Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-25
FARMERS PLANNING.
DRIVE ON PANTHER
Decide to Meet Early TOmor-
row Morning to Comb Area
Inhabited by Beast.

Farmers throughout the Forestville-
Richie Station District Heights section
Of Prince Georges County held coun-
Gil Of war today and decided that If
the night-prowling beast that has been
attacking stock in the neighborhood is
not killed by pigpen watchers tonight
they will conduct an old-fashioned
drive through the woods and thickets
Of the neighborhood in an effort to
either tree the animal or bring it out
into the open where q well placed hull
let will rid the section Ut the pest.
The farmers and huntsmen are plan
ming to meet early tomorrow morning
at Forestville, on the Marlboro pike,
about five miles from the District line,
and organize for the biggest hunt for
the biggest beast that has been seen
in that section Of Maryland in many
a year.
VIII Comb Woodlands.
With dogs and guns we will comb
every woodland and thicket of the
neighborhood, and it Is expected that
this sort of hunt will uncover the beast.
The beast, which has kept the north
east section of washington and the
Forestville neighborhood Of Prince
Georges County, Md, In q filrore, and
huntsmen afleld with dog and gun for
two weeks, was seen" again last night,
but, as usual it slipped unframed out
of the range of the guns of the men
and left no trail that the dogs could
follow.
The animal, which has shown a
marked prediction for work In its two
major forays of the past week, ate no
pork last night, so far as could be as
certained throughout the section it has
haunted. and Is expected to be so hun
cry tonight that it win raid one of the
many pigpens in Forestville and there
by again come into range of the various
weapons being used to guard the
porkers.
Game Warden Saw Beast.
James Brashears, game warden of
Prince Georges County, says that about
dusk yesterday he saw a large cat ami
NAL on the farm of Charles Fowler, near
Forestville. He did not get a shot at
the beast, but called in the huntsmen of
the neighborhood, and about rs of them,
with dogs of various breeds, kept the
woods about the section ringing with
shouts and shots long past midnight.
The panther was not hurt. and, fortu-
nately, neither were any of the hunts
men. The woods between ForeStville
and Richie Station. Md, were combed
carefully, but the predatory beast, If
any, kept to its lair.
Thoroughly aroused over the visits of
the prowler to the pigsty of Harry
Fowler, who lives on the Marlboro Pike,
about 2 miles from the District line,
and who lost one pig as the result of
the first of the providers visits, the
farmers Of the section are determined
to spend their nights, until the creature
Is killed, guarding their stock with
ready loads Of buckshot.-
Battle in FowIer's Pigsty.
Fov Ier's pigsty was the scene Tues
day riEht of bloody battle between
porker5 and the prowler, the pigs COM
ing of a poor second best, one of their
number being killed and nine others
receiving gaSheS in their sides and
headquarters. requiring from 10 to 40
stitches to close.
Wednesday night all was quiet at the
Fowler farm, but on Thursday night the
prowler came again. and this time came
men and made its escape unframed
with q 20-pound piece of suet which
had been set out as bait.
Again all was quiet at the Fowler
farm last night. The watch was kept,
however. and will be kept again tonight
by hunters anxious for a shot at the
prowler.
Sam Mcdowell, an employee of The
Star circulation department. who has
hunted big game In northern penin-
sula Of Wisconsin, made a lone hunt
for the animal last night. After care
fully examining the tracks near the
Fowler farm, he concluded that they
were made by big dog, coyote or wolf
and not by member of the cat family.
The mountain lion or panther, he
pointed out. shows SWAY" tracks due
to the length and weight Of its body.
Mcdowell thought 1t possible that the
attacker Of the hogs might have been
q lynx