The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-09-15
A. V. Cox Tells Interesting
Story of Hunt in Bar
nard in 1881
LAST He KNOWS OF
KILLED IN VERMONT
Once Exhibited in Bratt1eboro Sew
en- Feet Long and Weighed Nearly
200 Pounds-Attached for Rent, Is
Now in State House

Editor of The Reformer:
L have seen in the papers more or less
about catamounts and panthers killed in
Vermont, and which was the last one
killed and where
| do not know anything about the cata-
mount killed in Wardsboro, except by
hearsay, but / do know something about
the panther killed in Barnard
The Barnard panther, so-called, was
killed ON Thanksgiving day, Nov 24,
1881, IN Barnard, Windsor county, by
Alexander Crowell Mr. Crowell was born
and brought up on a farm adjoining my
fathers farm a short half mile distant
and we were close friends and chums until
we were both grown to manhood
As it had showed two or three inches
just before Thanksgiving day youth of
about II years by the name of Bert Bor-
deau thought he would go into the woods
and see if he couldn't bag rabbit or a
couple of partridges He had not gone far
in the woods when he struck a track that
sent a chill clear up his spine, but he fol-
lowed 1t out of the woods and across an
open field where it crossed the highway
1t was here that he got cold feet and
started down the road about half a mile,
to where Mr.. CroweiI lived, who was
known to be a man of iron nerve, a crack
shot, and a man that was absolutely fear
less. After hearing the young mans story
| he loaded his double barrelled gun with
two bear charges, and they started bacl,
| up the road to pick up the track where
| it crossed the highway
| They followed the track through another
open field and into woods that was
known as Aikens woods After going q
short distance into the woods the track
| led them right over little knoll, perhaps
| Is inches high, behind which was a thicllet
tof low, scrubby spruce, and it was under
these that the panther was overtalken
/ 1t was thought he must have beer
sound asleep, as the two men talking anc
Icrunching the snow and twigs underneath
/ their feet did not arouse him until the!
got within about II feet of him. when h,
suddenly aroused and stuck his head anc
fore shoulders over the knoll which wa
! all that could be seen of him.
i Crowell did not stop to argue or arbi
ttrate with him, but took deliberate aim a
what he thought was vital part, Just in
4 side of the left fore shoulder, and let Q
both barrels. This did not kill the pan
; ther, but it put him out of commission, a
J he could neither walk nor even stand. bu
began to crawl away, when Crowell turne
i to his companion and with considerabl
j authority said Give me your gun.
which was rifle
4 He then, at short range, shot the par
: ther through the eve, which put him ou
, Of misery and existence The panther wa
then put on a sled and taken to the Vi
iage, where it was viewed by half the me
in town, after which it was weighed, meas
ured and photographed, together with HI
slayer and his gun. 1t measured seven fec
IN length, three feet in girth, and weighe
1922 pounds
People thought if it had been weighe
Immediately after being shot and before
had been bled and had become frozen unit
it was nearly stiff, it would have weighe
lnearly if not quite 300 pounds
l. Crowell sold the panther to a man name
Charles Stafford for $50 Many though
the money should have been divided b.
; tween the two men. as without Bordea
+ mir. Crowell would not have shot the paI
ther and without Crowell the panther pro1
! ably would not have been shot in Barnar'
= Crowell was obstinate and would not
c vide, and the matter finally got int
5 court, but Crowell won out as the law W.
specific in regard to wild animals roamiI
!, about the country, saying that the carca
1 should belong to the man who killed it,
words to that effect SO Crowell got q
: the credit and all the cash and poor Bo
+ deau got nothing, not even pay for his bu
t let
h The panther was set up by taxidermi
and exhibited throughout the state.
; was on exhibition in Brattleboro one fl
n week in a vacant store one door south
e the ladies' entrance to the Brooks Hous
As the exhibitor thought more of b
C drink and gambling than he did of his e
n hlbit, 1t did not prove a success and w
). finally attached for hall rent in the upp
/ part of the state. 1t soon after becan
e the property of the state, whether by gi
e or purchase | have forgotten, but my re
n objection is that it was bought by subscri
p ton and given to the state | do kno
that in 1882 it was placed in the sta
d house at Montpelier and has been the
& ever since.
If anyone has killed a panther in VI
mont since 1881 | do not know it.
A. V COX.
Brattleboro, Sept IA, 1915.