The daily gazette., 1877-12-13
Wrestling with a Bear.
BRUIN HOLDING HIS OWN THROUGH
THREE BOUNDS WITH ONE OPPO-

BRUIN HOLDING HIS OWN THROUGH
THREE BOUNDS WITH ONE oPPO-
NENT. ...-l.....-..
From the n. Y. Sun of wednesday.
Athletic Hall, 102 Prince street, was
crowded to its utmost limits last night,
the attraction being a wrestling match by
Wilhelm Heygster and the two trained
bears belonging to the London Circus
Prior to the event of the evening there
was a Greco Roman wrestling match
between Murauut and Jonaris, two
powerful athletes, who wriggled and
s1uirmed about the stage tor nearly TWEEN
ty minutes. Jonaris, who seemed to have
greater strength than his opponent, won
two falls out Of three. Then Emil Reig-
nier showed his strength by putting up
weights, lifting and catching cannon
balls weighing ffty-six pounds that were
thrown to him from distance of seven
| or eight feet. After four trials he raised,
or ''put up" 200 pounds. bis great feat
was supporting 300 pounds of iron on his
extended arm. To place the weight in
position required the assistance of four
men. The bungling of one of these
caused two failures, and the weights fell
to the stage, smashing chair as they fell.
Losing all patience, Reignier darted
| aC us CLUMSY dSStSbhuD duu ucdlI
blow straight from the shoulder, which
sent the man spinning across the stage.
This delighted the audience, and the pu-
gilstic professor was loudly cheered. At
the fourth attempt the weights were sue
cessfully lifted.
While the cannon balls were rolling
and the heavy weights crashing on the
stage, the arrival of the bears was an
nounced. The stage of Athletic Hall is
small, and the entrance from the rear is
strictly proportioned to it. Thus, when
some one called out in French, "Open
|the door for the BEARS" there was no
J little commotion among the employees.
J Before the bears could be admitted it
: was necessary to tear down some OF the
: side scenery.
! The bears are a brown and gray, the
! former being the stronger and heavier
7 AS they reached the stage the band Ca
J harp and two fddles, execrably out of
t tune) struck up a waltz, and the brown
7 bear began clumsy dance. The gray
t sat quietly on his launches and licked
t his chops. Both were muzzIed. After
i q short time Heygster, whose sporting
8 title is the "Oak of the Rhine" jumped
upon the stage in full wrestling costume.
: He is a large, heavy man, with arms as
s big as an ordinary mans leg. He was
0 booked to wrestle the brown, bear, but
+ the latter seemed rather inclined to dance
: than to wrestle, and kept the house in
q irOar with his antics,
b Finally however, he stood upon his
y hind legs, and cautiously guarded against
r the efforts of Heygster TO get an under
r holG. Heygster got his arms around
r bruins neck, but the latter, with one
l. paw over the mans shoulder, and the
y other passed around his waist, had by
" far the best of the grip. As Heygster eX-
ID erted his immense strength in the effort
10 to gain fall. bruin warily braced him.
c. self on his bind legs, watching every
st movement intently, and thus for two or
re three minutes the wrestlers moved from
SO side to side of the stage. Heygter tried
le to change his grip, but as he did 30 the
re bear got both paws around him and gave
IN him a hug such as none but strong
ne man eouId have endured. At length
IN Heygster released himself, and retired to
I'd the other side Of the stage, putting and
a. blowing like porpoise. The bear was
n perfectly cool and collected. After this
y, he clinched the bear a'second and third
er time, narrowly escaping fall on eacn
in occasion but when time was called for
w a fourth round he declined to toe,Jhe
mark. He was a little scratchedghut
not otherwise injured.
n Reignier, the strong man, then cliuched
with the gray bear, the brown bear mean
time dancing clumsy war dane in the
G. corner. The first bout between Reienie
E. and the bear was simple clinch, in
which neither got the advantage, but N
the second the bear threw his antag0niss
NJ heavily, and in matter of fact way that
CO was ludicrous in the highest degree As
tly he placed his big paw on tie bgeasf O.
IT. the prsstrate man he looked toward the
AZ, audience for approval. Nothing daunto-
;, Reignier clinched again, and was again
~ thrown, although he gave bruin very
good handful. AT length amid cries ot
he "Dont try it again !" he went in for the
to, sixth trial. This time he got an inside
la grip, but this bruin easily threw off
he Then Reignier, who was down on his
ne knees, seized the bears paw and held il
ne firmly. This mode of wrestling was ev
Y identity novel to the bear, who tugget
"a and pulled in vain to release himself IL
Is the wiIdness of his strainings he lost his
NJ habitual caution. and Reignier, seizins
he him behind, actually threw him heat
IS, over heels aud fell upon him. This il
as the first time the bear has been doored
n t's When he rose to his feet he was fresl
:. and anxious for another bout, but Reig
ne iner had retired.