Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-01
PANTHER BELIEVED
TO HAVE DEPARTED
FROM NEARBY AREA
District and Maryland Police
Without Authoritative Re-
ports for 48 Hours.
TEMPERANCE TO FIND
HUNTSMEN IN READINESS
No Trace of Marauder Has Been
Found in Northeast Section
Since Big Snow.

Belief that the panther, or whatever
animal 1t Is that has been preying on
the domestic animals of the northeast
section of Washington and the adioin-
ing country of Maryland, has departed
for other hunting grounds was being
expressed by District and Maryland
police today as they were 4S hours with
out an authoritative report of activities
Of the beast.
Still alert for temperance Of the
beast that has shown q marked liking
for pork, huntSmen Of both sections
were ready with guns and dogs in case
the beast should again visit a pigpen
and leave a clear trail.
The farmers however, are reported
to be breathing easier, and about ready
to call off the night watches that have
been kept over their domestic live
stock for the past three weeks
Not a trace of the beast has been
found in Northwest Washington since
the big snow. Police from the eleventh
precinct have combed the entire section
where the beast has been reported with
out finding anything larger than dog
tracks.
Dead wolf" Is Police Dog.
Reports Of the Staying of a wolf in
Capitol Heights, Md, sent eleventh pre-
cinct officers over the District line yes
terday afternoon in hopes that the
marauder of the northeast had been
destroyed, but at the end of their trial
found dead police dog.
Maryland police reported the dog was
slain by Paul Palmer of Capitol Heights
when he found it trying to get into
his house, scratching about windows
and doors; He put eight bullets into
the animal.
The body was taken to the ONCE of
Milton Hopfenmaier, 221 Tenth street,
where Herbert Guggenheim, a dealer
IN hides, pronounced the animal po-
lice dog.
Doubts Beast Is Lion.
Maj. E. A. Goldman of the United
States Biological Survey, who has had
wide experience in hunting mountain
lions in the West and who is cataloging
the National Museums large collection
Of mountain lion pelts, today declared
that there is, in his opinion, little dan
ger to human life in the presence of a
mountain lion in this section.
II there is a mountain lion in this
section" he said, IT don't believe 1t will
attack people Whatever the beast is. it
could hardly be wild animal that has
come into the District and nearby
Maryland from its native haunts. The
mountain lion is practically extinct in
the Eastern part of the United States.
The only place We have any reports Of
lions in the East is in Florida. We have
believed for q number of years that
there are no mountain lions north of
Florida In the East. Therefore, it stands
to reason that If the animal is a noun
tain lion it has been brought here in
captivity. The fact that 1t stays around
thickly populated section is another
factor that makes me believe the animal
has not strayed from its native haunts.
II a full-grown, wild mountain lion
were brought into this section and freed
1t would stay only few hours.
They are the most timid Of large
predatory animals. They seek the re-
mote sections and are seldom seen by
man. 1t is evident that the beast re-
ported around here is one that is more
or less at loss what to do. The wild
beast put down in this section would be
in the remotest part of the mountains
Of Virginia or West Virginia "a hours
after it was set loose. Mountain lions
are great travellers, and they roam a
wide range"
Capture Is Held Easy.
Mai. Goldman believes it would be
clear trial Is found. He also believes
1t would be q simple matter for the
officials of the ZOO here to capture the
animal with nets once it was freed.
The deep snow. he thinks, greatly
simplifies the hunting as it would ham
per the animal more than 1t would
huntsmen.
Maj. Goldman advises hunters to have
a gun, but is anxious for a chance to
hunt it with q camera If a clear trail
can be found. cit is possible" he says,
Ito get very close to the animal If it is
freed, and there would be some good
pictures"
Mai. Goldman points out. however,
that there is no more reason for q
mountain lion being loose in this section
than there is for an African lion,
leopard, tiger or even South Ameri-
can jaguar. All are big cats and might
have committed the raids upon the
pigpens in the outlying sections. All,
seen at night, might present much the
same appearance. And all, he says are
much more dangerous than the noun
tain lion.