The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-12-19
SCHMI1T AND THE BEAR.
:, FELT AS THOUGH WAS IN 4
 CRUSHING MACHINE.n
St. Louis Mans Experience in the Wflds of Arkansas-A Very Close

Call.
 Joseph F. Scmitt of 1,70O Chouteau
 avenue had an encounter with bear
 in the Wilds of Arkansas Saturday af-
 ternoon, says the "St. Louis Globe | Democrat" and came off victor, after
 being fearfully claWed by the beast
 Schmitt is perhaps the only man in the
 city who enjoys the distinction of hay
 ing been wrapped in the arms of a bear,
 his life nearly choked out of him, and
 still livng to tell about it. Several
 weeks ago Schmitt, William Updemeyer
 and two others started for a hunting
 and fishing trip in Arkansas. They
 pitched camp near Stonewall, and were
 soon enjoying their sport landing a
 quantity of crappie and bass, and also
 pulling down considerable small game,
 rabbits and squirrels, Thursday after
 noon they sighted a buck and, after
 considerable tramping, killed him. Fri
 day they caught a doe and, after a.
 chase, killed her, after which they went
 back to rabbits and squirrels
 1 Early Saturday morning they were
 awakened by the guide, who said he | had found deer tracks through the
 woods. Immediately donning their gar
 ments, the hunters started out When
 they reached a clearing in the wood
 there were footprints to show that
 there were a number of deer, and, ac-
 cording to the guide they had passed through the clearing but few moments before.
 The entire party was eager to land deer, and, at the suggestion of the
 guide, it was decided to separate and
 stalk the deer.
 Updemeyer and Schmitt were given he east side while the guide and the
 other two men took the west side. The
 undergroWth was dense and the trees so thick it was almost impossible to see a person at a distance of fifty feet
 Schmitt took the straight path, separat- ing from Updemeyer about 100 yards, the latter going through a dense por
 ton of the forest in order to cause the deer to turn. Suddenly Schmitt saw bear, black fellow, directly in his path. Schmitt, raising his gun, a double barreled Parker, filled with the heaviest buckshot, fired. The charge struck the bear just above the right fore leg, and with a growl he started toward Schmitt. There was no chance for Schmitt to run, and, stepping back a few paces, he leveled his gun again and fired the second barrel. Again his aim was wide, and with roar of anger as the shot settled in his shoulder, the bear lurched forward and clawed at Schmitt. The latter was garbed in a heavy hunting suit with top coat of leather. but the bears paw tore this away, and left several bleeding wounds in Schmitts chest.
 As the bear chewed him Schmitt gave cry of pain, which reached the ears of Updemeyer and he at once started to- ward the path which Schmitt had taken As he broke into the clearing l the sight which met is gaze startled l i'm. Schmitt was standing clasped in ] the arms of the bear. The mans cloth | ing, from head to foot, was clawed into | shreds and blood was pouring from his | chest, arms and legs. Updemeyer was | afraid to shoot for fear of killing f Schmitt, and was afraid to get too close 1 for fear the bear would turn on him. 1 Schmitt was endeavoring to hold the mouth of the bear back from his face. Mand and beast struggled over the ground for moment, and then Schmitt drew hunting knife, and with wide arm sweep disemboweed the bear, A second sweep of the knife cut the ani- 1 mal's throat and it fell dead.
 As the beast fell Schmitt tainted. was at his side in mo- ment and dragged him to the camp. There aphysican was called and found that beyond cutting the flesh on the chest, arm and legs in severe manner he bear had done no damage Schmitt vas quickly revived and after the were dressed was taken nto Stonewall. He was placed on train and sent to his home, arriving morning. In speaking of his experience Schmitt said: "I had no nance after the bear reached me. I ried my best to get away from him. ut it was too late. After fired the econd barrel he came like lightning.
 was defenseless and gave up. The . irst claw tore the clothing and my , hest Then he clawed into my legs. ,
 had a heavy pair of leather hunting oots which reached to my hips, but Z he claws of the bear tore them away { S though they were paper. When he l hrew his forelegs around me it felt as hough I was in a crushing machine. hey became tighter and tighter, and it eemed as though my bones would 2 rack. My face was black, so Upde- 1eyer tells me, and I know that I bought he would crush the breath out me. I waited for updemeyer to hoot and when he called to me that e was afraid to shoot for fear of filing me I gave up. Then I remem- ! cred my hunting knife, and, reaching = ito my pocket, I drew it out. It is one U f those eight-inch blade, spring -open- lg affairs. I got a firm grip on the andle and then pressed the spring he blade flew out, and. grasping the nife firmly, I raked at the bears stom- oh. I reached it and kept pulling. I X ushed the knife in as far as I could E he bear groaned almost like a human eing, and then those huge arms, as ley might be termed closed around e again with tenfold strength, and I fought I was to be killed, despite my yht Then the bear staggered and his asp weakened. With one hand still 1lding his mouth, I threw my weight ,ainst him and pushed him back hen I loked down and saw his en- ails falling from the gash in the ab-