Year: 1879




It is well known among certain
class that Joe Beef has q bear pit
under his canteen on Common street.
1t extends all along under the house
and is reigned over by a big black
beat and two comparatively young
cubs, which Joe rccons among his
domestic pets. Strangers frequently
visit the place and are generally es-
corted to see the bears through q
,~~,a I-a- :. 49, h~~- N~~+~-.l~ .
afternoon, while a colored preacher
was holding service in the singing
room,' three American strangers
came to visit the place and the trap
door was thrown open to show the
bears. While Joe went into the bar
room his little boy, six years old,
went too near the edge and fell into
the den. The old bears were in a
dark corner, but one of the cubs at
once ran towards the child, who had
uttered frightened scream. The
cook lay down on the floor and reach
ing down caught the little fellow and
raised him up. The she bear had
heard the child's cries and with n
growl rushed towards the trap-door
and seized the child just as he was
being lifted up. The little fellow
was in an instant dragged into the
den, cncircled by the claws Of the old
she bear. Joe hearing the noise
which the fearful sight caused came
to the door and asked what was the
matter. Seeing his child, rs it were,
in the jaws of death, he did not hesi-
tate for moment to think, but
leapcd from the floor INTO the pit,
lighting on the head OF one of the
bears. lie managed by frantic et-
fort to tear his child from the savage
monster and threw him behind. In
another instant he handed tho little
fellow up among the almost paralyzed
spectators. The men around seemed
so suddenly struck with terror that
they could do nothing to help Joe,
who had placed himself in such i'm
minent danger. The moment the
child was out of the pit the she bear
growled fiercely and sprang on Joe,
who had no arms with which to de-
fcnd himself. The savage brute
seized him by the right knee, throw
inc him on his back. Her teeth
were driven fully an inch deep into
his flesh. He was then completely
at the mercy Of the animal, whose
tameness had disappeared, it being
enraged at having the child taken
away. The men looking on still
seemed powerless to help, though
one of the visitors had a revolver in
his pocket. Joe, however, did not
lose his presence of mind, but seized
o. brick which lay near him, and
struck the bear on the snout with all
his might. The brute let 60 her hold
and Joe quickly got on his feet. The
old he bear had not shown fight at all,
but when Joe shouted had skunk back
to the dark corner. The she bear
now stood off, showing her teeth, but
he continued to shout and she also
went back. Joe was then rescued
from the pit, his legs being covered
with blood. The trousers which he
had on were torn to threds and his
stockings were saturated with blood.
The child had not been injured at all
beyond slight scratch on the head.
Joe says the she bear was always
contrary beast, and that when he
trained her first he used to put her in
q puncheon of water and push her
head under with broom, and when
the cub was nearly drowned 1t would
bite the broom. Joe refuses all med
ical attendance and applies high
wines to the bite, which continues to
bleed to-day.