, 1878-07-11
The Herculean Hunter of the Great
American Plains.

lives very queer Indian, who has a his
torv rs remarkable as it is romantic. He
IA a full blOOded Cherokee, and, accord
mo 10 his own assertions, is over 100
wears old. His name is John Meehoo,
and he was born in the county of Jeffer-
son. Mississippi, where his tribe resided
over a century ago, and from which
region they were transported to the In
dian Territory. John, or the "Big In
dian" as he is famiiarly termed, is an
extraordinary person in appearance, be-
ing six feet four inches in height, weigh
ing about 100 pounds, and in spite of his
age is erect and comparatively robust.
His hair is 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
frcg-hunter by profession, and has wife
about sixty years of age, a French wo-
man, who does not speak English. His
first wife was an Indian halt-breed, by
whom he had two children, both living
in the vicinity of Cahokia, and hunters
and sportsmen by vocation.
At the age of seventeen Meehoo had al
ready become noted for his physical
strength and great powers of endurance.
Unfortunately he became involved in
Quarrel with the chief of the Cherokees,
Mahanatal, and slew him. Meehoo, while
making an effort to flee, was apprehend-
ed by his tribe, and, after trial accord
ing to the forms common to the Cherokees,
he was condemned TO be burnt at the stake,
but during his short confinement, pre-
paratory to his undergoing this terrible
penalty, he escaped. He went to the
northern part of the territory of Mis-
sissippi, where he Joined the Chicka5aws.
Here, too, his belligerent disposition
broke out again, and he killed two of the
Choc,aw chiefs and made captive wo-
man of the tribe, with whom he fled.
His life since then has been series Of
wandering from one State to another
From Mississippi he proceeded to Louis.
lana, 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 Las followed the pre-
carious avocation of frog-hunting. He
has always been famed for his remark
able strength. During his earlier life he
was able to lift 1000 pounds on dead
level. On one occasion he carried upon his
broad shoulders barrel of pork weigh
ing 800 pounds, from the landing at East
St. Louis to his then home below Cahokia,
distance of six miles. Several years
ago he lived in the old town of Kaskas-
kia, in Illinois, where he was employed
in the Touring mill Remarkable stories
are told of the wonderful feats OF muscu.
lar strength performed by him. 1t is
said that he was in the habit Of placing
upon his shoulders two bags of wheat,
weighing 200 pounds each, and carrying
them up a Ight 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 huge stag in the bed of dried
creek. Meehoo was unarmed, and after
several Intellectual efforts to club the deer
with such bludgeons as he could pick up,
be seized the inturated beast by the ant
lers, and by main strength hurled him
over his head, breaking the animals
a neck.
Meehoo at one time was probably the
mightiest 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 skirt
ing 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 contest with savage
bruin. To reporter who visited him
on Thursday last, he gave recital OF a
remarkable struggle he had with bear
in the winter Of 1920, while hunting
through the Dry Creek bottom, about
seven miles south of where Centreville
station is now situated. 1t was on the
24,h day of December, and light snow
covered the ground. Mehoo had gone
out for the purpose of hunting wildhogs,
and had with him one dog that was
trained for that peculiar sport. While
trsversing the bottom he was suddenly
confronted by a huge black bear The
dog rushed at him, but the bear at one
ploW OF MS powerful pa" slIetcheu 'ho
poor brute dead, and at the distance of
thirty feet bruin poised himself on his
hind legs as if throwing down the gaunt-
let of battle. Meehoo Immediately
pulled down upon him with bis rifle,
but to his dismay the powder refused to
60 of. The cap exploded with loud
noise. 1t was Immediately replaced by
fresh one, but before Mehoo could fire
a second time, the bear was upon him,
and in such close proximity that it was
impossible for him even to use the rifle
as club. The man and beast closed in
terrific struggle, the bear in his char
acteristic game of hugging, the desper-
ate Indian struggling to draw his knife
from his belt. Meehoo laughingly said
to the reporter, II tell you, my son, the
hug that bear gave me was the worst !
ever had in my life. At first | thought
my very ribs were broken, and felt as
if my entire body was mashed to u com
plete jelly. My breath was entirely TAX
en- away, and for moment was entire
ly exhausted, but, realizing the desperate