On last Thursday morning John Abernathy brought a monster eagle into town, which he had killed on his place, four miles from Forsyth, the day previous. He had gone to a field to work, carrying his little son, two and a half years of age, with him. It happened that he had his shotgun in his hands, thinking that we would need it to kill game. Suddenly he heard a sound in the air, which he describes as equal to the roaring of the wind, and saw a large shadow on the ground. Looking up he saw a huge bird swooping down upon his son. As quick as possible he raised his gun and fired and was fortunate enough to bring the eagle to the ground.
He picked him up and started homeward, carrying the bird on his shoulder. Suddenly the eagle buried his talons in his right arm, and seized his left with his beak. Mr. Abernathy called for help and his neighbors, four in number came to his assistance. It required their united efforts to release the bird from his firm hold. When relieved he found that his arm was badly lacerated, the flesh being torn from the bone in several places. The beak was sunk to the bone in the right hand. The eagle measured seven feet four inches from tip to tip, and weighed seventeen and one-half pounds. He was never seen in the neighborhood before, and it is probable he strayed from the coast. Mr. Abernathy says his strength was prodigious. He would readily have carried off the little boy had it not been that his father was fortunately armed with a gun.
November 8, 1881. Atlanta Weekly Constitution 14(n.a.): 4. Text from: November 26, 1881. Frustrating the bold attempt of a bird to carry off a boy. Memphis Public Ledger 33(75): 2 as from the Monroe (Ga.) Advertiser.