Show bib FARMER IN DESPERATE CONFLICT WITH MONSTER MONARCH OF THE AIR STRUGGLE LASTS TWO HOURS giant birds wings are broken and ft Is finally overcome with help of neighbors acas urea twelve feet st charles fighting desperately for vo hours with a monster eagle to keep his baby from the menacing talons of the great bird peter john son a farmer with the aid of neigh bors finally captured the king ot the air fully a score of persons participated in the conflict with the eagle and pitchforks clubs and stones wore brought into service before the bird exhausted from his efforts gave up the battle johnson was terribly scratched in the encounter although his son was unhurt the johnson boy a sturdy child of three years was playing on ta farm near st charles the other morning when the eagle was first observed the great bird circled about the vl cantty at a great height for several minutes suddenly with the speed of a lightning flash it darted down and its steel like talons caught in the child s dress the child s surprise foe a second struck him dumb and the eagle using every ounce of its strength bore the boy upward surprise gave way to alarm the child screamed for aid and struggled vigorously to free ahlm self from the eagle a clutches the boy Is a stockley stock lly built lad weighing about 35 pounds and the bird was unable to make great progress the father heard the screams of ahls child and hurried from his home he saw the boy in the birds clutches and ran toward the scene of the gle with all his strength be threw him self on the eagle and bore it to the S he threw himself upon the eagle ground the child was saved and ran shrieking for assistance for his ta ther the man and the bird were locked in b death grip the eagle us ing bis claws while johnson struck out with his free hand as he held the bird with the other neighbors were soon on the scene from the start they were determined it possible to capture the eagle alive sticks and stones fell on his monster body while both wanga were immediately crippled the breaking of the wings made es cape of the eagle impossible but for two hours he fluttered along the ground fiercely repelling every attack until completely exhausted be was pinioned to the earth by two pitch forks the eagle when measured proved to lo 10 12 feet from tip to tip of his wings and a perfect specimen of its kind it is believed he will speedily recover from the injuries in its struggle with the men and johnson plans to present it to some zoological garden although johnson is suffering in tense pain as a result of the scratches received in the fight none of his hurts Is regarded as dangerous the worst wound being an immense gash torn in his left shoulder he was greatly weak ened from loss of blood the boy Is none the worse for his experience and takes great delight in watching the imprisoned bird |