New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-07-29
THE PANTHER STILL FREE.
BRONX JEWELLERS HUG THEIR HOMES
MANY FALSE CLEWs.
ANIMAL THOUGHT TO BE IN PARK WOODS
KEEPERS SAY HE WOULDN'T
HURT A barry

The panther hunt in the New-York Geological
Park, which began Sunday was continued
Hierrliy all day yesterday. Automobiles raced
UP and down the parkways peering into the
pushes to the right and left; bicycle policemen
patrolled the same thoroughfares ready for
something more exciting than the conventional
runaway; small boys hung OH the outskirts of
thickets with dogs which knew no more about
panther hunting than their masters, and timid
women sweltered behind closed doors and shud-
dered at every sound that in any way resembled
a snarl or growl The bad little boys and
girls Of The Bronx had new bugaboo to keep
them behind the fences around the backyards
OF their homes, and there was less playing
hockey among the very little people than there
has been in many days The assurance of the
ZOO" officials that the escaped feline was very
fond Of children, intended TO aid in allaying the
threatened panic. had the opposite effect The
people of The Bronx didn't interpret the remark
desired
The only tangible discovery relating TO the
whereabouts of the young puma consisted of
some animal tracks of doubtful origin ON the
shore Of the Bronx River. Director Hornaday
ana curator Ditmars were kept busy answer
ing questions all the forenoon They talked
very freely to the newspaper reporters about the
docility and general amiability of the escaped
puma
"hy' sa4d Mr. DitmarS. The Is only baby.
He was whelped in captivity and has never
Known what 1t is to be otherwise than friendly
with man. About the only thing in danger from
him is chicken or a rabbit and that only
when he is hungry. He will not attack a man
woman or child as long there is room for
him TO fee. and he does that only from, the
instinct born in him of secreting himself from
everything doubtful"
He wouldn't harm baby said one of the
Keepers He's having fine time playing hide
and seek with while he's out Hunt him
with a gun? Lord bless you wouldn't shoot
him for $50! No. go after him with nets and
lar1ats. and the most fear is that we will
not get near enough to take him in and give
him fond and loving bringing UP suita BILE TO
his birth and lineage. The longer he is a wan
derer on the face of the earth the wilder he'll
get I had a boy run away once and it was SO
In his case, too"
These fond references to the brute did not
go half as far toward allaying the fear and ex-
element in The Bronx as they were meant
To the average New-York man. woman and
child a panther is a panther, and not helpless
waif, needing the sympathy of philanthropic
people. SO the less fearful are looking for the
Mexican innocent with shotguns, and others
are doing their best to keep away from where
he is likely TO GO
Onered
OF 50 for information which will lead to the ap-
prehension OF the escaped puma. Yesterday was
pay Gay at the ZOO" and the number Of boys
who appeared at the gates brimful of good clews
which could be communicated only in person
and IN confidence TO 1.-THE boss Of the panthers"
was not small. The policemen at the entrances
however, were not easily fooled, and their ques-
tioning generally took all the tuck out of the
story before It got inside the park
coon dogs early IN the morning. but they had
not been placed the trail late in the day.
Several racing machines of various kinds have
also been offered, but until some device which
climb trees and jump over rocks is found
the authorities will stick TO their own appliances
Peter Valerie artist, said the animal
came TO a spring on his premises to drink late
on Sunday night, and that he had fired friend
ly shot at it just TO hurt 1t enough so it could
be captured.
Every few minutes during the day a park
wagon with a load of keepers armed with lariats
and nets left the headquarters Of the ZOO" in
response a report from somewhere that the
panther had been seen heard barked at by
Obs of the many interesting ours with which
the vicinity abounds. At late hour in the
afternoon party had returned with the pan
Their or any positive evidence that he had ap-
peared at the places where they had searched.
The most definite statement of his wherea bouts
up TO noon that he was hiding among the
rocks in the Hemlock Grove. at the north end
of the park. Nobody could be found who had
seen the brute there. but more than half
dozen people had seen somebody who had seen
somebody else who had seen the panther.
All sorts of suggestions of capturing the
panther have been offered. One man who de-
clined TO give his name said he would guarantee
the capture of the brute in three hours If San
tos-Dumont would lend him hs airship. He said
he would sail around over The Bronx and Bed
ford Park woods until he located the panther,
would lasso him from the car. and rising con-
vey him back to the zoo and hand him down
in front of Mr. Hornaday's office. holding him
there until a cage could be brought and laid
under the puma, when he would be dropped in.
The reporters TO whom he disclosed his plan
gave him the address of Secretary Kerr, of the
aero Club Of America, and he went away smil-
ing.
II was reported that small boy spent most
of the day lying on the ground near the trolley
tracks at West Farms and looking on the trucks
for the panther. He thought that the most likely
plan for escape the beast could adopt
One Of the zoo" keepers showed The Tribune
reporter the box from which the puma escaped.
II ordinary shipping case about four
feet high and about six feet long. The front
thick and about two inches wide one of which
had been broken out entirely, and another
gnawed in two. This the box in which the
beast came from Mexico and still bore the ex
press tag. The animal reached the park late
Saturday evening, and there no cage
ready for him the box containing the puma
was placed the ground behind the leopard
cage and left there until the panther's escape.
about noon Sunday. The collar and chain
the young puma had lying on the
top of the empty box. The box not note
worthy for appearance of great strength.
TIE Stats were fastened with only one or two
nails at each end and some of them were split