The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-11-05
A Terrible Bear Story.

line LOnQOn OdaEy Telegraph Oh OCTOBER
IS prints the following painful story
T" An inquest held yesterday at st. Mary's
Hospital, Paddington, brought to light o
singularly terrible story, the chief actor con-
cerned in which expired in ward Of that
institution on Saturday last. The unfortu
nate victim, taken nnawares, had been at
tackled, beaten down, and so horribly mutt
lated by bear as to necessitate bis removal
to the hospital, where, after lying in state
of semi-insensibility for a few hours, death
put an end to bis Sufferings. The scene of
the occurrence was that wel-known place
of popular pleasure.seeking the Welsh Harp,
at Hendon. 1t is not the first time that the
Welsh Harp has figured in connection
with bear-story. 1t may be recollected'
that year or so ago q white bear,
which was one Of the attractions of the estab-
lishment In question, Was one night missing,
and reward Was offeled for its apprehen-
sion. 1t fortunately happened, however,
in this case that the creature was not saw
agely disposed, and was captured In the
course Of few days while quietly perambu.
hting lane at Tottenham. Of q very diff.
ferent nature, however, was the brute whose
ferocity has cost human life. MANY of our
readers possibly may have seen ia dark
brown creature of prodigious size, whose
house was q great barrel by the side of the
climbing pole. During the summer months
the great bear, which, of course, attracted
the attention Of visitors. was shut off from
the public promenades by an iron railing.
It seems, however, that at the close of the
season, when the gardens would have but
few frcquenters, it was deemed unnecessary
to impose such severe restrictions on the
beast, and it was removed with it's tribe
from the Enclosure to the side of the lake. The
chain which secured it is massive and strong
enough to hold bison, and, as is yet to be
seen. 1t was substantially fixed to staple. but
| it was nearly twenty feet in length, giving the
beast ample, and, as was proved. dangerous
range. 1t was the custom Of the laborers
and gardeners whenever their work took
them near Its den, to endeavor to propitiate
it with handful of grass, which 1t greedily
devoured. 1t appears beyond doubt that 1t
was while in the act Of making the animal
this Offering that the unfortunate victim fell
into it's clutches. No one else was present.
It was between and o'clock in the morn
Ing, and the man in question, a gardener at
tached to the place, had just sharpened ht5
scythe to begin a job of grass-cutting close
by the bears den, and, as usual. took 1t
wisp of grass. What then transpired is not
known, for the poor fellow was so shock
ingly injured as to be unable to furnish any.
thing like coherent account. The first iC.
timation his mates had of bis danger was
his terrified shrieks, and when they hastened
to the spot they found the horrible bear
squattng upon him, his clothes torn
about his body, and his lower ex-
tremities stripped bare BY the brute's
claws. At the approach of assistance the
PROSTATE man--shrieking all the time for
some one to pull him away '-contrived to
turn over, but the enormous beast had
pinned him fast, and, according to one of the
spectators, vas literally eating him. 1t was
not easy to decide at the moment what it
was best to do. There lay the long chain
about the hideous beast; but whether its
links were snapped, and it was by that means
it had got at the man, of course no one could
tell :sand,' says the authority above quoted,
with its eyes glaring, and its bloody muz-
zle, and its hair all on end, 1t could be
nothing short of sudden death if it came at
you,' A gardener, being armed with sharp
shade. yentured 10 attack the beast. APP
preaching it from behind close enough to
make use of his weapon. with the edge OF II,
and with all the strength Of bis arms, be
swung blow after blow on the creatures
back and loins, but for minute ut least the
only perceptible effect was to make 1t clutch
its victim the tighter. At last one we'll d.
rected blow caused it, with yell OF pam,
to quit its victim, who was promptly drawn
away half dead and sbockingly mangled. A
short time after garden-keeper came with
q gun, and a bullet lodged in the brute's
brain put it past further mischief. The
medical evidence at the inquest showed that
the Door fellow had received tWenty-one
lacsrated wounds. 1t Is 10 be hoped that 1t
wis clearly demonstrated to the coroneTs
iury that the shocking affair was purely ac-
cidental and that nobody was to blame as
declared in their verdict. There Ii mues,
however, that requires explanation. line
gates ortbe Welsh Harp Gardens are nos,
pinbly open to anyone, and tnere snouio
at least have been conspcuously ois-
Dlayed q notice-board warning persons
against approaching the dangerous beast
II seems that persons were 80 warned
whenever an attendant or gardener bappenea
to see them in peril. 'They would 90 nlsn
It =, was told by On attendant; It Isn't
fortnight since see two gentlemen letting IL
feed out Of their hands, and only that Inc
beast happened to be ct the length OF nlS
chain he might have clawed Fem as ne oid
that noor fellow Ono cannot help feeling
the truth of this remark, and at the same
time regarding it as little short OF miracle
that none of the children who are permltleu
to stroll In the pleasant gardens nave not
ere this furnished n meal Tor tue horIiple
monster. 1t may be Stated, for the intorlna-
ton of those who have trhe 10 spare LOT
the widow and fntherless, that the unior'u
mite man Frederick Cooper bore an eNcei
l..nt chara cter for industry and sobrlety. an