Historic Cryptid Headline: July 6, 1910 - Man Fights With Wild Animal To Save Child
Carson City Daily Appeal
July 6, 1910
“Man Fights With Wild Animal To Save Child.”
The following remarkable story has been received by the Las Vegas Age from James S Abbott its correspondent at Bunkerville, Nevada: Bunkerville is a small town in the Virgin river basin, about two miles from Mesquite, where the incident occurred. Both places are remote from the railroad, in one of the wildest localities of the southwest, yet which is now beginning to attract considerable attention on account of the fertility of its soil. Mr. Abbott’s story follows:
Child in Death Grip of Monster
In the small hours of the morning of June 22nd, at the town of Mesquite in Clark county, the two small daughters of Mrs. Aaron H Leavitt, a widow, were peacefully sleeping on the floor between the open doors of the room. Under cover of the darkness an animal crept through the open door and immediately plunged its sharp teeth into the brow and temple of one of the sleeping children. The little girl screamed with pain and threw up her arm to ward off the attack, whereupon the fierce brute fastened his jaws upon her forearm driving his teeth to the bone. The mother awakened by the anguished cries of her baby, sought in the dark the cause of the trouble. She felt what she supposed in the darkness to be a huge cat and undertook to drive him off, but by this time the animal was drinking the life blood of the child, who was writhing in pain and screaming “take him off!” The little sister was sent for help to the house of a neighbor and Mr. Herbert A Leavitt was awakened and came running to the scene. A desperate fight with the monster immediately began.
Leavitt a Hero
After vainly trying to beat the beast off he saw that something must be quickly done to save the life of the child. He settled himself down onto the animal and holding its throat in a powerful grip finally succeeded in choking it so that he loosened his grip from the arm of the child. After getting it loose a terrific struggle began and it was only through the great strength of Mr. Leavitt that the struggling beast was held until more help came and the animal was finally killed with an ax.
The beast proved to be an immense badger, weighing 55 pounds, and was strong enough to have carried off and killed the child had not help fortunately been at hand. The badger’s mate was seen around the place later.
The child is doing nicely after the frightful experience, under watchful treatment and it is hoped that no bad effects may follow.
“Historic Cryptid Headlines” showcases actual articles involving cryptids that were published within United States newspapers back in the 1800s-1900s. The articles posted here are written exactly as they appeared during their original publishing date.
-The Pine Barrens Institute
The Minneapolis Journal
August 7, 1906
“Lake Ada Has A ‘Sarpint.’”
Mysterious Creature Seen on the Water by Pine River Men.
The Salt Lake Herald
March 25, 1899
“SEA SERPENT STORY.”
Two-Headed Hairy Monster That Weighed Seventy Tons.
The Daily Gate City and Constitution-Democrat
November 1, 1919
“SEA SERPENT IN LAKE KEOKUK.”
Fort Madison Citizens Insist That They Have Watched Monster Swimming Around and That It Is a Hard Looker.
The Evening World
September 18, 1922
“60-FT. MONSTERS RAID FISHERIES.”
Fishermen Scared Away After Narrow Escapes.
ST. JOHN’S, N.F., Sept. 18.
The Midland Journal
March 11, 1887
“The Wild Man Of Ohio.”
A Curious Creature Seen Among The Hills of Holmes County.
Wauwatosa News
September 17, 1909
“Fish With GooGoo Eyes.”
Same Being About the Size of Locomotive Headlights.
Iowa County Democrat
June 6, 1879
“The Lake Champlain Serpent.”
A Resident of Maquam Sees and Describes Him Minutely.
The Eagle
August 21, 1895
“VIRGINIA’S SWELLING TOAD.”
A Queer Batrachian That Strongly Resembles a Fish.
The Essex County Herald
August 22, 1879
“The Sea-Serpent’s Rival.”
A Reptile Thirty Feet Long and Probably Fifty Years Old - A Story Western Newspaper Readers are Asked to Believe.
Mineral Point Tribune
June 21, 1883
“Ohio Monster.”
A Beast or Reptile Which Startles the Good people of Ohio.
The Superior Times
August 11, 1906
“Snake Milked The Old Brindle Cow.”
Farmer Finally Discovers Mysterious Thief.
First Laid To Witchcraft.
But Finally Bossy and the Reptile Were Found Meeting by Appointment and Now the Latter Is No More.
Northern Wisconsin Advertiser
July 12, 1900
“Monster With Many Horns. Tall Story from Wisconsin”
The Logan Republican
September 18, 1907
“Bear Lake Monster Appears.”
Leviathan Comes from Lake and Devours Horse While Men Shoot At It.
The Saint Paul Daily Globe
September 30, 1890
“Bitten By A Vinegar Rone.”
Deadly Effect of a Sting of an Almost Unknown Creature.
The High Point Review
January 8, 1914
“Unknown To Science”
Strange Animals Believed To Exist In Africa.
Particulars Have Not Been Made Public, But Professors Of Natural History Are Inclined To Credit The Report.
The Washington Times
September 7, 1920
“Bather Fights Octopus With Knife As Weapon!”
Delaware Life Guard, Enveloped By Score Of Tentacles, Cuts His Way To Freedom.
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Richmond Indiana Palladium
August 11, 1838
“The Devil’s Lake.”