The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-08-24
CHASED BY A BEAR.
Senator Bentley Has Narrow
Escape in Colorado.
SOUGHT HEROER'S CABIN
Where a Posse of Friends
Found Him HoIIering.

News has reached Wichita of the mar
row escape OF Senator o. H. Bentley
from q horrible death in Colorado a few
days ago. Dr. John AIinich brought the
news and he seriously stated to re-
porter for the Eagle that ne was not jok-
ing.
Senator Bentley was fishing in Chap
mans canyon, above Hagerman's Pass,
early in the week and while the fish were
little slow in biting. he went picking
some wild fruit hard by. He heard
noise in the brush and looking through
the foliage espied a silver tip bear. The
silver tip gentleman saw the senator
about the same time. They looked at one
another for fully a tenth OF second
and the race began. Mr.. Bentley had
mountain howitzer and plenty Of am
unition along with him, but when he
wandered from the brook 10 pick the wild
fruit he foolishly left them behind hin.
The bear entered upon the scene at
point between the Wichita man and his
base Of supplies and completely cut him
off Mr.. Bentley milled around a little
TO find a tree but he could find none that
he could climb, so he took 20 his heels
toward camp. The bear took after him
anu L4lE rave " dS SLAE Oh Ci-~4~---e1 DA--s
1t is said by people who were not eye
witnesses that Mr.. Bentley was so
frightened that hair stood straight up
from the baldest spot on his Uranium ike
the stubble of a cane patch.
Despite his best efforts the bear gained
on him. He hollared TO the full capacity
Of his lungs in hopes that some other
sportsmen would hear him and come TO
his rescue, but no relief came. The hear
about had him when he saw a herder's
cabin and making q sharp curve got
away some yards from the bear before it
could turn around and renew the case in
another direction. The door of the cabin
was locked and he made for the window,
broke the glass, escaped by a few feet,
and when inside barricaded himself and
hollered.
At night, when Mr.. Bentley failed to re-
turn TO camp a posse headed by DR.. Min
ich started in search of him. His .hol-
Iering' had been heard a long distance.
but because of the echoes his location
was hard to determine. He was mighty
glad when relief came.
What DR.. Minich tells has been con-
firmed IN every detail in a letter from
Mrs. Max Steinbuchel, who was at the
camp at the time, to Mrs. Herman Stein
buchel.
DR.. AIinich had quite an experience with
a. bear also not a silver tip but a CHINA
mon. His party had a table in front of
their tent and during one night he heard
a fearful racket among the tins. He
peeped out and saw a big bear helping
himself to the edibles. He called his son
Walter and showed him the sight.
Pie said the young doctor as he
reached for his little % revolver, no other
guns being within reach. and aimed at
the bear. The senior doctor knew that
If that bear was wounded he would, in
his rage, tear the family TO pieces. He
caught the arm of his son and remon-
stFated with him. The young doctor in
sisted on firing. saying it was the Oppor-
tunity of his life and he wasn't going to
miss it, but his father had to throw him
down on the bed. choke him and make
him give up the revolver. The bear ate
everything in sight. then laid down on
piece of canvas and after taking a good
rest ambIed away. Next morning they
measured the impression he made on the
canvas and found It was thirteen feet
long.
Between them the two doctors caught
1857 trout and killed grouse without num-
Der. Or. Walter Minich did not come
home with his father. He started with
him. but having heard that David Smythe
is exhibiting a trout weighing AZ pounds
he concluded TO remain another week de-
terUined to hook a bigger one
DR.. Minich thinks the two months he
has spent in the mountains have added
ten years TO his life and his looks indi-
cate that he is about right.