Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-22
KILLED A BEAR WITH A STONE.
What Farmer Williams Found in His
SheepfOld.
From the Ee,o York Sun.

From the Neto York Sun.
SCRANTON. PA, May 1S.-"PVe had
some purity handsome tussels with bears
in my time, but never had bear tackle
me with so little provocation an so near
home as one did last week." said farmer
Elias Williams, of Spring Brook, the other
day. II was goin' out to the barn about
7 O'Clock in the evening to milk the COWS.
Back Of the barn half dozen of my sheep
was chawin' their cuds, the most OF 'em
layin' down kinder innocent like. Just
as | was turnin' the corner l see big
black bear sneakin' up toward the sheep.
| dropped my milk pail an ran to the
house after my gun, little thinkin' the
beard git away fore got back. didn't
s'pOse he'd NEEDLE with the sheep, but
that shows how little | knew bout
bears decency. While | was gone after
the gun the black rascal grabbed one o. the
latest sheep in his arms, and when / got
out o. the house he was waddlin' of with
it as fast as his big body would let him
The sheep blaated an cried for his life,
but that didn't scare the bear at all. He
kept waddlin' toward the woods, am when
had got within shOotn' distance / pull
ed the gun on him. The consarned thing
wasn't loaded. an there l was in purity
scrape. | couldn't let that mutton he
carried off without an effort TO rescue it,
an so | rushed for the cussed animal with
the butt end OF my gun raised. | intend
ed to whack him on the head an surprise
him so he'd let up on the sheep. Jest as
l was gOiu' to maui him over the pate he
seemed 20 smell rat, fur he turned round
all of sudden an looked at me as much
as to say: What you want round bereY
| hoped to one side kinder lively an was
goin' to cuff him gently to see what he'd
do, when he bounced round agin an faced
me. Then / bobbed back the other way
intendin' to tap him on the nozzle to see
how he'd like it. l didn't look fur what
followed, though. He seemed to tumble
to my game, an the thought that he'd
have to drop that mutton in order to at
tend to me made him mad. The sheep
was kickin' and squallin' pitifully. l
made lunge forward an brought the
stock of the gun down on the bears bang.
He kinder grunted, as If the blow unset
tied his stOmick, an then he dropped the
sheep am plunged at me. | jumped TO
one side am hit him by the side of his
head. Mr. Bear showed fight, his aim be-
in to git his grab hooks on me. / had no
weapon except the gun, an that was no
good without a charge in it. He pranced
round on his hind legs am tried to coax
me to come to his bosom, am every time
l wbacked him on the snOOt with the butt
of my gun he muttered sOmethin' that
sounded like an oath. Once in a while he
got close enough TO me to tear my clothes,
an then I'd punch him in the chest with
the end o. the bar'l an make him back up
few steps. He had Rugged the sheep so
hard that it was almost dead, an l was
bound to have his life. l gave him one
swat on the ear that staggered him an
broke the gun soft was no more use to me.
The bear noticed that I'd lost my only
weapon, an that 'peered to cheer him up.
He pitched at me as | stopped to pick up
stun, an got his paws partly round me.
1 hustled myself to loosen his grip, an we
both rolled over two or three times an
come up standin' agin. wanted to tuck
er him out if could, but his wind was
fine. Then he made 'nuther lunge at me,
an tore one side Of my coat Oft. | scam
pered away fur couple o. rods to git a
round stun, an ne was on top O. me fore
knew it. He spilled all the clothes
had on my back an busted my suspen-
ders, but got the stun and crawled from
under him, an then turned an thump-
ed him on the nose till tears rolled edown
his cheeks. He got discouraged for a
minute or two, but he rallied agin, an
| tried TO put bold front onto the affair by
maxim faces at me. While he was DOM
this l was surveytn' the lot to see where
stun lay that could handle. l spfed
one few yards away an scooted for it.
He made fur me once more as fast as ever
he could, but | was too quick fur him, an
by the time he got there I'd grabbed up a
stun that weighed four or five pounds.
had scarcely thread of clothing on my
body from the waist up, AM the scratches
that Mr.. Bear had made on me didn't feel
fust rate. The next thing done was to
give him a whack on the cOcoanut with
the stun. He staggered, an followed it
him down, and then | hammered his
tough pate till he stopped breathin'. 1t
was desperate tug, am l was all but
used up, but l had downed The sheep
thief. 1t was purity dark when 1 finished
the bear, am when | went over to where
the sheep was 1 found it was dead. |
don't want to tackle another bear unless
l have loaded gun or a big knife"