The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1878-06-19
A MIGHTY MAN.
THE HuRoULEAN HUNTER OF THE GREAT
AMERICAN PLAIN.

kia, lives very queer Indian, who has his
tory as remarkable as it is romantic He is a
full-blooded Cherokee and according to his
own assertion is 100 years old. His name is
John Meehoo and he was born in the county
of Jefferson, Mississippi, where his tribe re-
sided over century ago, and from which re-
gion they were transported to the Indian Ter
ritory. John, or the Big INDIAN as he is
Familiarity termed is an extraordinary person
in appearance, being six feet four inches in
height, weighing about 100 pounds, and in
spite of his age is erect and comparatively
robust. His harris now perfectly snow white;
he has but few teeth left, and within the last
two or three years he has grown somewhat
bald. He is a fisherman and frog hunter by
profession and has wife about sixty years of
age, French woman who does not speak En-
glish. His wife was an Indian halfbreed, by
whom he had two children, both living in the
vicinity of Cahokia, and hunters and sports
men by vocation.
At the age of eighteen, Meehoo had
already become noted for his physical strength
and great powers of endurance Unfortunate
ly he became involved in a quarrel with the
chief of the Cherokees, Mananatal, and slew
him. Meehoo, while making an effort to flee
was apprehended by his tribe, and, after a
trial, according to the forms common to the
Cherokees he was condemned to be burnt at
the stake, but during his short confinement
preparatory to his undergoing this terrible
penalty, he escaped. He went to the north
ern part of the Territory of Mississippi, where
he joined the Chckasaws. Hero, too, his
belligerent disposition broke out again, and
he killed two of the Choctaw chiefs and made
captive woman of the tribe, with whom he
fled. His life since has been series of wan
dering from one State to another. From Mis-
sissippi he proceeded to Louisiana, from
thence to Texas, and from Texas to Missouri
and for the last fifty years he has been living
in the vicinity of st. Louis, where he has
followed the precarous avocation of frog
hunting. He has always been famed for his
remarkable strength. During his earlier life
he was able to lift 1000 pounds on dead lev
ell. On one occasion he carried upon his broad
shoulders barrel of pork weighing 800 lbs,
from the landing at East st. Louis to his then
home below Cahokia, a distance of six miles.
Several years ago he lived in the old town of
Gaskaslia, in Illinois. where be was employ
ed in Touring mill. Remarkable stories are
told of the wonderful feats of muscular
strength performed by him. 1t is said that
be was in the habit of placing upon his
shoulders two bags of wheat weighing 200
pounds each, and carrying them up flight
of stairs. This labor he would perform for
two hours, never seeming to tire.
While roaming through the woods one day,
his dogs, which were following him, bayed a
huge stag in the bed Of dried creek Nee
hoo was unarmed, and after several inefectu-
al efforts to club the deer with such bludg-
cons as he could pick up, he seized the infur-
ated beast by the antlers, and by main
strength hurled him over his head, breaking
the animals neck
| Meehoo at one time was probably the
mghtiest hunter that roamed the wilds of
the American bottom. Forty and fifty years
ago bears were plentiful in the thick forests
of the swampy regions skirting the eastern
shore of the Mississippi, and bear-hunting
was Meehoo's favorite sport.
He still carries upon him the marks of
more than one terrific contact with savage
bruin. Te reporter who reviewed him he
gave recital of remarkable struggle he had
with bear in the winter of 1929, while hunt
ing through the Dry Creek bottom, about
seven miles south of where Centreville station
/ 70, oil tod ON, tha Odfl, ~
December, and light snow covered the
ground Meehoo had gone out for the pur-
pose of hunting wild hogs, and had with him
one dog that was trained for that peculiar
sport. While traversing the bottom he was
suddenly confronted by huge black bear
The dog rushed at him, but the bear at one
blow of his powerful paw stretched the poor
brute dead, and at the distance of thirty feet
bruin poised himself ON his hind legs as il
throwing down the gauntlet of battle. Nee
hoo Immediately pulled down upon him with
his rfle but to his dismay the powder refus-
ed to go off. The cap exploded with loud
noise 1t was Immediately replaced by a
fresh one, but before Meehoo could fire sec
ond time, the bear was upon him, and in such
close proximity that it was impossible for him
even to use the rifle as a club. The man and
beast closed in a terrific struggle, the bear il
his characteristic game of hugging, the des-
perate Indian struggling to draw his knife
from his belt.
"Meehoo laughingly said to che reporter,
Z" I tell you, my son, the hug that bear gave
me was the worst ever had in my life. Az
first | thought all my ribs were broken, and
l felt as if my entire body was mashed into
a complete jelly. My breath was entirely
taken away, and for moment | was entirely
exhausted, but made struggle to free my
right arm, and succeeded in drawing my knife
Before could use it the bear Rugged me a.
gain, but managed to get small cut into
his fore shoulder. The animal released mt
and began to snap at me with his teeth
and he struck me with bis fore paw. One
blow felIed me to the ground and almost
stunned me into insensibiity. By the time
rose the bear was upon me, butt had my
knife in time and gave him thrust thai
made him growl with anger and howl will
pain"