The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-01-14
ATsRai6LE STRUGGLE
Eetewen a Man and a Bear, Which
Ended In the Latter's Death.

A Geneva, N. l., letter says: george
w. Patterson and Andrew P. Catlin,
Young farmers in the town OF Junius,
returned Yesterday from ten days
hunt ten or twelve miles from the viii
lage of Gizzam, Cleariield county, In
northern Pennsylvania. Mr.. Catlin
carries his left broken arm in sling,
and his face. scalp, arms. and hands
are covered with scratches and deep
cuts made by the claws of a she bear.
HIS right ear was nearly torn away.
and has been sewed to his head. MIR.
Patterson also bears scratches and lac
erations on his arms and hands from
the same cause. Both men suffer Sc
riously from their injuries. Patterson
and Catln had nearly finished their
hunting and trapping season, and in
tended quitting their home in the woods
last Saturday afternoon. On Saturday
morning Patterson started off with his
gun on his shoulder to take up the fox
traps about the forest in which they
were camping Catlin was left alone
at the camp, and q little later wen. out
for stroll about the woods, carrying
his rifle with him. The morning was
pleasant and having recent letter
from his wife in his pocket he sat down
on stump to read it again. He had
been reading but few minutes when
he heard the sound of swapping twigs
upon the ground and rustling OF dead
j leaves, as if someone were clumsily APP
procahing. He carelessly looked up
hia lnfIn nd
see large female bear within one hun.
dred feet of him.
a shall never forget how big that
bear looked to me at that moment"
said Farmer Catlin. l had read all
about their quiet ways and how they
will avoid russell with q man. Now,
thought !, here's chance to astonish
Patterson when he comes back from
dinner. Ill kill that bear in about five
seconds, and with that up and took
what thought was the most deliber-
ate aim ut old bruins head. The aim
was poor, for instead of the beast
dropping dead she gave resounding
grunt and leaped foot or two in the
mir. The bullet had taken effect In the
bears nose, and was painful. In .
second more the animal dashed toward
me. swinging her head from side to
side, and showing the largest and
sharpest teeth l ever saw. l reached
instantly for another cartridge, and
found had forgotten to take my car
tridge-box with me. The sensation
was dreadful. Perspiration started
from every pore. l had no time to
think, but everything flashed through
| ,>- ,,,',,,l T hoA nothinr ohnnt ma
but long and very sharp two-edged
dirk-knife with which to defend my
self, and there was that infuriated and
hungry, powerful bear almost upon me.
reached for my knife and drew it
from its sheath. at the same time run
ming forward a foot to strike as power
full Q blow as possible W til my weapon.
The beast struck against my legs and
l nearly fell to the ground. l turned
and in my haste gave the animal saw.
age cut across the back. At that the
bear turned upon me more fiercely
than ever. had got upon my feet
and the bear struck ME powerful
blow upon the breast If had not
been prepared for it would have fall
en- beneath the beast. | was then more
than ever alarmed. 1t seemed rs IL
that was my last day on earth. The
next move | made was to attempt to
put my long knife into bruins heart.
MY body, however, was SO close TO that
of the bear that the knife blade struck
too close to the beast shoulder to do
any injury. Old bruin was more en-
ragged than ever. and dealt me blow
with one of her great paws that seemed
81 l., /
fell backward upon the ground.
thought then was surely goner. In
an instant the animal was upon me
again with her fore paws, and | reach
ing up gave her great slash across
the breast, from which great quantities
of hot blood poured down upon me.
Then we had close embrace, during
which nv face and hands, as you see,
were so terribly scratched and torn.
fought like demon, and managed to
keep the bears awful jaws from clos
ing upon me. did not receive any Sc
we're hugs from the animal. ldon't know
how did it, but managed to hold on
to my knife, with which l had given
the old beast three deep digs and at the
same time to grasp her about the
waist. Then we rolled over twice, dur
ing which my heavy clothing was near
" torn off and NV legs were terribly
laceraled by. the bears hind paws, and
I still continued to ward off those fatal
jaws and hugs. My strength was be-
ginning to fail and realized could not
cont nue. at this rate much longer, By
almost superhuman strength | rolled
upon nv de. and, getting my right
co. I'M
made lunge at bruin which ] meant
should finish the beast Istruck exact
ly where wished under the left fore
paw. That blow did not strike the
heart. but it struck in pretty tender
spot, for the bear fell upon me like a
beef. My left arm. as you see here in
a sling. was broken by the fall. The
bear was helpless for few minutes,
and you can better believe | freed my
self from the beast in second. Once
on my feet Iran, dripping with blood
from nv own and the bears wounds, to
our camp for a gun. Patterson arrived
there at the same moment that I did,
and was dumbfounded at my sanguin-
ary appearance. could scarcely
speak because of my intense excite
ment, but told him in few words of
my awful experience. could not re-
turn to the bear because of nv broken
arm, but Patterson siezed rifle and in
stantly ran to the disabled beast Upon
approaching bruin Patterson thought
her already dead. She lay in a great
pool of her blood, and did not move
muscle. Incautiously he approached,
and in curiosity overturned the bear
with the stock of his rife. At that mo-
ment she opened her eyes, and before
you could say Jack Robinson she had
given Patterson three or four scratches
with both her front and hind paws.
Some of the claws actually sunk over
an inch in Patterson's hands aud arms,
which are marked for life. Those were
the last scratches of bruin. for the next
moment Patterson had jumped away
from the infuriated but fatally wound
ed animal and sent two big bullets into
the beasts head. We walked four
miles for physician, who set my arm