Jan. 25, 1908.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
’33 
Panther Way*. 
Owego, N. Y., Jan. 2. — Editor Forest and 
Stream: I hope that this clipping from the New 
York Press, and the correspondence herewith 
inclosed, will interest the readers of your maga¬ 
zine : 
Columbia, La., Nov. 16. — Attacked by a panther near 
her home, ten miles west of this city, Mrs. Annie Valen¬ 
tine to-day was killed and eaten. The panther dragged 
the body two miles into a wooded ravine and the trail 
*ras followed by scattered pieces of the woman's clothing. 
The footprints show the animal to be of remarkable 
size. It was still at the body when the victim’s husband 
reached the spot. He fired a shot without effect, and 
the panther disappeared with a half-eaten arm between 
its jaws. Forty men with guns and dogs are pursuing 
the animal. 
Mrs. Valentine was on her way to the home of a neighbor. 
She left her house at 1:30 o’clock, saying she expected to 
return in two hours. At 5 o’clock her husband went in 
search of her. About 400 yards from the house he found 
the tracks of the panther and marked where it had 
sprung upon the woman from behind. Mrs. Valentine 
was knocked down on her face, and bloodstains showed 
that the panther had killed her before dragging her off. 
To reach the ravine the animal was forced to wade 
through two mountain streams. The skeleton was picked 
almost clean, but the head was untouched. 
Believing that most of these reports are fiction 
pure and simple, and with a view to obtaining 
the facts in the case, I sent a letter to the post¬ 
master at Columbia, La., requesting him to place 
the clipping and an inclosed letter in the hands 
of Mr. Valentine, husband of the woman sup¬ 
posed to have been killed by the panther. In 
my letter to him I said: 
“'Please read the inclosed clipping from a New 
York paper and inform me of the facts. I am a 
firm believer that our so-called ferocious beasts 
seldom attack a person without provocation; 
namely, after being wounded or driven to bay. 
If, however, this report is true it is an excep¬ 
tional case worthy of special notice.” 
The following is the reply of C. T. Thornhill, 
postmaster, dated at Columbia, La., Dec. 11: 
“The inclosed letter and clipping were received 
by me some days ago, but as I am unable to 
deliver it to Mr. Valentine, it is herewith re¬ 
turned. 
“I desire to say in this connection that I am 
confident that there is no truthful foundation for 
the story as printed and published in the New 
York paper, and I have a suspicion that the dis¬ 
patch was not sent from this place, and it is 
altogether probable that the story as printed was 
made up in the composing rooms of the paper 
publishing it. The New Orleans Picayune had 
a dispatch from this point to the effect that ‘an 
unconfirmed report was in circulation to the 
effect that Mrs. Annie Valentine of the tenth 
ward of Caldwell Parish, La., had been killed 
by a panther, but inasmuch as the correspon¬ 
dent is unable to confirm the report, but little 
faith is put in the truth of the same.’ It is my 
private opinion that the Picayune article was 
taken as foundation on which to build the article 
which appeared in the New York paper. 
“I believe with you that wild animals seldom 
attack pefople unless wounded and at bay, bur 
the panther should not be included in the list, 
for I know of one instance in particular where 
this animal did make an unprovoked attack upon 
a hoy, and I have heard of many other authenti¬ 
cated instances. The boy whom I refer to was 
out fishing in a small stream about a mile from 
his home and was seated on a large log that 
extended from one bank to the other, and on 
looking up he saw a large panther creeping to¬ 
ward him from the opposite end of the log with 
the evident intention of springing on him as 
soon as it was within reach. The boy (a negro) 
ran with all speed to his home and reported the 
matter to Mr. Stephen Williams, with whom he 
was living, and Mr. Williams armed himself and 
went back with the boy to see what discovery 
could be made, and when about half way to the 
stream they came in sight of the panther in 
the road, apparently on trail of the boy. When 
it discovered Mr. Williams and the boy it mani¬ 
fested no desire to retreat, but on the contrary, 
made ready for an attack just so soon as they 
should be within springing distance.. 
“Mr. Williams shot and killed the panther, and 
afterward told me of the incident. Many of his 
neighbors testified to the truth of the matter, 
and Mr. Williams was a man whose word should 
be accepted as true in all things, whether cor¬ 
roborated or not. 
“Another case told me by father was that in 
the early settlement of this country a panther 
had attacked and wounded a cow belonging to 
by the loud and angry barking of her dog, and 
on going into the house to ascertain the cause 
she saw a huge catamount almost in reach of 
her baby, and but for the fact that he had to 
turn to defend himself against the attack of the 
dog he would have taken the baby from its 
cradle and devoured it. The dog being encour¬ 
aged by the presence of his mistress he made 
such a vigorous assault upon the cat that it re¬ 
treated and took refuge underneath the house, 
where it was held at bay by the dog until the 
husband could be called from the field, and he 
and his faithful dog put the intruder to death. 
“There are two species of wildcat in oqr 
Southern forests; one is called the catamount, 
and the other the common wildcat. The only 
distinguishing feature is that one has a short 
and the other a long tail. They are somewhat 
less in size than the panther, but are very power¬ 
ful and frequently do much damage among 
lambs, pigs and calves.” 
In Asia and Africa the premeditated attacks 
upon the natives by the large cats is too authen¬ 
A SOUTHERN WILDCAT. 
From a photograph by W. J. Ehrich. 
a neighbor of his, the cow coming home at night 
still bleeding from the wound, and after night 
the owner heard the cow bellowing as if in 
great pain, and on going out saw what he thought 
was a large dog attacking the cow, and on ap¬ 
proaching the thing turned and sprang upon him. 
All men in those days carried a large knife in 
a belt and Mr. Goodson, being thus armed, ac¬ 
cepted the challenge and killed the animal in a 
moment or two, and having secured a light, 
found that he had killed a huge panther. This 
man was known throughout the country from 
that day as ‘panther Goodson.’ That was many 
years before I was born, but having heard of 
this very odd name for a man I asked my father 
why it was, and he explained the story to me. 
“I remember of another instance which came 
under my personal knowledge. A young far¬ 
mer, who was a neighbor of my father’s family, 
went to his field to work as usual in the morn¬ 
ing, leaving his wife and young baby at home 
under the protection of a faithful dog. The 
wife went to her kitchen to prepare the noon 
meal and left her baby asleep in its cradle, and 
the weather being warm, the doors were left 
open. During the mother’s absence the baby 
awoke and began to cry, but the mother worked 
on and took no particular notice of it. After 
the elapse of some little time she was attracted 
tic to be disputed. In America there are a few 
exceptional cases where bears or pumas—erron¬ 
eously called panther—have attacked people 
without provocation, but such occurrences are 
much rarer than is generally supposed. 
Only a few months ago Forest and Stream 
published an account from the Canadian North¬ 
west, of a black bear that was seen on the bank 
of a river opposite a camp. Suddenly it plunged 
in and swam across, and rushing out of the 
water, charged the party and killed one of its 
number before the surprised men could dispatch 
it. If true, this certainly is an incident without 
a parallel, and if any of your readers have been 
witnesses to or participants in occurrences of 
this character, they owe it to their fellow sports¬ 
men and naturalists to give us “the truth, the 
whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” 
J. Alden Loring. 
[The report of the black bear attacking and 
partially eating the man in the camp was circum¬ 
stantial, and signed by a gentleman of standing 
in his community. Although almost incredible 
it may be accepted as true.— Editor.] 
The Forest and Stream may be obtained from 
any newsdealer on order. Ask your dealer to 
supply you regularly. 
