Rensselaer Republican, Volume 13, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 January 1881 — Almest Eaten Alive. [ARTICLE]

Almest Eaten Alive.

Ijtft Saturday Hannitmi Rhf vrika resides on the little Prickly Pear, In the vicinity of Wolf Creek Station, shouldered his gun and went out in the mountains, for ar deer hunt. While he was passing down the course ofa small guleh, and just as he had turned a point of rocks whieh protruded abruptly from the mountain side, die received upon the left side of his bead and face a stunning blow from the paw of an immense she bear, which it appears was lying in wait for him upon the other side of the rocks. The blow knocked Mr. Roe down and caused him to lose possession of his Run whieh was the only weapon he had with him, and at the same instant the infuriated beast, throwing herself upon the prostrate form of her astonished, disarmed and wounded victim, the man and beast were precipitated together about fifteen feet down the steep bank to the bed of the gulch. Having nothing to defend himself with, Mr. Roe quickly determined to “play the dead man,” and turning upon his face feigned unconsciousness through one of the most trying ordeals ever experienced by a human being. The bear evidently concluded if her prey was dead, he had been killed by ner own strong pswss and began her feast. Beginning upon his head, she literally tore the man’s scalp to shreds, leaving it in a condition horrible to look at. He says he could hear and feel her teeth grating upon his skull. She then began upon his left shoulder, inflicting there a ghastly and dangerous wound, and bit him in several places upon his left arm, side and back as far down as the hip. Just as she had driven her teeth into the hip and was, donbtless, upon the point of inflicting such wound as would have caused instant death, one of her cubs raised a cry of distress. It was at this point that Mr. Roe’s play of “dead man,” which had hitherto seemed so unavailing, was es great service to him. The bear evidently thought her victim dead, and, leaving him, hastened to the relief of her young, intending, it is supposed, to finish her meal at pleasure. Though bruised, mangled and fatigued—his scalp a bleeding mass of torn flesh and matted hair hanging about bis brow, his left cheek and ear torn off until they hung at his side by a slender strip, his cheek-bone broken, his skull fractured above the eye, his shoulder, arm and side badly injured, he nevertheless summoned sufficient strength to rise and get away before his antagonist arrived. The story of his subsequent achievments is almost beyond belief but is abndantly vouched for. He was living alone, and knew that return home without summoning assistance was to certainly go home and die in solitude. Although from the scene of his encounter it was a mile and a half home, he walked that distance, and, without stopping at his cabin, proceeded a half mile further to the Missouri river, upon the opposite side of which he saw a couple of neighbors, to whom he called for asstance. As soon as he observed that his cries were heard he returned to his cabin, where his neighbors found him, sitting upon a stool holding his hand to the side of his head, and in that way, as best he could, keeping his mutilatted cheek and ear in place. Such aid was rendered as could be under the circumstances, and medical assistance was telegraphed for, to which Dr. Steele promptly responded. The wounds were dressed early Sunday, and Mr, Roe was left as comfortable as his surroundings would allow. He bore his suffering, including the great number of stitches that were taken in sewing his wounds, with wonderful fortitude allowing no groan or complaint to escape him, except upon one occasion when the needle pierced the flesh in close proximity to tne eye. He confidentially asserted that he would get well, although the doctor regarded his case as a critical one. Since the above was written Mr. Roe has arrived in Helena and is now at the Sister’s hospital. He made the journey of forty miles, from his home to Helena, in a spring, wagon, thus affording additional evideuce of his remarkable endurance, which his physicians regard as being without parallel. Last evening he was feeling quite comfortable and considerable hopes were entertained for his recovery.