Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-07-14
NO MORE BEARS In OHIO.
LAST One KILLED BY A HALF.
BREED
Several Years Ago in Henry County
Graphic Story OF the Great
Hunt that Finally Resulted
in His Death.

"There are no more wild bears in
Ohio,n said q resident OF Henry coun-
ty, in that state, although some pass
through the state from time to time.
The last resident wild bear in Ohio
was killed some years ago in Henry
county. Bears fingered in Henry
county long afterthey had disappeared
from every other part of the state.
There is big tract of wild land in that
county known as the Dark Swamp.
When the settlers first ven.ured into
that part of the Northwest territory
the tract was formidable one, and, in
fact, remained terra incognita for
many wears. The valuable timber
that the swamp holds, though, finally
compelled its exploration, and the axes
and mills have worked so Industrious
Iy at it that the swamp is the Dark
Swamp now only in name. But the
big expanse of tangled timber served
as safe retreat for bears and many
other wild beasts for years after they
had no abiding place elsewhere in the
state. There were good hunters in
henry county, though, and they waged
unrelenting warfare on the four-fOoted
refugees that had been driven to that
far corner of the state, and finally laid
them all low, except one wise and
tough old bear. That bear defied
them all for years, bnt finally he was
brought to bay by hunter as tough as
himself, after one of the tiercest hand
tO-hand bear fights on record. The
fight also me near removing from
the face of the earth the hunter, who
was alleged to be the last of race of
noble lineage. This hunter was half
breed. He claimed to be the son of a
daughter of Tecumseh and an officer in
United States army, who gained lasting
military glory in the Northwest terri
tory, and subsequently great promin-
ence in national affairs. This Indian Is
claim was never disputed.
This hunter and two others had got on
the track of the last bear in the Dark
Swamp, and had followed it two days
On the third day the hunters separated
The half breed and his dog followed
the trail, while old hunters moved
about the edge ofthe swamp on chance
of the bear showing imselfsomewhere
thereabout. In the afternoon the beal
evidently became tired of the constant
bounding of his track and made a
stand. He placed himselfin an ambush
in the thicket. The hunters dog close.
ly followed by the hunter, followed the
track to the thicket, but before he could
enter it the bear dashed out. He seized
the dog and crushed it to death instant
ly, without once stopping in his rush
The hunter was taken by surprise
The bear was less than three yards from
him. He raised his gun and pulled
the trigger, but the gun missed fire
Before the half-breed could aim agair
the bear was upon him. Experienced
hunter as he was, he lost his head
and brought the but of the gun dowr
upon the bear. The gun was ehivered
to pieces, and the bears advance was
not retreated in the least. The hunter
kept the barrel of his gun in his hanC
and drew his long-bladed knife. Al
the bear rushed upon him he showed
the gun barrel into the animals mouth
intending to jam it down into hi!
throat. The bear closed his teeth OF
the barrel, wrenched it from the half
breeds hands, and hurled it twenty
feet away. At the same instant, thu
hunter plunged his knife to the hilt ir
the BEARS neck, and to that fortunate
trust alone did the descendant o
Tecumseh owe his life. A stream o
blood gush out from the wound, anC
the hunter knew that if he had endur
ance sufficient to carry him through
what he knew would be hard struggl,
for some time, he would survive th,
struggle.
"The Indian needed all his endur
ance. No other man in Ohio couIt
have survived the fight that followed
The hunter had no sooner buried hi
knife in the BEARS neck than the bea
felled him to the ground with blow
from his paw that would have killed
an OK. The blow stunned the half
breed. The knife had disappeared
The BEARS claws had torn the flesh from
one side of his face and lain the seal
open to the bone, but the hunter go
to his feet, and just in time to escap
the BEARS clutch. He backed away
figuring to get behind big tree tina
was near. Blood had flown so rapid.
from the BEARS wound that his shagg,
coat was red from his head to his feet
The Indian knew that if he could ge
to the tree he could keep out of tn
bears way, as it was only a short tim
before he must succumb to the terrible
knife thrust. But as he backed ava,
the hunter struck his heels against
root, and fell backwards to the
ground. The bear jumped upon hin
as he lay, and sank his claws into boil
of the Indians shoulders, and wa
about to close his jaws on the hunter
head and face, when the hunter threy
his left arm up across his face the bea
crushed it clear through. AS he threy
his arm up to save his skull from bein
crushed by the bear, the Indian ran hi
gouged it out. The surprise and pail
of this attack caused the bear to roll Of
ofthe hunters body, roaring frightful
ly. The Indian scrambled to his feel
but before he could take step the bea
seized him by the shoulder aud mad
vicious snap with his jaws for hi
head. The half-breed avoided that b
lodging. and the bear felled him wit
a second blow. This effort on the par
of the bear threw it to the ground.
was growing weak but was on its fee
however, as soon as the hunter was
The latter was almost blinded by th
blood that flowed from the wounds o
his head, and he was growing veal
from the intense pain of his wound
and loss of blood. He made up hi
mind that his only hope was to rur
He started, but the bear caught him
They both fell togather in heap, an
the Indian remembered no more. q
"How long he remained insensibl
he never knew. When he revived h
found the bear lying across his leg
dead. He tried to get up but could moi
Selling saplin that was near with hi
right hand, his left hand and arm be
ing helpless, he succeeded in pullin
L. L