The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-09-18
THE BARNARD PANTHER
Brattleboro. Reformer Tells of Its
Killing.

Brattleboro Reformer Tells of Its
Killing.
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.
1 do not know anything about the
catamomt killed in Wardsboro, ex-
cept by hearsay, but ] know some
thing about the panther killed in
Barnard, says A. V. Cox in the Brat
tleboro Reformer.
The Barnard panther, so-called was
killed on Thanksgiving day, Novem-
Der "a, 1881, in Barnard Windsor
county, by Alexander Crowell. Mr..
Crowell was born and brought up on
a farm adjoining my fathers farm
short half mile distant and we We're
close friends and chums until we
were both grown to manhood.
AS 1t had showed two or three inch
es Just before Thanksgiving day
youth of about II years by the name
of Bert Bordeau thought he would go
into the woods and see if he couldn't
bag a rabbit or 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 it 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.. Crowell lived,
who was known to be a man of iron
nerve a crack shot, and man that
was absolutely fearless. After hear
ing the young mans story he loaded
his double barrelled gun with two
bear charges, and they started back
up the road to pick up the track
where 1t crossed the highway i
They followed the track through
another open field and into a woods.
After going short distance into the
woods the track led them right over
a little knoll, perhaps Is inches high,
behind which was thicket of low,
scrubby spruce, and it was under
these that the panther was oyertak-
en-.
1t was thought he must have been
sound asleep, as the two men talking
and crunching the snow and twigs
underneath their feet did not arouse
him until they got within about II
feet of him, when he suddenly arous-
ed and stuck his head and fore shout
ders over the knoll, which was all
that could be seen of him.
Crowell did not stop to argue or ar
bitrate with him, but took deliberate
aim at what he thought was a Vital
part just inside of the left fore shoul \
der, and let 90 both barrels. This
did not kin tic panther, but it put
him out Of commission ass he could
neither walk nor even stand put be
gan to crawl away when froweil
turned to his companion and with
considerable Authority said: Give
me your gun,H which was a rifle. :
He then at short range, shot the
panther through The eye. which pat
him out of misery and existence, The
panther was then put on "a sled and |
taken to the village. wlerc/ it was
viewed by half the mel in town after
which it was weighed measured and
photographed, togethq with, his slay
er and his gun. y measured seven
feet in length thregfeet in girth, and |
weighed 1872 IL ponds
People thought if it had been
weighed Immediately after being shot !
and before it had been bled and had
become frozen Until it was nearly |
stiff, it would hive weighed nearly If |
not quite 200 POUNDS.
Crowell soldthe panther to a man
named Charlie Stafford for $50.
Many though the money should
have been divided between the two
men, as wiholt Bordeau, Mr.. Cowell /
would not jhave shot the panther and |
without Qowell the panther probably |
would MOI have been shot in Barn /!
nard. Cbwell was obstinate and |
would MT divide and the matter final
~ got into court, but Crowell won out |
as the law was specific in regard to
wild animals roaming about the |
country, saying that the carcass
should belqhg to the man who killed |
It, or wor& 50 that effect. So Crow
ell]got alI the credit and all the cash
aul poor Bordeau got nothing, not
eten paf for his bullet