The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1907-06-06
IS MISTAKEN FOR
4 WILD ANIMAL.
WILLIAM HARDING SLAIN NEAR
TOWN or DuRFEE.
GEO. FIELDING DOES SHOOTING
Wrought Up Over Stories Of Panther
Reported to Have Invaded the
Woods There, He Fires
Fatal Shot.


William Harding, miner from Bus
sey, was shot and instantly killed
near Durfee mining camp in Jefferson
township, about aine o'clock last even
ing. The shooting was of an acct
dental nature, Harding being mistaken
for an animal moving about in the
brush. The deceased was a working
man and leaves wife and five chill
dren in dependent circumstances.
The shooting occurred about two
hundred yards north of the Fielding
shack. a little northwest of the Dur
fee camp. at point north Of deep
ravine and about midway up the side
OF the hill Aheavy growth Of under
brush and timber prevails at this
point, making tnieket that covers
considerable territory. In fact, the
country Is somewhat wild and even
hunters do not often penetrate the
deepest parts. During a year or more
past stories of a panther inhabitfag
the woods in the vicinity of Durfee
have been in circulation among the
miners, and the people of the country
side. Some claim to have seen the
strange animal. Almost every one
living near Durfee has heard strange
cries that came from all parts of the
wooded nils and creeks and some
times the ''varmint," as it has been
called, has taken to the roadways.
The people for the greater part have
stood in fear of this bob cat" or wild
cat for more than a year and recent
imaginative stories concerning the an.
imal have excited the miners and re-
viYed the feeling of fear that had been
somewhat allayed.
1t was this sense of fear as they
passed along the lonely road leading
to the Fielding shack about 9 O'Clock
Friday night that caused David Jones
and Clarence Meade to turn pale as
they distinctly heard an unusual dis
turbance in the underbrush at the
side Of the road. All the stories of
the panther That they mad heard ind
all of the rumors were instantly x.
called and the men were somewhat
frightened. They stopped and listened
and both were impressed with the un-
usual nature of the sounds. They
thought they heard the wild cat spit
ting or kissing at them. 1t might
have been devouring some food, they
thought, and fearing the consequ ances
il they entered the brush they mas
tened to the snack" and told what
they had heard.
George Fielding, a colored fellow,
was impressed with the story told by
the men who IN their fright possibly
made exaggeratioas Of the conditions.
They imagined much end the circum-
stances as related by them we're
enough to excite the calmest hunter.
1t was decided that they would return
to the place where the strange animal
had been heard and almost seen IN
the bushes. Fielding took shot gun
The party approached the place
carefully, listening intently for a rep
more or less incredulous and believed
little of the story told by the men.
But he became convinced that some
thing was in the brush as he ap-
preached the place. The same sounds
and noises Of movements in the thick
ct were there that mad been heard by
Jones and Meade. There was the
same kissing. purring, or splitting
noise and now and then the rustlins
Of branches or the breaking of twigs.
The sounds came from low down on
the ground and could not be made by
any ordinary animal or by stock Of
any kind. Fielding himself became
frightened by the weirdness of the
thing and fred fato the thicket, think
ing to frighten the thing or drive it
away. The men listened and as :he
disturbance or noise seemed incrcas.
cd Fielding fred the second barrel OF
The gun The disturbance had aJw
ceased and after a while one of the
party ventured into the brush to see
II they had nit anything and to inves.
tigate the place. The man stumbled
upon some body lying on the ground
A light was struck aad with unspeak
able horror the party gazed upon the
lifeless form Of man. the top Of his
head shot away.
TIE news spread rapidly and Hard
fng was soon identified. The man mad
been drinking Friday afternoon AMI
evening. He may have lost HIS way
or may have stumbled into the brush
and lain down to slep of the results
Of the spree, IT was his heavy breath
ing and half snoring that sounded Ike
the purring Of a cat or half kissing
ana splitting OF some animal TO the
frigate1ed men who passed the place.
The night was cloudy and the place
was pitch dark They could not see
into the bushes and It Is little wonder
that they imagined other than the ex'
listing conditions.
Fielding has made no resistance 70
arrest and was brought to this city
Saturday morning pending an inyesti-
cation Of the affair Coroner cnas
r,,.-t.ft.... 80. ,n.ae roffGna ~ the death