Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1881-02-24
ArHRILLING ADVENTURE.
A Pennsylvania WOmah's Fight With
Two Bears

Two Bears
[Balttnore special 10 Chicago Tribune.
Mr.. Thaddaeus Nevans, Of waynesboro |
Pa, who arrived here to-day from up
in the Blue Ridge Chain, reports an ex-
citing adventure among the mountains
by Lottie Merrill, the handsome huntress
of Wayne county, who, a few days since,
had a terrible tussle with a big black
bear, in which she vanquished the beast
but received serious injuries herself. The
narrative. as told by the plucky Lottie to
Mr.. Nevans, is that on last Saturday, Just
after the great sleet storm which swept
over the country. she determined to go
out on the mountains and look for game.
Accordingly she donned her pantaloous
of doeskin. blue cloth blouse and big
snow shoes, and sailed forth, carrying
with her. of course, her trusty rifle and
a brace of pistols. While crossing
marsh, just before ascending the noun
tain, she discovered footprints of bear.
Her huntress heart was delighted, and
she started up the mountains on the
trail. She soon found bruins home in a
cave in the rocks, and on bed of leaves
were lying two little cubs no bigger than
kittens. She captured the prize and was
retreating, when she encountered an i'm
mense she bear, the mother of the cubs,
wDJ had scented the stranger. Before
LotLie could draw her rifle to her shoul-
der the animal was upon her and grasp
ing her in her paws. gave her such ter
rible squeeze that she tainted. when the
bear, thinking her dead, released her
grip. She fortunately regained her con-
sciousness quickly and while the old bear
was playing with her cubs the pluckv
huntress drew her rifle and shot her in
the side. The bullet did not strike the
animal s heart and as the brute dashed
at her again, Lottie drew her hunting
knife and with one bold stroke nearly
severed the BEARS head from the body.
Congratulating herself upon her narrow
escape, the brave huntress picked up the
cubs and started homeward. She had
proceeded but short distance, however,
when she encountered another of the
savage beasts, the mate of the one she
had killed. Although her rifle was un-
loaded, the brave little woman, born and
bred among the mountains dangers, re-
tained her nerve. Unsheathing her
clasp knife as the beast approached her,
she plungedit it into his throat but he had
caught her for the fatal hug 1t was
struggle for life or death and the brave
woman fought desperately. During the
struggle the girl and bear reached the
edge of the cliff nearly 100 feet high, and
sloping at an angle of A degrees down to
the Wallinpaupack Creek As the ami
NAL grabbed Lottie, he commenced slid
ing on the terrible crust down this almost
perpendicular slope. Lottie was carried
with him, and every foot of the distance
traversed added to their velocity. When
they reached the foot of the slope they
struck against tree, completely killing
the bear, and breaking two of Lottie's
ribs and dislocating her right arm. She
was picked up insensible by some hun
ters and taken to her home in Damascus,
Wayne County, where she lies in criti-
cal condition. This is the third miracu.
lous escape this woman has had among
the mountains. .Lottie is we'll known
throughout Western Maryland and across
the Pennsylvania border. The male bear
which she killed weighed 4S4 pounds.