Omaha daily bee., 1880-05-25

the PROSTATE form of her astonished,
disarmed and wounded victim, the
man and bsar were precipitated to-
gether about fifteen feet down the
steep bank to the bed Of the gulch.
Having nothing to defend himself
with, Mr.. Roe quickly determined to
"play the dead man." and turning
upon his face feigned ueconsciousness
through n of the most trying ordeals
ever experienced by a human being.
The bear evidently concluded il her
prey was dead he had been killed by
her own strong paws, and began her
feast. Beginning upon his head she
literally tore the mans scalp to shreds,
leaving 1t in a condition Horrible to
look "a. He says he could both hear
and feel her teeth
GRATING UPON HIS SKULL.
She then began upon his fit should
er, intiicting there a CHASTITY and dan
gerous wound, aud hit him in several
places upon his left arm, side and back
as far down as the hip. just as she
had driven her tseth into the hip and
was doubtless, upon the point of in
t'cting such wounds as would have
caused instant death, one of her cubs
raised a cry of distress. 1t was at this
point that Mr.. Roe's play of "dead
man" which had hitherto seemed 70
unavailing, was Of great serv;cs to him.
The bear eident''y thought her VIC
tim dead, and leaving him, fastened
to the relief Of her young, intending it
is supposed, to finish her meal at plea
sure. Though bruised, mapgled and
fatigued-his scalp a bleeding mass of
torn flesh and matted hair hanging
about his brow, his left cheek and ear
torn off until they hung at his side by
but a slender STRIP, his cheek bone
broken, his shoulder, ann and side
badly injured, he nevertheless sum
moned sufficient strength to rise and
get away before his antagonist arrived.
The story of his subsequent achive-|
ment is almost beyond belief, but is
abundantly vouched for. He was
living alone, aud knew that to return
home without summoning assistance
was to certainly go home and die III
solitude. Although from the ecene
of his e%ncountsrit was a mile an | a
half home, he walked that distance, |
and without stopping at his cabin
prt cseded a halt-mile further to
THE MISSOURI RIVER.
Upon the opposite side of which he
saw a couple Of neighbors, to whom he |
called for assistance. As soon as he
observed that his cries were heard he |
returned TO his cabin where his neigh-
bors 500 after found him sitting upod
a stool, holding his hand to the side
of his head, and in that way as beat
he could keeping his mutilated cheek
and a in place. Such aid was rem
dered as could be under the circum-
stances, and medical assistance was
telegaaphed for, to which DR.. Steele
promptly responded. The wounds
we're dressed early Sunday and Mr..
Roe was left as comfortable as his sur.
roundings would allow. He bore his
sufferiugs, including the great
goat number stitches that were !
saken in sewing his wounds, |
with wonderful fortitude, allowing no
groan or complaint to escape him, ex-
cept upon one occasion when the
needle pierced the flesh in close
proximy to the eye. He confidently
asserted that he would get well,
although the doctor regarded his case
as a critical one. Since the above was
written Mr.. Roe has arrived in Hele-
ma and is now at the Sisters hospital. |
He made the journey of forty miles,
from his home to Helena, in a spring
wagon, thus affording additional evil
dence of his remarkable endurance, |
which his physician regards as being
without a parallel. Last evening he
was feeling quite comfortable and
considerable hopes were entertained
for his recovery.
HOPES OF RECOVERY.
Helena Herald, Nay IL
The victim of a furious onslaught of |
a she bear on last Saturday in the |
Prickly Pear Canyon was visited yes
terday by our reporter in st. Johns
Hospital, where he was found the
sole occupant Of a large and comforta-
BILE room, provided with fire and all
the necessaries for a patient in his
condition. While there the attending |
physician, DR.. Steele, came in accom-
panied by a barber, to dress the
wounds, which had been hastily |
bandaged last Sunday morning in
Roe's cabin, near the Missouri river. |
As soon ss war; water, sponges and
basins were ready, the work of
u%nwIapping the head commenced. So
skillfully had the work of holding the
head, cheek and scalp together by
means of many bandages been perform
ed tina. it was wonderful to look upon
and see how a few stitches here and
there, and some well applied banda
ges would hold together in a natural
position the mangled flesh and skin
that had so distorted the ''face di.
vine." The unwinding of the head |
reminded one of the unwrapping of
Cummings six thousand years memo
ries. So completely was it enveloped
from the crown to the chin that only
one eye, a part of the nose and
the mouth were visible. But pa
tientlY and with great nerve the un.
winding was submitted to, and ere
long the last bandage was removed,
exposing a head furrowed and cor
rugated to the skull in every direction
by the beasts tusks. The left ear
was gone and the left cheek held in
position SO as not quite to hide the
exposure of the jaw bone under where
the ear had been. After a careful
under the BARRIERS hands the
head was again bandaged, oiled and
away for the process of natures
healing art, to be again dressed In a
few days for another process of heal
ing, which DR.. Steele hoped would in
the end save the mans life.