Clay-Randolph County AlArchives History .....CATAMOUNT "Cat Of The Mountain"  2022
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Linda Ayres http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00031.html#0007674 October 16, 2022, 9:51 pm

There are all kinds of stories about "Catamounts" "Painters" and Panthers 
roaming the woods of Clay & Randolph Counties. There is a story about a 
"Painter" steeling an infant from a basket, while the parents were working in a 
field close by. There are stories about when the beast cried out at night it 
sounded like a woman screaming. There are stories about how the cat would grab a 
cow by the neck, bringing it down, killing it instantly. There are stories about 
a pack of cats trying to tear into houses through the roof at night. One thing 
is for certain when word got out a cat had been spotted, it caused great panic. 
People would barricade the doors and windows with large pieces of furniture and 
set up all night long with a shotgun. 

Feb-1856
The Wedowee, Alabama Eagle tells tough story of a catamount that attacked a 
woman, and after injuring her severely, was beaten off by the negroes belonging 
to Mr. Todd. The overseer went out with dogs and a party of mules to hunt the 
beast, when it attacked him, killed nine of Todds negroes, and finally escaped.

Apr 8, 1921, Lineville Headlight: 
While rabbit hunting Friday after noon, Stell and Tom Reeves, Earl Stanford and 
Charley Smith ran amuck with a catamount, they immediately, called their dogs 
and started the chase which lasted only about thirty minutes until the cat was 
captured. All four of the participants say they and their dogs had a lively 
tussle for a few minutes until they finally succeeded in getting the cat in the 
sack. In the tussle two of the dogs were badly cut, and had Stanford not 
interfered Stell Reeves would have gotten a severe hugging. the cat sprang on 
him only to be knocked off with a club. The cat weighs fifty pounds and measured 
four feet, four inches.

Oct 12, 1923, Lineville Headlight: 
A hunting party of three Riley Graben. Fred Haynie and Elsie Whatley reports 
they captured a large catamount some six or seven miles from Lineville. He was a 
young cat and gave a two-hour chase. Two dogs put the fight and the smaller dog 
getting the best of the fight.  The cat was brought to town Saturday morning and 
edited the curiosity of a lot of people to know such animals were yet making 
this country their roaming. 

May 26, 1927, Lineville Headlight:
Uncle Sim Parker was out looking for bee tree on mountain side last week and saw 
big catamount slipping up on him and be brought in to play his shotgun and 
brought down this King of beast. It weighed 23 lbs., measured 22 in high, 32 in. 
long. Many people gathered to see his cat as their first view of his kind of 
forest animal tnas roams the mountains of Clay Co.


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