Evening star., 1926-08-09
JERSEY COAST LIVES
IN FEAR OF LEOPARD
Escaped "Cat" Terrorizes
Red Bank Section-Hunt-
ers Seek Animal.
BY ROBERT r. SMALL.

RED BANK, n. j., August all
of oceanside New Jersey, greatest
playground of the East, is waiting
for the crack of rifle in the dark,
or in the daylight, to end its long
suspense. 1t is waiting for a heavy
thud on the ground. as a man-eating
leopard, a creeping murderer, is
brought to an end.
This roaming leopard, or panther,
or painter" as the colored folk of the
South used to call them. is getting
on the Jersey nerves. Jersey is ac-
customed to a lot of things in the
Summer time-sea serpents, whales,
mosquitoes, and four-year-old mys-
teries, and dizzy bathing suits and
everything, but the loosing of
leopard on the populace has been just
one too many. 1t is a leopard that is
said to have tasted blood, too, as one
keeper who is just leaving a hospital
is ready to testify.
several days. The cry of tiger, tiger"
has sounded through the countryside
and the Jersey citizenry has become
embattled. Children are held indoors
for miles in every direction of this
place, for 1t was just outside Red
Bank, at q sort Of roadside zoo, that
the animal made his escape, shortly
after his arrival from Singapore. The
zoo is an inviting place; in fact there
are signs inviting everybody to come
In and have their lunch while looking
at the animals. A couple of playful
bear cubs in a small cage are placed
outside as an inducement The zoo is
new enterprise, but it did not collnt
upon the publicity it is getting today.
Losing leopard is not popular
paStime-even in the wilds Of Jersey.
Often Reported Sighted.
The leopard has been sighted on
some of the sportiest golf courses in
this part of the state. He has visited
many farms and firesides-all accord
ing to the report; but there have been
few real clews which could be followed
Several intensive hunts have been Or
ganized in vain.
So far the leopard has not visited
any of the bathing beaches. He NAV
have sighted them from afar and
been defeated by the gorgeous hues
and colors of the modern bathing cos.
tune. The leaopard probably has
realized 1t would have to change it's
rather tawny complexion and its
PAtAAiA DidIh SpOIS IL IL WdltoQ 10 make
any sort of splash on the jersey
strand. AS it could do neither, accord
ing to all the tenets of natural his
tory, the big cat has kept TO the
woods and the marshes.
Living on Wild Life.
Supposedly it is living on rabbits,
squirrels and other woodland animals.
There Is much speculation as to Just
how long real deniZen of the jungle
can live in country like this. The
last few nights have been cool, if not
cold, so most people are hoping the
leopard will get a chill and pass away
with pneumonia. A report that the
last leopard known to have escaped
In this country was shot $50 miles
and 30 days away from the point of
taking the air has not been the most
reassuring factor in the situation. 1t
is all too evident already that the
present leopard has gone far afield.
All sorts of rules and regulations
for tracking and capturing leopards
have been looked up and none seems
to fit the case. There is an old saying
that to catch a wicked leopard you
have to put tame leopards on the
trail. An sos call for tame leopards
in this vicinity has gone unanswered.
1ennySOn once sang about the tame
leopards. Some lady heroine had her
foot on one of them and "kittenlike
he rolled and paved about her
sandals"
Mothers Panic.stricken.
The jungle cat which is alarming
New Jersay Is not that sort of kitty.
however He has a bad reputation.
The leopard, by the way, is exceeded
in size and ferocity only by the lion
and the tiger. The report that the
leopard was more likely to attack
children than grown-ups has wrought
panic among the mothers of the ocea n
counties.
With an Unborn love of adventure,
however. small boys have joined the
male folk In the volunteer stalking
parties which have followed every
rumor of the leopard being sighted.
Most of the kids have carried clubs
or stones. Boy Scouts in particular
have turned out in large numbers,
anxious to do their good deed In rid
ding the countryside Of its terror.
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