Devoured by a Panther.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 52, 3 February 1885, Page 4

Devoured by a Panther.

Peter Bear, who resides at Boone's Monntain, Clearfield County, was awakened shortly after daylight, a few days ago by a noise m ! his barn. Seizing an axe he ran to the place and discovered a large mountain panther dragging off a calf which it had just killed. Mr Bear shouted, when the panther, dropping the dead calf, turned upon him. He struck it with the axe, but inflicted only a slight wound sufficient to enrage the beast. It sprang upon him and fastened its teeth m his right shoulder, but he succeeded m freeing himself and dealt it a terrific blow with the axe, compelling the beast to retreat. A large and powerful bloodhound, belonging to Mr Bear, then ran from its kennel and attacked the panther. While its attention was engaged by the hound Mr Bear split its skull with a blow from the axe, stretching it dead at his feet. The puma was an old one. and bore marks of a number of bullet and knife wounds. It measured eight feet ten and a half inches from tip to tip. In its stomach was tound a large hunting knife with the following on the blade: " Cha— s Fost— R." The intermediate letters are indistinct. Some time early m September a Hunter by the name of Charles Foster visited Brown's Mountain on a hunting expedition. Some boys while passing near a wood chopper's hut a day or two afterwards found some human bones. These they i carried home, and the curiosity aroused by the discovery induced an old woodsman, John Y. Miller, to make further investigation. He visited the spot where the boys found the bones, and found additional bones. Miller by this time was m sight of the o)d cabin, which he entered, and found fragments of a man's blood-stained clothing scattered around. He found also letters and a postal card addressed to " Charles Foster." A possible clue to the identity of the murdered man was found at No. 854 East Thompson-street Philadelphia. A man named Charles Foster used to lodge there. He was a ship carpenter by trade — an adventurous fellow. He was a widower, and left there about a year ago, leaving his daughter who is now at Baltimor.e Two or three months elapsed without his answering letters. His address was 89, Grand-street, Brooklyn, N. Y. There is no doubt he was either murdered and his remains devoured, or was killed m an encounter with this wild beast.