The sun., 1893-12-01
Old JOE KILLED BY A BEAR.
IL Was a Noble Fate Compared with the
One lie Escaped Year Ago.


ROULETTE. Pa. Nov. 30.-A horse belonging
to Samuel Pettibone of Elk Run, and known
far and wide as Old Joe. was found dead in
field where he was pasturing on Monday
morning. and "A ragged wound in his throat
leads to the belief that he was killed by bear.
II is customary for bear trappers in this part
OF Pennsylvania to purchase old and worthless
horses for the purpose OF using them as bait
for their traps. When horse Is to be used in
this way he is taken to the woods where
bear trap Is TO be set. anl there shot. Tho
carcass is placed so that a bear attracted by II
can approach it 10y only one path, and in that
path the trap is set. Tho bear, in its anxiety
to get at the dead horse, steps in the trap and
is caught
A year ago Samuel PsttIbone. having had
the Old Joe horse twenty years. aud his age
having told on him SO that his usefulness was
gone. made up his mind to reward that twenty
years OF faithful service by making bear trap
bait OF the old horse A big she bear had been
prowling around Elk Run with two cubs. and
Psttibone had reason to believe that she had
stolen two OF his sheep. So he put halter on
old Joe. loaded him up with boar trap. and
ts''GS he run WIN Whsre thes wsrs RsHs scns o'o a
the bear family was n the habit Of visit
ing There he offended to shoot old Joe
"a milo Of ths spot where the superannUated
horse was to be sacrificed. Whrn Pettih0ua
saw Two young cubs cuddled IN by tho side OF
a fallen hem lock. lie took his eNolver and.
going close 10 the sleeping cubs. shot them
trophies, SO easily and quickly gained. when
the old bear burst out of the brush, and was
on top oil Eettibone lefore he could turn. lie
managed TO scra amble part way TO his feet. hut
was forced down again 10y he hear which be-
gan ripping and teaTiug at him with her claws.
PettiGone had placed his revolver on the
ground while he was look nE at the cubs. ant
he hal nothing to defend himself with. His
time would have been short II u had not been
usually enough to teTriiy a horse. but this old
hors' had either lost his son ~p Of smell 10y age
or was too keenly alive TO the danger his mas
ter was in 10 thiuk about himself. Tor old and
stif as he was. he Jun ped on the bear with his
fore feet aud by Kicking and biting forced the
infuriated animal of Of lettihOne ana turned
her attention toward himself The bear at
tackled the brave OLD horse. aud would soon
have despatched him. but Pettibone sprang
for his revolver and shot three bullets in the
bears ear So quickly that she died before she
had inflicted ans serious ury on Old Joe.
IL is nee less 10 say that Pettibone aDan-
doned all idea Of making bear bait of the
horse. On tus contrary, he took him back
home and gave orders THAI there could never
bs anything on the Place too good for Old joe
as long as he lived lie WAS q pRmperel crCH-
turs eyer after Pettiaoue declares that he
bsliEes the horse was marked iur vengeance
by some Tear that had seen has old rescue of
his master from the she bear that day. aud
that tho yengeful bear had luund his oppOrtu-
nifty the other night aud killed old Joe.
But ity a good deal better that the old
horse end - that gay" says Pettib0ne, than
70 have eHdsd ~ as bait Tor bear Gaps"