Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-02-18
A TERRIBLE FIGHT WITH A BEAR
BFUin ana tho Man Fall Three "A an.
1red Feet fOwn Mountain
side,

BFUin ana tho Man Fall Three nun.
1red Feet nOwn a Mountain
side.
A correspondent writing from
Goshen, New York, says:
The bear hunters have enjoyed
fine sport in Ulster county for the
past two weeks. Even in the will
derness Of Denning township it has
been many years since bears were
sonumerous. "Jack" Ackert and
three companions of the Bull Run
region startled a large bear from its
nest few days ago and followed it
several miles. Jack came up with
it where the dogs brought it to bay
on ledge overlooking a laurel
swamp. The ledge was a perpen-
dicular one, ten feet high, on the
summit of a barren ridge that ex-
tended in an abrupt slope to the
edge of the swamp, a distance of
over three hundred feet. The
ground was covered with several
inches Of snow, upon which a stiff
|crust as smooth as ice had formed.
Ackert shot the bear as it was
fighting the dogs. 1t fell to all ap-
pearance dead. The other hunters
were scattered about in the woods.
Ackert approached near the pros
trate animal and shouted for his
comrades to come in. The bear,
however, was not dead, and, to the
hunters surprise, al ose to its feet
and rushed toward him in spite of
the dogs. Ackert fired his other
barrel, but did not kill the bear, and
in another second was defending
himself in a hand. d.to.hand fight
with the enraged brute. The crust
was so slippery that the bear had
the advantage Of the hunter, as the
latter could not keep his feet,
while the sharp claws of the former
permitted him to main tain his po-
sition. Ackert slipped and fell.
The bear had him in his embrace
in a moment. The movements of
the combatants had brought them
nearer the edge of the rocks. AS
the bear threw his paws about the
half.prostrate form of the hunter
the latter dealt it a fearful blow
with his hunting-ax, which felled
the animal. The ground was slop-
ing, and as the smooth fur of the
bear came in contact with the CLASSY
surface of the snow the animal,
maintaining its hold of Ackert, slid
toward the edge of the ledge, and
before it could get hold in the crust
with its claws both hunter and bear
fell over the rocks, and, striking
the icy slope below, shot like a can
non ball down the mountain. Two
Of Ackert's companions came out
upon the rocks Just as the two
went crashing into the tangled
laurels at the foot Of the ridge and
disappeared in the swamp. The
hunters were compelled to make a
detour of half mile to reach the
swamp. They found Ackert sitting
with his back against a hemlock
tree. He was covered with blood
and his clothing hung in tatters.
He was alive, but it was half an
hour before he was able to realize
where he was and how he got there.
He remembered falling off the
rocks, starting down the mountain
hugged by the bear and crashing
into the swamp, and that was all.
The bear lay ten OF fifteen feet
away, covered with blood, and dead.
Both of Ackert's shots had reached
vital spots, but there is no doubt
that Tut for the fortunate ride down
the mountain the bear would have
crushed the hunter before the
woundq proved fatal. The bear
weighed 5ysr two hundred pounds.
Since the above adgentpre King
Sheeley, Of South Mountain, with
two of his brothers, put up u bear
on M0ose Mountain, in Denning.
King wounded IT, bRt was attacked
by the bear. The tllres brothers
killed it with their hunting aSes,
King being badly wounded by it
during ibe fight. The bear was an
enormous epa. AS the hunters we're
dragging it to ap ND wood road
near by they heard the dogs mag
ing q commption in the woods.