The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-05-07
povER,s BEAR STORY
Beast Of Immense Size Escaped Aftel
Being Badly Wounded.

A hear story which comes from East
Dover this week sayors Of wilder
ness inhabited by savage beasts or
nerhaps Of n nature fakir. nut Il Is
ali true and happened right here with
| In 20 miles of Brattleboro. SAYS the
Brattleboro phoenix. Moreover. UNI
like the Marlboro wolf the bear was
| n real hear and left bloody trail of
destruction behind him.
Two weeks ago today lawrence
Snow went 10 the Holland farm some
half mile above his home 10 attend TO
the flock of 40 sheen which he and his
brother. Laton. had wintered at the
place. and for the 6rst time noticed
some of the flock were missing. A
hurried count of the flock showed that
| three of the best sheen were not there
nor could any trace OF them be found
in or about the barn. Wider search
revealed the scattered bones of the
animals IN a field some go rods from
the barn.
Mr.. Snow had been going to the
barn every day through the winter TO
care for the sheen and had found them
lall right before. although he had not
lcounted them recently. The flock was
left free TO roam about the big en-.
closed ward or go to the barn for sheI.
Tier and with the daily care from their
Keeper were coming through the win.
ter IN good condition. The Holland
farm is at the end of the road and
there is no inhabited house for half
"a mile.
The following day when Mr.. Snow
went to the barn he found that an.
Iother sheen was gone and there were
|unmistakable signs of large animal
having been IN the yard. He was
sure that the tracks were bear tracks
and that the beast was OF great size.
IOther men of the town who visited
1.-THE place that day and the next were
of the same opinion and reDorted that
the track was as broad as a mans
1.-TWO hands together.
Mr.. Snow shut the sheep In the barn
and thought that would end the trou-
BILE, but a few mornings after when he
went on his daily trip he found that
the barn door had been ripped from
Its hinges and one of the sheen badly
bitten, although none were missing.
He fastened the door up again. making
! lit more secure than before. hut on
making his visit the next morning
found that the bear had entered
through a window at a considera BILE
height and carried out a full grown
sheen through the opening.
This was going too far and the Snow
brothers decided TO have II out with
,, the bear, or whatever the creature
. was, then and there. Accordingly
|. they secured a huge bear tran and
set It under the window through
(which the bear had entered. In the
morning an unfortunate cat was found
crushed in the trap but Il had evident.
lily been mauled and scratched by some
large animal. This was n disappoint.
|ment. as they felt sure that the bear
would have been caught If the cat had
mot sprung the trap first
Last week Thursday night the bear
i visited the barn again and ripped
some boards of It. Apparently II did
mot gain an entrance. although n sue.
ceeded In wounding one OF the sheen
SO badly that II had to be killed. The
. following night a reception was plan
lned for the bear, with the Snow
brothers, Ralph johnson and Fred At
wood. ali armed with repeating rifles
land having the reputation of being
, among the best shots In town. as the
receiving party.
Everything was made ready with
! care in the early evening. Every
! opening to the barn was carefully clos.
led and securely fastened exceDt one
doorway, which was heavily boarded
: lup to about the height of mans
shoulders. The men secreted them.
selves In the haymow directly at one
side of the door with the muzzles O,
their rifles within eight feet of IL. and
! each man having a clear view toward
1.-THE sky outside.
II was nearly $3.50 o'clock in the
! Ievening before they were finally set
tied and one Of their number had ;m vu
: remarked that they might have n
wait many hours. when the sheer
Jumped up In a frightened manner ani
!. 1.-THE lambs ran TO their mothers N,
lprotection. Somebody said: "Wbat,,
Ithat?' and the words were hardly nm,
: of his mouth before two huge nav,
!, came upover the planking in the door
lway and the bears head neered /,
Hover them.
II For a few seconds the big beas,
| stood there shifting the air and nm
Ilparently a little suspicIous Tho mo,
Ilhoped that he would iumn inside wher
he would have been at their mercy al
| lthoueh not n nleasant customer ~ da %
| with. wounded and In the dark Com,
II glimmering of the trouhle ahaaS saam
ed To enter the big bears haaa h,,,
Ilstill he wanted 10 get nj thoss haa ~
Ilhuddled in the corner and h,aa,,ns
l piteously Finally he turnsd HE haas
Hand two ~ an hrn.on SN.,,. .a'