The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1899-07-26
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WEDNESDAY, JULY 2G. 1899.
AN EXCITING BATTLE.
A WICKED ENCOUNTER BETWEEN a
MAN AND 4 BEAR.

MAN AND 4 BEAR.
II Ended In CIIn"h and Roll
Down II SNOW covered Maintain
Sidc-A Close call, III which tn"
Man just Escaped with His Life.
To roll down II snow covered noun
tain side tightly claspcd in the embrace
of grizzly bear is an experience few
men pass through and live Ia tell. But
that is what happened TO Frank Lecky
Of Fresno. and when it was all over he
had only "A few scratches and bruises
and big hearskin to show IA signs Of
his terrible encounter
at was the wickedest fight | eyer
got int. said Frank when telling of
his experiences. "and have been in a
good many, going ont hunting III the
Sierras every winter, as do
This big fight happened up i'll the
Whitney country. 1t WAS just few
miles east Of the Minarets and in the
spot where II fellow is always pretty
sure to find big game.
at was pretty late iii the afternoon.
and was all alone in camp. az the
other boys had not returned from n deer
hunt they started ON in the morning.
81 had been doing in the tent all
day. but came out to have look at tho
sky. Az | glanced along the top of "A
bluff few hundred feet from the camp
l saw something dark moving about.
'That was enough for me | got my
rifle and started right after it. The kind
Of game | was going after didn't con
cern mo ut NIL. but really didn't eX-
pect bear. ut least such big cantanker-
Gus bear.
"Taking roundabout way through
the snow, | soon reached the top of the
bluff and began to crawl along care
fully in order to get good resting shot
and not come upon my game too sud
denly
"Finnlly | caught close view of IL
big dark body moving behind clump
of bushes. 1t was so large that for II
moment thought bad been stalking
COW and was ready to kick myself.
Then long drawn sniff and deep
growl told me il was bear | was sight
ing. Instantly | wns NIL excited with
interest and strained every nerve To get
the benst in line and 30 plnnt n bullet III
the right spot. The bear. however had
mind to keep his eyes on mo and kept
moving about as he peered between the
branches of the brush.
Suddenly one of the horses down in
the camp neighed loudly and attracted
l. ~ A. tIn hn.,E
ed and exposed his side fired. Down
went tho bear like II bag of wheat. and
| Thought my rifle ball must have gone
clean through its brain. Without stop
ping To consider whether my shet had
really been fatal. | rushed forward. AZ
| stopped down to zee where the ball
struck, the bear jumped up. and then
| knew had only creased it-thnt is.
just grazed its head or spinal cord and
knocked it senselcss for II moment.
Before | could swing my rifle for
ward To get in II shot the bear had
knocked it out of my hands and was
right on top of me. Somehow | man
aged to draw my knife and get in n few
jahs that did no damage. The bear
Rugged mo tighter and tighter, and |
kicked harder and harder and iabhed
wildly with my knife. Then we both
rolled on the ground. and the bear tried
to bite my face, but ! kept off his fast
clawing blows by hugging tightly
against him. | jabbcd and jabbed as
we rolled over and over. and the bear =
face and claws We're pretty badly cut
and one of his eyes was put out Of ser
vice. The snow all around was torn up
and spattcred with blood
"Bcfurc | knew it we We're just ON
the edge of the bluff, and an almost
vertical wall of snow lay just below us
for over hundred feet To the hottom
This frightened me more than the
bear. for knew what it meant, but he
fore ! could think of doing anything we
We're over the edge and rolling down AT
lightning speed
at Could not have taken more than
n few sece nds hut it seemed TO me like
years, Now | was ON top Of the bear.
and now underneath. Snow filled my
eyes and ears. and l was scratched and
wounded and bumped until Thought
my end had come.
at seems To me that | kept striking
ut the bear IA we rolled. or rather shot.
downward for we We're going AT the
speed of cannon ball. Then there was
sudden bump while | was on top. and
the bear gave n moan of pain and let
20 of me.
THAT gave me my chance, and |
drove my knife into his heart.
"The skin measured over seven feet,
found out while we were cutting him
up that when he struck the rock ut tho
bottom of the hill he shattered his
spine 1t WAS just Il piece of luck that
the bear struck the rock and not my
self - san Francisco Call