Year: 1876

lDesperate Fight With a Panther.
SaratogiansI ross od v~ 1o tfu si


George HinckIey was last Friday night,
at lilo clock, driving from Corinth to
Conkliugyillet Saratoga county, New
York, somewhat bslated. There was
no moon and the road was uncertain,
owing 70 the rough weather which has
prevailed in that section for two weeks
or more. He was in a lipht cutter, we'll
protected from the cold by robes aud
Blankets, and was driving spirited
horse. The road lay through some un.
dergrowth Of woods. While the horse
was jogging along at a moderate trot,
suddenly he stopped, threw his ears for
ward, gave furious snort and refused to
go further. The driver urged him to 20
aud finally struck him with halter, the
strap end Of which was tied to the cutter
in prderto prevent its dropping out and
becoming lost, The horse jumped for
ward in frightened manner, but before
be had taken three steps huge
panther sprang from behind q low ever
green close by the track and leaped
sqdarely into the cutter. AS it struck
the cutter its fore paws came with great
force against Hinekley' 8 breast, and with
one haul with its powerful nails the man
clothing was stripped clean from the
skin. nNCf4.GH ADH


HiDckiey had the halter with which be
had just struck the horse still in bis
hand, aud instinctively he laid it with all
his might over the head of his fierce as
sailant By one of the blows the head
stall was passed over the panther head.
1t beipga slipping-noose, the next effort
to strike drew the moose fight about the
pautherS neck. Then desperate, hand.
tohand, as it we're, eight ensued. The
man struggled to throw off the beast, but
succeeded only SO far as to prevent it
from fastening its powerful jaws upon
his now bare neck. The panther grab.
bed the mans left arm which It bit
through and through, The blood
which flowed only seeming to
make it the more furious. With his
right arm Hinckley tightened the slip.
ping moose about the animals throat So
tight was it drawn by that strength which
comes Of desperation that the panther
was ehoked so that it let 90 its hold on
tae arm and gasped, at the same time
stripping its victim of clothing aad lac
Grating his skin With it's sharp claws.
With the first spring Of the panther, &C.
companied as it was with wild, fierce
groKl, the horse took fright and ran at
full speed, every leap fairly lifting the
cutter from the track Thus, while Hinck.
ley was struggling for lie 10 the cutter,
the horse was summing away But this
proved to be the salvation Of the driver;
for 10 making short turn in the road
the cutter was overturned, dumping
driver and panther out upon the frozen
snow. The moment they stuck earth,
however, they parted company. One end
Of the halter being last to the cutter and
the other tight about the wild animal
neck, the latter being mercilessly drag
ged after the flying steed, its body jump
ing gland bounding along the road like a
tin pan hitched to a dog . tail ..1c' r.5-


The running away OF the horse saved
Mr. Hinokleyis life, otHe was left BY the
roadside, whence heiino course of time
found his way to aghouse The horse
ran till he got loose from the cutter and
then he went to ConkliDgville., The cut
ter, badly shattered, was found half q
mile from the spot where the panther
leRped from behind the baah. The ami
ma was dead, ,ehoked to death, and badly
bruised. 1t was narrow escape, and
one of the most peculiar aud desperate
struggles that ever occurred between


mah and beast. IkH8Efle