Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1873-11-14
A Shocking Tragedy-A Woman
Crushed by IL Performing Bear

Crushed by IL Performing Bear
Giuseppe Battiocini, d wandering show
man with a performing bear as his only
stock in trade, passed through East New
| ark on Monday morning, stopping by the
way to give exhibitions of the cleverness OF
his huge, clumsy pet. He was accompan-
| led by his wife, a young and comely Italian
! who trudged along patiently his side, land
collected the small gratuities offered blythe
witnesses of Bruins antics. She carried a
small bundle, and he was armed with a
club with which he now and then raped
the bear as he was inattentive to his du-
! ties. From East Newark they took the
road to New Y ork, and were heard of no
| more at the former place until late in the
afternoon. Then a messenger hurried to
Dr.. M. F. Squires, county Physician, to
summon him to view the body of a woman
who had been crushed to death by a bear.
The N. Y. 's'Sun" gives the following ac-
count of tie shocking affair
DR.. Squires, accompanied by a friend,
drove rapidly to the place mentioned by
the messenger, where he found the show
man, Battiocini stretched upon the lifeless
body of his wife, and giving way to uncon-
trollable grief The woman lay ON little
knoll in the meadow, few feet from the
road, and about a quarter of mile from
the Lodi Hotel, near the village formerly
bearing that name. At the foot of the
knoll lay the body of the bear. An excited
throng surrounded the man, and it was
some time before DR.. Squires could get at
the particulars of the tragedy. The diff
Guilty was further enhanced by the fact that
Battiocini could not speak English, and
dilligent search failed to discover any one
who could interpret his rapid Italian. At
found that he understood q few words of
German, and in this language, eked out by
signs, the man told his story.
He had reached the knoll early in the
morning. and having securely fastened the
bear to a large water pipe left him in charge
of his wife, to whom he also delivered the
club. Then he had started for New York
to buy provisions and ascertain upon what
terms he could procure winter Stabling for
the bear, as the country season was about
at an end Before going he gave his wife
instructions in regard to the management
of the brute, and cautioned her to be care
full, as both knew that the bear had strong
antipathy to her. The bear had ON a heavy
leather muZzle, to which a strong rope was
attached, and the Snowman had no fear
that he would attack the woman in his alb
Sence.
Having transacted his business in the city
Battiocini returned to the spot on which
he had parted from his wife and the bear,
reaching the place at p M A horrible
sight met his view. On the knoll his wife
lay dead, and astride of her PROSTATE body
stood the huge brute, his eyes ablaze with
mage, paving his victim with his feet and
waanly irving to tear her flesh with his muZ-
Zed mouth He had stripped the woman
from head to foot and her clothes torn into
shreds were scattered around her body. AS
the bear pulled and paved the senseless
fomn, his rage at being unable to tear it
with his teeth vented itself in fierce groWlS,
which grew iercer and deeper On the ap-
preached of his master.
For moment Battiocini was stunned
with grief, but rapidly recovering he at
tackled the brute with a club, and in few
moments took the body out OF the BEARS
embrace. Life was extinct, although the
body was warm. The bears claws had
scratched the face and the upper part of
the body dreadfully, although the lacera
tion were not so deep as might have been
expected. The chest was caved in and
flatsened, and it was evident that the brute
had seized the woman in his embrace and
crushed the life out of her. Both of her
arms were broken. and the elbow bones of
ONE protruded beyond the skin. She must
lrave died almost instantly.
The shreks of Baitiocim were at length
heard, and the neighDors foeked to the
spot. Battiocini was incoherent in his
grief, and refused to leave the body of his
wife. He gave the villagers to understand
that the bear had killed her, and beg
ged them. by signs, to kill the brute. Mr..
George Brandt shot the bear, but such was
the vitality of the animal that the rifle bull
let's fired into him seemed to take no effect,
so he was despatched with axes.
After viewing the body and elici ing
Battiocini's story, DR.. Squiers ordered that
it be removed to an undertaker's store in
East Newark. When Battiocini was ask
ed what he wanted done with the remains
of his wife, he answered that he would be
able to pay her funeral expenses. He said
that they had been married eight months
only.