animal was be-
| tween the man and the woman and ap-
/ preaching the latter and was unconscious
| OF the presence of the man.
The animal disappeared and Laphan
could see the bushes move where the beast
| went among them. Lapham cried out ex-
cftedly to Mrs. Perkins. telling her that
| there was beast Of some kind after lei
| and to run the other way. The woman be-
came excited, and. naturally. not under
standing the location of the danger. raI
| toward the man and consequently toward
| the beast
/ Lapham, frightened nearly out Of his
wits did the only thing he could do ant
| that was to start in the direction of Mrs
| Perkins at the same time shouting to hel
/ to turn in another direction but the
| frightened woman failed to understand ant
! few in the way Of the beast.
| There was a snari and leap. The pan.
| ther was in the air and almost poised owe
F.! the woman. The beast had misjudged th'
| distance and dropped at the woonan's feet
!. Then there was a scream that the othe
members of the party heard. The woman
| fell PROSTATE upon the panther In a deat
faint Lapham had secured & dead linn