The suburban citizen., 1901-12-21
KILLED A WHITE DEER
EXPLANATION OF A BOLD HUNTERS
TRAGIC FATE.

The recent statement that the smith
sonian Institution offers reward of
$1,000 for the skin Of a white deer
said to have been seen in New Jersey
recalls to the memory of the old hunt
ers Of the Allegheny Mountains the
fact that hunters would no more kill
white deer than a sane man would
90 over Niagara Falls. Aside from
the fact that a white deer is regarded
as an animal which all hunters are
in honor bound not to kill, the belief
has been slmost general that the slayer
Of one Of these deer would meet with
dire misfortune, so that from time inn
memorial such white deer as from
year to year fitted ghost-liKe through
the thickets and woods Of the Ale
Ghenies were safe from the Indians
arrow or the white mans bullet
There are hunters still living in
CleCrfeld County, Penn, who to this
Gay believe that the experience Of one
man proves the connection between
the killing Of white deer and calam-
ity. This man was Thomas Bronson,
who, with his wife and two young
sons, lived in the Green Woods not
far from the head Of Cold Stream.
Bronson was man Of taciturn nature,
q daredevil who was regarded by other
hunters as q good fellow to let alone.
He was reckless and brave, but was
not looked upon as a good neighbor.
Early in the fall Of 1858 Bronson
while hunting in the vicinity of the
Knobs espied a deer whose coat was
turbed by what he styled the timid
fears of silly sportsmen. Bronson's
rife cracked, and the deer, after a few
spasmodic leaps, fell to the ground
with a bullet through its heart, It's
white skin died red with its blood
Bronson dressed the deer, which
was a seventy-five pound doe, and,
wrapping the meat in the hide, carried
1t home. If he gave any thought to
the fact that he had killed a white
deer it was simply to reflect that the
hide might bring :. high price as
curiosity. He afterward remembered
that a raven croaked overhead as he
was passing along the woodland road
in the evening, but as ravens were nu-
nerous he paid no heed.
Six weeks afterward Bronson, while
searching for the den Of pack Of
wolves near tie head OF Cold Stream,
fell upon a pile of rocks and broke
his arm, an accident that laid him up
for some weeks, during which time he
was visited by old Jim Morrison, the
veteran hunter Of RattlesnaKe Run.
Jim had heard Of the killing of the
white deer, and he was not slow to tell
Bronson that he had done a most fool
ish thing. After Morrison had de-
parted Bronson got to thinking about
the matter But although misfortune
had overtaken him, he was not con-
vlnced that the death of the deer
had anything to do with it. Neverthe-
less from that time on there was a
perceptible change in his spirits. He
lost his bravado and was less ven
turesome. He lost his nerve complete
ly when, year later, one Of his sons
ran away from home and left no
trace and his wife died of a snake bite.
Bronson became taciturn and moody,
stunning such hunters as came into
the Green Woods and living the life
of a semi-hermit.
Three years after the killing of the
"phantom" deer Bronson started out
along the turkey path in the direction
of Trout Run. He had not gone more
than a mile when he saw big buck
cropping the twigs less than 200 yards
away.
He stalked the buck until he was
within easy shooting distance, and
then, taking steady aim he fired. The
deer dropped in its tracks, and Bronson
hastened to its side to cut its throat.
He had approached within few feet
of the animal when the latter jumped
to its feet and 6ercely attacked him.
The buck had only been wounded, and,
as in such cases, was a most danger
GUS antagonist. But Bronson drew
his knife and fought desperately for
his life. The battle continued for some
time the sharp antlers and front hoofs
Of the buck cutting Bronson's flesh
until the blood flowed from a score
of wounds, while the hunter repeatedly
thrust his knife into the deers side
in the endeavor to reach the heart.
Tea days later Bronson's only re-
naming son, who had remained at
home when his father started out
hunting appeared at the settlement
and inquired for his parent. No one
had seen him, however and his disap-
pearance was a mystery unsolved un-
til spring. Two fishermen who were
on their way to Trout Run for fish
ing expedition early in April saw the
skeleton Of n deer lying a few yards
from the path upon which they were
walking. Out Of curiosity they inves-
tigated. ard were astonished to see,
some fifteen feet away, the skeleton
of a man. Jim Morrison proved that
the human bones were those Of
Thomas Bronson, as he readily iden-
tilted the latter's rifle and hunting
knife. Morrison explained to the fish
ermen how the tragedy had occurred,