Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-12-06
A Tragic Bear Fight.

A most painful occurrence has spread
panic in the parish of St. Raymond a
man has been torn to pieces BY bear.--
The bear killed and carried off over night
COW belonging to man of the name of MI
chael Cantn. On the morrow an experI
enced hunter in that region, named james
Cantin, whose aim for forty years ha'
brought down bears, moose. and Other large
game of the forest without Lumber, pre-
pared means to put an end TO this ierocIou
brute. 1t was sundown before these were
completed, and he had not time to go fo
his son to assist him in the hunt. The bea
came. according to custom. to feed upon th'
prey he had secreted; and the lnhabiiant'
of the village heard the firing of a gun
Fifteen minutes later another gun was heard
the report sounding as if near the woods
and as the night was closing, third repor
was heard coming from within the forest
then all was silent.
The people gathered together 10 meet tht
hunter on his way home, and hear from hi'
own lips the story of his encounter with the
bear. But the night has begun, and he does
not come. The hopes OF his friends turn
to fear, and they resolve TO fly to bis assls'
tance. They start with lanterns, and pro
ceed TO the edge Of the forest, where then
cries and discharge Of firearms remain un-
answered. They enter the wood and scouI
it in various directions, but without seeing
or hearing anything. Then they return
home, sad and dispirited, 10 resume the
search at dawn next day.
More than forty persons, who bad been
summoned IN the course Of the night, mel
at daybreak on the morrow at the spot
whence the report Of the hunters first sbo'
proceeded. A bloody track led them on
through the forest: and many who were
following it came to the bear, which they
found lying dead in cump Of bushes neal
swamp. But no hunter was to be found
They continued on their way, still keeplne
to the traces of blood on the ground which
extended beyond the spot where lay the
animal, until in the midst Of dense thick
et they stumbled on the unfortunate Can'in
The soil trampled and torn up; the bushes
broken and down-trodden the trunks oil
trees hard by, the leaves on the bushes and
the face OF the earth CORY with the blood
that had been shed {; and the mutllated limbs
of the deceased; everything told OF long
and desperate conflict waged hand to hand
between the unfortunate hunter and his ter
rble adversary.
From all that could be gathered on the
subject it is surmIsed that the horrible trag'
edy took place in the following manner
Cantn's first shot had wounded the beal
severely and driven him to the woods. The
hunter followed in pursuit, and fired a Sc
cond time, but from the rear as in the first
instance. Still, this could not have been a
mortal wound. Then it is supposed that
the bear finding he was followed up closely
and urged on by fear and rage, plunged
deeper into the forest where at length he
laid down to recruit his strength or perhaps
to die after the custom of his species, the
members of which usually seek some re-
tired spot to breathe their last. According
ly. the monster selected the densest thlcke
to be. found in the woods.
Animated by that noble ambition OF th'
hunter who thinks he is sure OF his game
and is desrous of adding another TO his nu
merous exploits, Cantin persevered IN th'
chase, notwithstanding the increasing dark
ness around him.
Still, it must have been sufficiently llgh
for him to distinguish the CORY track OF th'
bear but il is highly probable that he STUN
bled suddenly upon him in his secret re
treat, and then in his rage The animal re
gained his strength for while, and rising
confronted his pursuer before he could es
cape. Still Cantin must have had time u
fire third shot, but so hurriedly that M
aim could not tell elfectually The ball beln'
found in his neck. Then he undoubtedl.
clubbed his gun and beat the animal on th'
head until the weapon fell shattered from
the grasp to the ground, where it was dis
covered by his friends. The man and brut
must have closed then in the last feariu
conflict which terminated so fatally, AM
having nothing but his stout arm 10 oppos
the fury of the bear, the brave fellow
courage could not save him from the trag
end he met with.
When the bear engages in fight he rise
and sitting on his launches strikes his paw
like a monkey, but uses his claws in addl
ton like cat while bis enormous muscle
indicate a strength that is almost incon
ceivable. His claws, projected with ter
rlble power, tear and carry away every
thing they fall upon. From these poo
Cantin received several terrible blows be
fore the blood run cold in those who looked
upon his corpse. His hands were torn b,
the claws, and partly devourcd by the AMI
mails teeth. The hair of his head ant
scalp hung in pieces about his face, and bi
right thigh was mangled into mince-meat
He must have been still contendlng agaIns
the bear, when the brute, with fearful in
stinct, directing his blows against the man
head, fixed hi. murderous claws in his lace
for, by blow Of his right paw, he LITERAL,
stripped off the hunters lett cheek. On'
of his paws bad penetrated immedlateI !,
beneath the left eye and tore away car'I
lage of hi} nose, without, however, lnJurIns
the eve itself. This terrific blow doubtless
threw Cantin to the ground, when the bea
left him and retreated TO die few rod
from the scene of the conflict.
The wound was not mortal, and CantIr
survived it several hours.
The blood which deluged his knees
showed that he had sat down TO let 1t f1ow
1t NAV be that at that very moment h'
heard without being able to reply to them
the cries of the party who sailed in ques
of him at night. Exhausted at length oJ
the hemmorrage, he seemed 10 have lalf
himself down gently on his face and limbs
less painful. Possessing his consciousness
still he consecrated his last moment to Got
IN prayer. He was found with clasPe'
hands and holding his blue bonnet. Hon
est and strictly pious, the last thoughts o