Show FIGHT WITH AN EAGLE Fierce Hand to Claw Fight Between Man and Bird A hand to claw battle with an eagle was fought 1Iy Harry T Allen G Galesburg Gales-burg Mr Allen now lies tho bird in Chicago where It Is being stuffed and mounted by a taxidermist and will soon KO to ornamont his home Mr Allen who la ti cigar manufacturer went on a coon hunt last week with a Party of Galosburg friends In tho 12llcs ton woods near Rosovlllo 111 The party had a fair bunch of dogs mostly coon dogs and was expecting to get results In short order The dog were ranging the woods for coon and were exceedingly busy for about two hour Along about midnight mid-night tho party heard the dogs baying and barking at a furious rate In the woods oft toward tho creek a quarter of a mllo away Aa the party approached the spot where tho dogs were assembled they came to the conclusion that tho dogs had simply gone crazy as they were not near a tree but were Instead running up and down the bank of the creek and barking at some big dark object on a stump ton or Jlftccn foot from tho edge It was a dark night and at first the coon hunters could not distinguish what the object wits Mr Allen said It was a bird of some sort probably an owl but In any event ho Intended to get a closer view Taking an ax he waded In toward tho bird while his companions held their torches high on the bank to give him as much light aa possible He says t1 waded In toward the bird tending I to kill It with a knock on the head with the ax and I was a little bit hasty as 1 feared It wpuld fly away before i could get It Jn my hurry to reach tho bird I did not take the care I should and us I struck at It with the ax my foot slipped on the mud and I fell By tho time I had recovered my foot ing the bird got Into the same In earnest I made another lunge at It with the a < and It made one at me with Its beak getting get-ting me In the leg 1 miss d my stroke Tho bird had a good nip on mo and it wad close llgliUng with the birds huge wings going all tho time like thrashing machines It was up to mo to do something and do It quickly If I did not want to be ripped Into strips by the bird 1 i reached for Its nock with my left hand and put a strangle on It to make tho creature let go of my leg and In that I was successful only In a measure The bird loosened Its hold 1 with Its beak and took hold of my hand with Its claw Its talons went clear through my loft hand and by that limo 1 was as mad as tho bird I took a good purchase on my ax nnd aimed the next and last blow with some care and cot the bird on the head 1 Ho was out for keeps but that ckuv If his was gripped on my hand as If It would nevor come loose I dragged thu wholo outfit to tho bunk and then the boys forced open tho claw on my hand and released me It wan a bald eagle and his wings measurer meas-urer seven feet two Inches from lip to tip Chicago Tribune |