The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1894-01-26
OLD JOE KILLED BY A BEAR.


A Noble Fate Compared with tho Ono He
Once Escaped.
A horse belonging TO Samuel Petit
bone, OF Elk Run, and known far and
wide as Old Joe. was found dead in a
held where he was pssturing one morn
ing. and ragged wound in his throat
lead 10 the belief that he was killed by
a bear, says a Roulette pa correspon-
dent
1t Is customary for bear trappers in
this part of Pennsylvania TO purchase
old and worthless horses for the pur-
pose 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 and there shot
The carcass IS placed SO that bear At
tracted by It can approach 1t by only
one path, and n that path the trap ia
The bear in its anxiety TO get at the
dead horse steps in the trap and il
caught
A year ago Samuel Pettibone, having
had the Old Joe horse twenty years,
and his age having told ON him 90 that
his usefulness was gone, made up his
mind to reward that twenty years of
faithful service by making bcar-trap
bait OF the old horse A big she bear
had been providing around Elk Run
with two cuba and Pettibone had
reason to believe that she had stolen
two OF his sheep So he put halter
on Old Joe, loaded him up with bear
trap, and started with him for spring
hole up the run, where there were signs
that the bear family was In the habit
Of visiting. There he intended 70 shoot
Old Joe and set the trap. They had
got to within half q mile Of the SPOT
where the superannuated horse WA to
be sacrificed when Pettibone saw two
young cubs cudd]ed up by the side OF
fallen hemlock. He took his revolver
and, going close 10 the sleeping cabs,
shot them both. He was stopping down
examining his trophies, 50 easily and
quickly gained, when the old bear
burst out Of the brush, and was ON top
Of Pettibone before he could turn. He
TO scramble part way 70 his
feet but was forced down again BIZ the
bear. which began ripping and tearing
ut him with her claws
Pettibonc had placed his revolver ON
the ground while he was looking at
the Gu s, and he had nothing TO de- |
fend himself with. His time would
have been short II 1t had not been for
Old Joe. The mere scent OF . bear is
usually enough TO terrify horse, but
his old horse had either lost his sense
u smell by age, or vas too keenly
hive to the danger his master was in
% think about himself. for, old and
'tif as he waA he jumped on the bear
With his fore feet and. kicking and
biting. forced the infuriated animal OF
Pettibone and turned her atten tion
oward himself The bear attacked the
'rnvc old horse, and would soon have
dispatched him, but Psttibone sprsng
or his revolver and shot three bullets
q the bears ear 20 quickly that she
lied before she had indicted any e.
tous injury on Old Joe Il u needless
o say that Pettibone abaodoued ali
les Of making bear halt OF the horse.
~ the contrary, he took him back
ome and gave orders that there could
ever DO anything on the place too
ood for Old Joe - long a no lived.
Ie was Q pampered creature ever after.
'ettibone declares that he believes the
orse was marked for vengeance by
ONE bear that had seen his bold rescue
his master from the she bear that
~. and that the vengeful bear had
ound his opportunity the asAes night
nd killed Old JOE.
But it's good deal better that the
ID horse ended that way" says Hetti-
one. ''than To have ended up u haiti
y bear trap. IN. Y. Sun.