Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-01-28
A Bear Killed By Two Women.
Correspondence o. the New York World


About year ago man named Jonas Butle
went into the wild region around the heat
waters of the Delaware river, about twenty
miles above Delhi, n Y, for the purpose o
cutting railroad ties and pee)ing bark, OF
contract for some parties in Green county
He erected a log cabin, where he and hi,
wife, his daughter Jennie, aged l6, and ar
infant child made their home.
ca Sunday last Butler was absent from
hon. c, and about O'Clock in the afternoon
of that day Mrs. Butler and her daughter
heard an unusual comnotion among the
pigs in the pen, log enclosure few rods
away from the house. Going 20 the door Of
the cabin, Mrs. Butler saw large black
bear in the pen, with a pig weighing about
sixty or seventy pounds hugged tightly in
one fore paw, and trying to get out of the
enclosure with it. A watch dog belonging
to the family was barking furiously at the
bear from the outside, and the pig was wrig-
Cling and squealing. Without moment s
delay Mrs. Butler told her daughter to take
the axe, and she herself seized heavy mall
used in driving wedges, and, thus armed
the two women rushed out to attack the
bear. With no thought of the consequences,
they 10th jumped into the pen, followed by
the dog. They began the attack at once.
dealing the bear blows heavy and fast with
their weapons. The dog harassed bruin in
the rear, and it was not long before he
dropped the pig and turned his attention to
his assailants. He first seized the dog and
in a very short time had crushed the life
out of it, The infuriated animal then rushed
with open mouth upon the girl. She re-
treated slowly, using her axe with vigor,
but by sudden blow with his paw the bear
knocked the axe from her hands and pressed
her into a corner Of the pen.
But for the hearty and vigorous attack that
Mrs. Butler Kept up with her mall, the bear
would have crushed the girl in another
second, as he had the dog. This drew his
attention from the daughter, and he dashed
at the mother. She kept him at distance,
and shouted to her daughter to 90 to the
house and fetch the rifle, and shoot the bear
Jennie leaped from the pen aud flew to the
house. The struggle between Mrs. Batler and
the bear waxed hotter and hotter. She retreat
ed backwards around the pen, dealing blow
after blow with the mall, the bear following
her closely with open mouth and blood flowing
fIom his wounds Finally the bear struck the
mall, and sent it flying out of the pen.
Mrs. Butler crouehed down in corner, and
covering her face with her hands, had re-
signed herself to her fate when her daughter
arrived with the gun. She pushed the bar
rel through chink in the logs, and fired.
The bear, which stood over Mrs. Butler in
the act of seizing her, totterod an instant
on his launches. and fell over dead. The
ball, as was afterwards discovered, had
passed clear through his heart.
After firing the shot and seeing the result
the girl tainted Mrs Butler could not
summon strength to get out of the place for
some time, but finally succeeded in doing so,
and got her daughter into the house. where
she soon restored her to consciousness. The
girls flesh was considerably torn under her
arms, where the bear had grasped her, and
she was severely scratched Beyond that
neither were hurt Monday the girl walked
10 where her father was at work and told
him of the adventure. lie came in and dressed
the bear. 1t weighed over three hundred
rounds