The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-11-17
TRAPPED BEAR
Dragged Forty-two Pound Weight
Through Two, Whole Counties.

Somewhere in the forest region that
extends from Cogan House township,
Lycoming county, to the Black Forest.
in the southeastern part of Potter coun-
ty, there is roaming these days a big
black bear with a forty-pOund steel
trap and a ten-foot chain attached to
his leg.
This bear broke away with one of
Joseph Hopkins traps, near Brookside.
about a week ago, and the last heard
of the shackled beast was up in the
Slate Run region, over, 80 miles from
Brookside. For two days party of
four hunters chased the fugitive bear,
and once one of the men saw Bruin
shambling along on the opposite ridge.
fully half a mile away, and out of rifle
range. Though handicapped by the
weight of the trap and the long dang
ling chain, the bear was evidently able
to travel faster than were the men, for
the fact that he was seen in the Upper
Slate Run district three days after his
escape shows that he was yet able to
get over territory lively.
This bear is said to be as large as
yearling heifer. 1t had been preying on
Farmer Hopkins sheep and pigs for
month before it allowed itself to be in
weighed into the trap; and 1t was prob
ably his desire for change of diet that
resulted in his downfall. Hopkins hung
calf's head eight feet above the
ground. beneath which the largest of
his jaw-tooth traps was hidden.
Next morning the calfs head was
there, but the trap was gone The cap
tive bear must have set himself free.
for the chain had been unfastened from
its circle around a log.
1t was on the forenoon of the first day
that Luke Griswold, one of the pursuers
saw the bear. The trap was fast to one
Of it's hind legs. Now, besides being out
the bear and all his sheep and shoats
Mr.. Hopkins is also minus his twenty
dollar bear trap.
Old hunters are eagerly discussing the
probable fate of the shackled bear
on going and going, toting his heavy
load with him until he worries and
starves himself to death, unless some
body chances to shoot him, and even
bear soon loses his plumpness and the
flesh becomes dry and tasteleSS in cap
tivity. Other backwoodsmen who know
something of the habits of bears say
that this bear will return to the quar-
ters that he occupied last winter, and
will there await natural process of
mortifica ton of the imprisoned foot to
| be freed from the trap: that the leg
i will then heal up and a three-footed
bear will be seen next season Crippled
! in that manner the bear could get around
| lively enough and over a small terri
tory, but he could never again join the
| hiking forayS of his companions.
When seen in the Slate Run region
the bear was shambling along an old
log road. going in the direction of the
heart of the Black Forest-that Eden of
black bears and catamounts. Two I'M
armed woodsmen saw him. They were
/ first attracted to him by the rafting of
the chain as it dragged along over the
rocks, and, hiding in the thicket along
| the roadside, they were within ten yards
of the bear when it passed, and they
| had a good chance to see him The men
say that he had most forlorn look on
his face, as though worried. weary and
disheartened. He half-jerked half
| dragged the heavy trap along. but wheT
one of the men yelled at the top of his
voice the poor beast broke into dogged
run, as though yet determined to escape
any further torment at the hands OF
man.
Like some derelict on the ocean thi.
shackled bear will probably wander
aimlessly and sadly among the ravine: