Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-11-01

to stand his ground, and II the worst
came to the worst to at least sell his
life as dearly as possible. There was a
chance that the grizzly might not at
tack him if he retained "a bold at
titude, but whatever hopes Rog-
ers builded upon that foundation
were speedily dispelled by the bear
giving a low growl, dropping his NUT
ton and advancing toward him. The
hunters heart leaped to his throat as
the threatened struggle became an un-
avoidable certainty, and the agonizing
thought that its results might leave his
wife a widow and his children father
less nearly unnamed him. The weak
ness was but momentary, and then,
with every muscle and nerve in his
body drawn to their utmost tension,
the man awaited the onset of the beast
with as much GOODNESS as though his
life were not at stake in the unequal
contest. AS the grizzly slowly came
toward him and had got within dis
ance of about fifteen steps, Rogers
threw his rifle to his shoulder, and,
with a steady aim, planted bullet in
the beasts breast, just inside the point
of the right shoulder. The animal was
nit hard, but no sixty to the pound bull
let ever stopped q grizzly. With a
growl, so ferocious that it re-
sembled a roar, the infuriated animal
rushed forwards the attack. Throw
ing aside the now useless rifle, and
drawing his knife, Rogers braced him
self for the death struggle. As the
shaggy monster reared upon it's
launches, its great black, convex head
towering two feet above Rogers, the
latter involuntarily threw up his left
arm like pugilist on guard. The bear
seized the arm in its mouth and, throw
ing its great paws over the shoulders of
the hunter hugged him in an embrace
so cruel that his eyes seemed starting
from their sockets and the blood gushed
from his nostrils. Rogers right arm
was free and he drove the long, keen
blade of his knife to the hilt in the side
of the grizzly close to the shoulder.
The blade reached a vital point, inflict-
ing a fatal wound, but its immediate
effect was to increase the grizzly's fe-
rocity. 1t hugged Rogers the closer,
its long, sharp, chisel-pointed claws
tearing gaping wounds in the unfor-
tunate mans back, while with q sick
ening sound the bones of his left arm
were crunched and ground to powder
in the vise-like jaws of his terrible an
tagonist. Wild with the agony of his
wounds, Rogers piled his knife with
the energy of desperation, driving it
again and again into the vitals of the
bear, literally carving it alive, while
the latter, with claws and teeth, lacer-
ated its human foe in the most fright
full manner. 1t was, indeed, struggle
to the death, Rogers, weak from the
loss of blood and half delirious from
pain, now fought more from intuition
than anything else, having only vague
consciousness that his life depended
upon putting an end to that of the bear.
The terrible wounds of the grizzly were
also commencing to tell upon its vital.
ity. Rogers senses were not so dulled
but that he could distinguish that the
grizzly was gradually relaxing his hold,
afforded stimulated him to renewed
eXertions with the knife. The beal
endeavored to support itself despite its
cruel wounds, wavered for an instant
and then, with a low moan that sounded
almost human in its expression of pair
and despair, the huge monster toppleC
over, dragging the man with it, the
latter falling partially underneath
Summoning all his remaining strength
Rogers plunged his knife into the griz.
zly's abdomen, the hot life blood anC
viscera spouting full in his face. The
bear relinquished its hold, and Rogers
torn, lacerated and bleeding, crawlet
far enough away to eacape being rem
to pieces by the terrible death struggle
of the grizzly. Although victorious
Rogers condition was critical in the
extreme. He was mile and hal
away from home, so weak and faint he
could scarcely stand, and in danger O
bleeding to death before he could reacf
help. His left arm hung crushed anC
lifeless at his side; his left scapula anC
clavicle were broken; the blood trickleC
from the terrible wounds in his back
and his legs were literally furrowed by
the crooked claws of the BEARS hinC
feet. Conscious that he must soon have
help or perish, he summoned all his
resolution and staggered along in tht
! direction of home, more dead thar
alive, trail of blood marking his foot
steps. He managed to reach a spring
in sight of his house, when his endur
ance at last gave way, and he fell in ;
dead faint by the water edge Fortu
nately, he was soon after discovered by
his son, lad of some twelve years
who Immediately gave the alarm. Rog
ers was taken home and his wounds
temporarily dressed, an express in tn,
meantime being sent for physician
The grizzly was the largest ever know
to have been killed in the county. |
measured nine feet in length, "ove
ALL" and weighed 1,400 pounds. Th
left side of the bear was literally tori
to pieces, there being no less thai
twenty-five knife wounds, nearly ever,
one of which reached a vital point
One of its fore paws has been sent us
Some idea of its size can be obtained
when we state that the foot Just cover
an ordinary plate. At the presen
writing (Thursday) Mr.. Rogers is lyin!
in an extremely critical condition. Ii
addition to his horrible wounds, tn
shock to his system was terrible one
His left arm, literally mangled and tori
to shreds, has been amputated at tn
shoulder. His left clavicle and scapult
were fractured, and the three lowe
ribs on the right side broken. The tlesl
and muscles on his back are so torn ant
abraded that the vertebre are actual,
visible in places, while, as befor,
stated, his lower limbs are LITERAL,
scanned and furrowed. Despite hi
frightful injuries, the attendant physi
clan is of the opinion that Mr.. Roger
may recover, if erysipelas does not in
tervene. CaIOeroS fCal.) Chronicle.
THEY Mera having SO much merri