The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-09-09
KILLED in THE VALLEY.
Fatal Encounter with = Cinnamon Bear
Near Warm Springs Mound.

For week or more bear had been troub-
ling the settlers on Warm Springs creek,
and last Monday morning early Peter Hael-
strom, Christian Jorgenson, and Andrew
Peterson concluded to hunt him up and kin
him, IL possible. They started out well-armed
and soon got on the track Of the bear,
which they followed for some time. Sud-
denly, Haelstrom, who was in the lead, saw
the bear in the brush and fired at him, hit
ting him, whereupon the bear ran. The par
ty pursued rapidly, and while they were go
ing through the brush, the bear, without
warning. jumped upon Haelstrom, who was
probably unable to use his gun in the strug-
gle that followed, as the other men do not
remember of hearing any explosion. The
bear succeeded in throwing Haelstrom to the
ground and then the unfortunate mans head
was grabbed between the huge creatures
jaws aud in an instant the skull was crushed
in. Jcrgenson, who was few feet away,
fired as soon As he could without endangering
Haelstrom, and his ball struck vital part,
the bear leaving Haelstrom, running about
ten feet, and falling dead
Haelstrom was then taken by his friends TO
the Warm Springs, but DR.. Mussigbrod being
away the wounded man was brought to Deer
Lodge and placed in the Sisters hospital and
DIR. Mitchell called to attend him. The Doc
tor found the skull crushed from the right
temple to the back of the head, with the
brains protruding in considerable quantity,
and the nose and upper lip were torn from
the tace and hung by mere shred of skin.
OF course there was no chance of recovery,
but the Doctor dressed the wounds and eased
the pain Of the suffering man as much as pos
sible. The unfortunate man died later in the
evening, and his remains were consigned to
their last resting place in the cemetery Tues
day afternoon.
Mr.. Haektrom was thirty-four years old,
and had been in this country but two months
He left wife in Sweden, but no children
He was stopping with his brother, who has a
farm on Warm Springs creek, and intended
to locate in this section. He received his IA
tai injuries in Andrew Peterson's field, just
above the Warm Springs mound.
One remarkable popularity of the case is
that the wounded man retained conscious
ness until his death, although his skull was
broken and the brains protruding. He could
lob thAouBh ptoehS'
asked the Doctor if he was going to die. The
Doctor replied in the affirmative, and the
man said, "Well, killed the bear, anyhow
Christian Jorgensen, the youth who fired
the shot that killed the bear, deserves credit
for his bravery in staying by his fallen com
panion Mt the risk of his own life and for the
GOODNESS that enabled him 10 give fatal
blow to the savage enemy. The young man
is but eighteen years old, and had he failed te
shoot the bear in u vital spot, the enraged
beast might have turned upon him and added
another victim to the days calamities.
Mr.. John Haelstrom, brother of the de-
ceased, himself met with quite serious &C
cident about six weeks ago. A team ran
away and the wagon passed over Mr.. Hazel
strom's body, infiicting injuries that at first il
was feared would prove fatal but from which
he has about recovered.