The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-08-22
ENCOUNTERED PANTHER.
a VIVID story From the Dead River
Region.

Der and one that no woman cares to have
come to her lot. Mrs Anna Perkins was
one of party Of burberry pickers that
went to the Dead river section a week
ago. In the party were Mr.. and Mrs.
Fred LittleneId and two daughters. Mr..
and Mrs. Wallace Trafton anu son Willis,
Edward Lapham, Walter I4apham, Doris
Mosher and Emma Pease, all of the north
part of this town.
The fourth day of the stay in the fields.
Mrs. Perkins left the rest and went off
toward the north. Mrs. Perkins went
nearly to the edge of the woods which
was something like half mile from
where the rest Of the party were. She was
expected to rejoin the rest of the party at
lunch any way.
fortunately for the woman Edward
Lapham decided that he had better look
her up just before lunch hour.
When Lapham reached the vicinity of
the woods he called to Mrs. Perkins and
heard her answer some distance away to
the west. Proceeding in the direc ton
from which the woman's voice had come,
he soon saw her among the bushes at
work. Almost at the same instant that
he discovered the woman, he also saw a
panther peering over the tops of the bush
es at the woman. The animal was be-
tween the man and the woman and ap-
preaching the latter, thus being uncon-
scious of the presence of the man. The
animal disappeared and Lapham could
see the bushes move where the beast went
among them. Lapham cried out excited
" to Mrs. Perkins, telling her that there
was beast of some kind after her and to
run the other way The woman became
excited and naturally, not understanding
the location Of the danger ran toward the
man and consequently toward the beast.
Laphaln, frightened nearly out Of his wits
did the only thing that he could do and
that was to start In the direction of Mrs
Perkins, at the same time yelling to her
to turn In another direction. But the
frightened woman failed to understand
and flew in the way of the beast.
There was a snarl and leap. The
beast had misjudged the distance and it
dropped at the woman feet. Then there
was a scream that the other members OF
the party heard The woman fell pros
trate upon the animal in dead faint
Lapham had secured dead limb and was
approaching as rapidly as the thick bush
es would allow him.
When the beast found itself covered
within the folds of the womans dress,
there was a succession of snarls and yells
that were frightful to listen to. In its
struggles to 1iberate itself from the smoth-
ering folds, the animal tore the woman's
dress into shreds and badly 1acerated her
limbs and body. When finally the beast
extricated itself, it stood over its victim
for an instant and gave vent to several
snarls of anger and by that time Lapham
had arrived on the spot. Swinging a
vicious blow at the head of the beast,
which covered and crouched as it saw
the club raised on high. Lapham landed
squarely, with the dead limb, on The
skull of the panther. The animal made
an attempt to leap at its foe but a second
blow staggered it and it slid backward
as If to get a erouching chance to spring.
Lapham followed up the attack with
swift blows, breaking the old limb sever
al times until at last it was only three
feet long, The panther crowded too
sharply, simply rose upon its hind paws
and struck at it's EassaiIant A claw
caught In Lapham' s frock sleeve and tore
that from the body of the garment. An
other vicious sweep of a claw drew blood
on Lapham's right leg. 1t would never
do to step back and give that panther a
chance to spring, the only way out of it
was to keep as near the animal as posi-
BILE and yet not get within its clutches,
and this Lapham did, raining blow upon
blow upon the beast. The remainder of
the party had hurried to the scene and
were soon in sight, shouting encourage
mont to the fighting member. The pan
Their evidently saw that its chances were
growing considerably less every moment,
for 1t suddenly, as the other men hove in
sight, gave a mad Jump at Lapham and
then bounded off over the bushes toward
the woods, giving forth a yell at every
jump The relief party approaching was
too intent upon learning the extent of the
injuries that had been inflicted to think
of following the BEAST
Mrs. Perkins was looked after and 1t
was found that she had sustained twenty
three distinct wounds from the claws OF
the panther, the wounds being located
along both the lower limbs and across the
abdomen. Several of the wounds were
deep and necessarily painful but not dan
gerous.
Lapham is nursing bad wound below
the right knee a scratch eight inches long
and to the bone, laying bare the Icords of
the limb 1t was found necessary to carry
Mrs. Perkins several miles, but Lapham
the aid OF a crotched stick that was cut
from the woods. The party arrived home
yesterday and all the injured are doing
we'll Medical attention was received at
New Portland. The panther is said to be
the largest ever seen in that section.
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