The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-08-16

about a hundred revolutions a minute. SO
TO speak. Finally a ~well-known banker
volunteered to crawl into the trap and see
what he could do. SO down on his hands
and knees he went. and with a rope in one
hand. cravled half way into the cage.
Luckily the bear was triced up in such a
position that he could not see what was
s golng d on; f Bu5 ne des, eneM ara dnst his ,ser Iibs was
and he continued to strike out against his
unseen enemy even more viciously. IL pos
sible. than he had against those whom he
could see. It was some time before an OPP
portunity presented itself. but after q
while the bear rested a moment from his
f~ruitless warfare. and this instant sufficed
made and one of his hind legs was secured.
This was drawn taut like the others. and
when the leg had been pulled out to its
extent 1t took but a minute more to catch
the other one. the banker, however. mar
rowly escaping two or three nasty side
wipes that the beast made at his unseen
He was literally sDread-eagled. The ropes
attached TO his hind legs were seized by
far out through the door as could be. Then
each slip moose was wired or tied so that
AZ could not become unfastened. and then
all hands stood by 10 drag the animal
from the trap. The ropes attached to fore
arms and neck were slowly Stacked up,
while those fastened 10 the inc legs were
kept as tight as half a dozen men could
hold them. Then. one at a time, the first
ropes were cautiously iloosed and passed
down through the roof of the pen and out
of the door, manned in turn. and when all
was ready there was q quick and powerful
movement. and before the bear could rea-
lie what was up he was dragged out Of the
trap and into the open air.
HAVING FUN WITH THE BEAST.
Then there was a circus. AL that had
gone before was insignificant by COMPARE
son. BY this time the bear was furious.
The gorge was narrow and rocky. and the
men holding the ropes disposed themselves
about and along it's rugged banks as best
they could. There was scant foothold. and
the struggles of the Infatuated bear gave
every man all he could do TO keep his posi-
ton. The fierce beast jumped first at one
group and then at another. Fooled i'm his
efforts he rolled over and over, bit at the
ropes that held him, CRASHED his great
jaws till the blood ran from his mouth,
and growled and beloved as If all the
bulls of Bashan had been turned loose at
once. A stream ran down the bottom of
the gorge. and into this he finally plunged
water. He was allowed to refresh him
self for a few minutes and then the start
up the gorge was MADE. 1t was one wild
scramble from beginning to end. 1t
seemed impossible that the journey could
ever be made. and. in fact, ii was no joke
to attempt the ascent even without the ac-
compartment of a wild beast that had to
be tugged and pulled at every minute to
keep him from killing some one of the
party. The five ropes fastened to the ami
NAL were held by one or two stout men to
each, yet the beast slung his captors
around almost at his own sweet will, and
every minute or two he made wild dashes
at those who were not quick enough in
keeping out of his way.
His bearship snapped at the oak trees as
he passed. biting OFF at one wrench limbs
as thick as a mans wrist and even pulling
the tough growth up by the roots. The
banks of the gorge were in many places
OnlV S1iChflU rarpnvad from, tho arna
dicular, and occasionally he varied the
performance by rolling head over heels
down il, to the imminent danger of the
men holding the ropes in the rear. Then
again these latter would lose control
and the brute made wild dashes uphill af-
ter the men in the lead, and then there
was another scramble. There were narrow
escapes without number. but. luckily the
beast was always checked just as he
seemed on the point of literally tearing
some one into fragments.
Several hours were consumed in drag
ging, guiding and driving the bear to the
top of the hill, and in being dragged,
guided and driven by him in turn, and
when he got there he was so nearly tagged
out that there was little difficulty in wrap
ping him about with ropes, loading him
into a wagon, and hauling him through
curely chained to a tree. the ropes re-
moved from neck and limbs, and he was
allowed to recover from his exertions. His
captors were likewiSe in almost the same
state of collapse. But all the efforts of the
party of bear catchers went for naught.
The animal was chained to a tree, where
bemoaning his fate, while his free compan-
ions on the mountain side answered him
from time 20 time. and apparently encour-
aged him i'm his desperate efforts TO escape.
Then he gave the job up in disgust and
committed suicide! He climbed up the tree
on one side of a limb and started down on
the other side. The chain was not long
enough and the result was that the bear
strangled to death.