Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-07
IMPRINT Of TRACKS
FAILS TO IDENTIFY
PEST OF NORTHEAST
Expert Holds They May Have
Been Made by Mountain
Lion or Dog.
ABSENCE OF CLAW MARKS
ARGUES FOR CAT THEORY
Long, Brown Animal With Drag
ging Tail Is Sighted at
Takoma Park.

Carefully made imprints of big animal
tracks, believed to be those of the wild
beaSt' that has haraSsed the residents
and preyed on the live stock of North
east Washington and nearby Maryland
for the past month, today failed to def
nitely identify the animal
Expert study and analysis of the tracks
brought forth only the statement that
they might have been made by a noun
tain lion, but just as probably we're made
by large dog.
The imprints were cast in plaster of
paris near Fort Dupont, on the MARI
boro pike, yesterday from tracks found
in the mud by Walter F. Whitney,
owner of a fur farm near Marlboro, and
Policeman S. r. Mckee, the eleventh
precincts chief panther hunter.
Examined at Museum.
The plaster casts were taken to the
National Museum this morning by Nc
Kee and Whitney and were given a
careful examination by Maj. E. A.
Goldman of the Bureau of Biological
Survey, Department of Agriculture, who
is now engaged in classifying the
scores of mountain lion pelts at the
museum.
Mai. Goldman was impressed with
the size of the pawprintS, but could
not definitely state that they were
left either by mountain lion or by
a large dog. The fact that the prints
were without claw marks argued in
favor of the mountain lion theory. So
also did the tracks conform, in most
particulars, with photographs of noun
tain lion tracks made by the late
Ernest Thompson Seton, naturalist.
But against the mountain lion theory
features of the tracks argued just as
convincingly. Photographs and meas
urementS of mountain lions paws at
the museum showed that the beast
leaves a trail that is broader than it
is long. The tracks cast yesterday in
the mud were slightly longer than they
were broad. They appeared broader. but
application of calipers destroyed the
Illusion. Then, too, between the broad
center pad and the toes of one of the
imprints there was high ridge, which,
Maj. Goldman pointed out, could hardly
have been left by the furry paw of
panther, or mountain lion.
Believed Print of Dog.
Mai. Goldman declared that if the
prints were made by mountain lion
the beast was small one. If made by
q dog, he said, it was large one. He
did not believe they could have been
made by any other beast than a large
dog or one of the largest breeds of
cats. Dogs and wolves, he pointed out,
leave their claw prints in snow or soft
mud. A cat animal, having prehensive
claws, keeps them sheathed when walk
ing. leaving no imprint of its principal
weapons.
Mai. Goldman, interested in finding
out what species of beast could have
caused all the furore that has resulted
from its appearance and intermittent
forays upon pig pens in and near the
drive hunt would be almost certain to
tree the beast and allow either its cap
ture or killing.
Sighted at TakOma Park.
Sighting of long. brown animal with
a long, dragging tail in Takoma Park,
Md, and discovery of the tracks of some
large beast about the section have led
residents of the section to believe that
the elusive beast has found new lair
in Takoma Park.
While no depredations by the beast
have been reported, the discussion of
the variety of the beast, a topic which
has ragged and waned, only to rage again
for more than month now, was re-
newed in a lively fashion today in what
is believed to. be the beasts newest
haunt.
Sidney R. Wheeler. who lives beside
:: patch of woods in Takoma Park, Md
today reported seeing the animal in the
beam thrown by his automobile head
lights the night before last. The animal
was just outside his home, Wheeler de-
clared. He described it as about feet
tall. dark brown and having a tail
which drags along the ground. The
body of the beast, he said, was about
feet long.
Tracks in the mud about the Wheeler
residence reveal the presence there Of
some animal with a huge foot par
ticularly good track was scooped out of
the mud yesterday and placed on a pie
plate, Charles P. Clark. former justice
of the peace in Silver Spring, carrying
ii about in an attempt to identify it.
Tracks have been found which are
inches in length and inches across.
Police of the eleventh precinct have
for several days been without authentic
report of the presence of the marauder
in Northeast Washington No reports
Of any wild animal having been seen,
or having left its marks on any of the
live stock of the countryside. have been
received for nearly week from Prince