Evening star., 1898-09-10
OHIO's GREATEST BEAR FIGHT.
story of the Combat as Told by the
Last Survivor,

From the Chicago Inter-occan.
The last survivor of thu greatest bear
fight that ever took place in the state of
Ohio died few days ago in Wayne coun-
ty md" said George Burton of the Der
creek country, Ohio. That man WAS
Franklin Pancake. and he must have bean
ninety years old. There isn't bear let
in the state of Ohio. hut vii hin the reroI-
lection Of this old hunter there was plenty
of them, and the hunters hunted them an
horseback with big packs of dogs. | have
heard Pancake tell the story of what n,
called the great hunt many and many a
time.
1T was in Fayette county. He and Jesse
Funk and his brother Isaac wera hn,-s To-
gether. one day they went out to run
down a bear They started a big one, and
1t gave them and their nineteen dogs =
long and exciting chase before they ran
1t TO cover. which was in a mound of rrai-
rie grass six feet high. Isaac Funk was q
daredevil of a young chap. and he spurr-I
bis horse at a galop right through the
bears nest Out tumblei the bear and
three cubs. The pack of dogs pitchel into
the bear family. and in less than a minute
the Old bear had killed six of them. knock
ed four helpless, and scattered the rest
She was terror old man Pancake
used to say at this point.
After doing up the dogs she got her cubs
behind her and stood ready for the next
move of the hunters. Young Ike Funk
didn't keep her waiting long. He charged
straight upon her with his horse knocking
her over and scattering the cubs The al
bear was quick as a fash, though, and
before lke's horse got out of the way she
mad him by the fetlock joint with her jaws
and tore half his leg OFF. The horse furn-
bled, throwing his rider to the ground Al
most within reach of the angry bear The
horse scrambled up and tore away over the
prairie on three feet. The bear spIanS up
on Isaac before he could escape her ana
would have killed him before the other
two could have prevented 1t but for his
dog Bull. This dog had been badly whip
ped by the bear, and, with the other that
were left, had kept out of the fight siEce
their first disastrous attack BUT when
Bull saw his master at the mercy Of III,
bear he jumped upon her and grabbed her
by the throat, which proved a very unwisc
thing for the dog to do, so far as he WAS
himself concerned. He should have grab
bed her in the rear. His attack saved his
master, but it was the last of Bull. The
bear tore him in two with one sweep Of
her paw.
This had all occurred in less than a
minute, and before the bear could turn on
Isaac again after dealing with the dog
Jesse and Pancake dashed their horses
against her and tumbl5d her over. Ike was
up and safe before the bear recovered her
self. This interfg renee seemed To discour-
age the bear, and she climbed the stub Of
a blackberry tree which stood near. The
only weapOns the hunters had were an
Old fint-lOck mUsket that had done duty
in the war of 1872 and a small tomahaWk
that Jesse Funk carried. When the bear
climbed the stub Jesse tried to shoot hvr,
but the flint in the gun wouldn't strike fire.
Pancake rode up alongside Of Jess, and
Jesse rested the mU-ket Paucak, 5
shoulder, got a bead on the bear. ami
touched off the priminE powder in the pan
with a match. There was a tremendous
report. The gun kicked Jesse of his hors5
and tumbled the bear out of the tree at tho
same time.
Il was stone deaf three days Pancake
used to say here, from the shock and
Shattar that gun gave my hearing APP
paratus.'
Jesse Funk wasn't hurt much by his
dislocated by the kick of the gun. Isaac
Funk and Pancake put it back in place
again, and Jesse remounted his horse. The
bear lay on the ground kicking and howl
ing frightfuly. Ike Funk, impstuous as
ever, grabbed Jesse's tomahawk and pitch
ed into her again. She got to her feet aud
rushed Ike down once more, snd had him
foul when Jesse and Pancake ran their
horses against her the second time. Jesse
had kept hold OF the gun. The bear rose
up against him and his horse, set both of
her paws on the horses neck. and made a
grab at Jesse's leg with her jaws As she
did SO Jesse rammed the gun barrel down
her throat and Pancake jabbed her IN the
neck with his knife The dogs by this time
plucked up courage Jgh to take part
in the fight again, and between the dogs,
Ike with the tomahawk, Jesse with the
gun and Pancake with the knife, they sue
ceeded in killing the bear. They captured
the cubs alive. On their way home they
We're chased by a pack of wolves, which
followed them to the very dooryard of the
Funk farm"