Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1902-11-20

4 Bears Trail Struck BY the
Hounds At the Camp.
PRESIDENT FETCHED TO SHOOT IT.
NJ. Roosevelt Declined TO Avail nimsdf Of
TIE Opportunity. bot Ordered II Put
Ont Of it, Misery and Soon Leaves
on Q Fresh Trail

on . Fresh Trail
Smeades, Miss, Nov. ia lean
black bear which weighs 235 pounds
is hanging up at the presidents
camp on the Little Sunfower, but, to
the regret Of all the members Of the
party, the first trophy Of the hunt
did not fall to the presidents Win
chester. The bears trail was struck
by the hounds soon after the party
started yesterday morning. The
members Of the party, except the
president, Mr.. Foote, Mr.. Parker and
Holt Collier, had been stationed at
the various crossings and as soon as
the dogs gave tongue the president
and his guides plunged through the
dense underbrush in pursuit. Within
a few minutes the dogs showed the
direction the quarry was taking and
Holt Collier, with the instinct Of an
old bear hunter, Immediately made
up his mind where the animal would
come out. To save the president
needless hard riding through the
brush he directed Mr.. Foote totake
the president along the trail to GER
tain cutoff. This was done and the
president and Mr.. Foote rode to the
assigned station. On their way sew
eral swamp deer were jumped up, but
no effort was made to get shot at
them. Then for several hours the
president and Mr.. Foote waited. The
trail of the bear carried the yelping
hounds out Of hearing and shortly
after noon Mr.. Foote abandoned hope
that the quarry would come back
their way and he and the president
returned to the camp for lunch. Had
they remained the president would
have had shot, as the bear with the
pack at it's heels crossed at almost
the exact spot which Holt had indi-
Gated.
About a mile beyond this point the
bear, exhausted by his long race, ran
into water hole and turned upon
the dogs. They were all over him in
an instant. The poor beast was too
exhausted to make much Of fight,
but he grabbed one Of the hounds
by the neck and crushed 1t through
It's spine, killing It instantly. As
the bear was making a swipe with
its paw at another dog Holt Collier
jumped from his horse and, clubbing
his rife, knocked the bear over with
q blow on the head. Meantime he
blew his horn in token that the
quarry had been brought to bay.
A messenger was sent back for
the president. Then Holt roped the
bear and tied him to tree. When
the president arrived he would
neither shoot IT nor permit 1t to be
shot, "Put it out Of It's misery said
he to Mr.. Parker, and the latter end
ed It's life with his knife.
On the way back to camp with the
dead bear the dogs struck q fresh,
trail and the president, Mr. Foote,
Mr.. Mangum, Secretary Cortelyou
and DR., Lung followed IT. The Asso-
ciated press correspondent arrived at
the camp just as Holt Collier. with
the bear slung across the horses
launches, descended the river bank
opposite.
"If the colonel had stayed where I
nut him" said the anGrieved Holt.
me would have'er don got this yere
one"
Mr.. Fish and Mr.. Parker also re-
turned to camp, but at dark when
the Associated press correspondent
left there was no sign of the presi-
dent and some anxiety was manifest
ed lest the president in his enthusi-
assn would get too far away and be
forced to sleep on the trail.
The camp is admirably located
under some big oaks on the edge of
the Sunhower. The brush has been
cleared away and three sleeping and
one cook tent have been put up. The
president expressed his satisfaction
over the simplicity Of the arrange
ment. His tent contains four cots,
which were occupied Thursday night
by himself, Mr.. Fish, Mr. Dickinson
and Secretary Cortelyou. The ne
groes slept on blankets under an
open tent fly. None Of the small
army of newspaper men and photog-
raphers who followed the president
here succeeded in reaching camp yes
terday. The only newspaper men al
lowed there were the three press as
ISOLATION representatives who came
with the party. All kinds of expedi-
ents were attempted by the Others
to get to camp, but without avail
Every trail leading into the woods
was guarded.