Fergus County argus., 1901-12-25
A THRILLING
ADVENTURE
A Wonderful Escape From Death A.
ter Being Badly cIawed by an
infuriated Bear.
He cRAWLED THREE - MILE
Though Badly Wounded William Roe
Reached the Ranch OF William
and David Hilger.

small crown Ol pionttr MOuthn.
ians were discussing changed condl.
tions and reciting stirring exper
fences by field and flood at a down
town business house one day last
week. when Doc. Atchison remarked
to Mr.. Hilger. who was one Of the
party: Say, Hilger, do you remem.
ber that fellow. who had been clawed
by bear. whom you brought in to
Doc. Steele at Helena?"
"Well, yes" replied Mr.. Hilger;
that was thirty years ago, wasn't It?
But say. Doc, that was one OF the
most miraculous escapes from death
ever heard Of"
The following account Of the affair
was related by Doctor Atchison at the
request of those present:
"The fellows name was William
Roe and he was one Of those peculiar
characters met with in frontier days
and known as mountain men; very
reticent and preferring to make liv-
ing by hunting and trapping. avoid
ing civilization as much as possible.
HE said that he was coming around
a bluff on a narrow trail in the Bear
tooth mountains and ran directly into
a she grizzly bear and two cubs. Be
fore he had time to shoot he was slap
ped over and knocked off the trail by
the infuriated animal, which followed
him as he rolled down the mountain
side. He was badly wounded and in
order to escape, feigned death in the
hope that the bear would leave him.
after biting him severely on the
hip and shoulder, she covered him up
with dirt and leaves and started back
after the cubs, who had fed at the
first alarm. When satisfied that the
animal was gone. Zoe. badly wound
ed as he was, crawled to the foot of
the mountain, distance of three
miles and near the ranch of William
and David Hilger, who had located
there a short time before"
He had crawled to the opposite
side of the river from our ranch. said
David Hilger at this stage of the reci-
tai, "and attracted our attention by
shouting for assistance. He was in
an awful condition; one ear and eye
completely torn out and the whole Of
one side of his head a mass Of blood,
brains and dirt.
I'VE hitched up our vehicle, a
dead OK" wagon. and hauled him to
Helena, thirty miles away.
"He was a hard looking sight said
Doc. Atchison. 81 was assisting DR..
Steele at the time, having only come
out from the east short time pre-.
viously and both the doctor and my
self felt sure that the man could not
live. One ear was torn out by the
roots and the brain was protruding
and mixed with leaves and dirt of all
descriptions; an eye was gone and
part of the muscles of the side of the
face were torn loose. II took us two
days to clean him up and while he was
being operated on he refused to take
an anesthetic and sat upright in a
chair, displaying a most wonderful
nerve.
Small rocks and twigs were press
ed into the cavity where the fellows
ear had been and his hair, which was
long, was matted with blood and stick
ing to the side of his head. We hat
a barber clip II all OF, and though
the operation must have been ex
tremely painful. the man nevel
flinched. After thoroughly cleansins
the wounds applied listerine il
large quantities with the permission
of DR.. Steele, which believe was tn,
first time an antiseptic was used II
Helena, and in spite of many prognos
tications to the contrary. the injured
man recovered, and may be living nov
for all know"
THAT is the hottest bear story
have ever heard" said George l.
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