Williams news., 1909-02-13
ENCOUNTER WITH A LION

Jack Smithson arrived in Will jams this week from Jerome, com ing by way of the trail. He relates a thrilling encounter with large mountain lion when about eight miles from Williams. The heavy snowfall in the hills have driven these animals to the lowlands and a scarcity of food have made the beasts ravenous. Unless rendered desperate by hunger they will not attack human being
 Smithson left Jerome Monday and camped that night about 20 miles out. He resumed his jour- ney next morning, expecting to reach here early, but owing to the bad condition of the trail his prog ress was slow. When within a dozen miles of Williams he found a pair of pincers, which had prob- ably been dropped by some one employed by the railroad surveying party operating in that vicinity.
 Thinking he might come across the owner of the pincers, Smithson carried them with him, and it was very fortunate he did. For he had proceeded but a short distance when he became aware that he was being followed by some beast of prey. The shades of night werc now fast falling, but carefully peering through the underbrush Jack could distinguish the outlines of a huge mountain lion. A few seconds later the animal, with a blood curdling growl, sprang in the direction of the man, landing within a foot of him.
 Smithson had no other means of defense than the pincers, but with these as weapon he prepared to do battle with the enraged beast. It was surely fight for blood. For time victory hung in the balance, but the man finally succeeded in de- livering a blow on a vulnerable spot, and the animal was placed hors du combat. Smithson, al- though receiving many scratches, was comparatively unhurt, a leather slicker he was wearing serving to protect him to a great extent from the animals claws and teeth.
 After knocking the lion uncon- scious, Jack proceeded to remove its teeth, finding the pincers a very handy instrument for this work He carries the molars with him as a trophy of his prowess. though, being an exceedingly modest man, he is averse to relating the details of the encounter, and it was a very difficult matter for THE NEWS to obtain from him the facts above recorded.
 When it was suggested that an account of the combat be sent Mir. Roosevelt, and also the lions teeth, as evidence that there was still big game to be found nearer than South Africa, Smithson demurred, stating that the president might characterize him as a nature faker, an undesirable citizen, or might even apply to him the shorter and uglier word, and this, MT. Smithson said, to a man of his sensitive dis position, would be very humiliating.
 The ladies of the Woman's Club are to be congratulated upon bring ing the Schubert Symphony Club and Lady Quartette to Williams. A fair-sized auience greeted the com pany and the concert was a most excellent one. While all the per formers acquitted themselves we'll. the violin work of MT. Purcell is deserving of special mention. He is surely an artist in his line.
 The bill now pending before con- gress asking that the part of Coco nino county which lies north of the big Colorado river be cut off from Arizona and given to Utah, should ha dafao fod GO ra tho Ela ncta ff Gor,,