Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 December 1875 — A Hunter’s Fight with a Catamount-Terrible Death-Struggle. [ARTICLE]

A Hunter’s Fight with a CatamountTerrible Death-Struggle.

On Wednesday morning of last week three residents of this village, Jackson Frailey, James and Joseph Bloom, went to hunt for a large black bear that had ; been'seen on Welsh Mountain, at a point 1 not far froth the village. The mountain I is a wild and thickly-wooded ridge, five ' or six miles long, abounding in deep ra- i vines, great laurel and hemlock swamps, I and steep and rocky peaks. Many wiki ■ animals still lihger in the seclusion as- : forded by its rough sides, among* them ' bears and catamounts. The three hunters were experienced I woodsmen, and not returning Wednesday night no uneasiness was felt, especially as they were well supplied with food, and there are numerous hunters’ cabins on the mountain. Thursday morning it commenpea snowing and drifting badly, and cleared off intensely cold in the evening. It was determined, if the hunters were not home by Friday morning, to institute a search. Friday morning dawned terribly cold, and the hunters had not returned. About twenty of the hardiest men iu the vicinity accordingly started for the Welsh Mountain, to look for them. The party had some difficulty in reaching the summit, owing to the snow, but found comparatively few drifts in the woods. No sign oi the missing men was found until near noon, when two of the party, who had made a detour down the face of the mountains were horror-stricken to find, covered with snow, the dead body ot 'Jackson Frailey, the oldest of the missing hunters. He lay upon his face. Upon lifting the body up the clothing was found to be torn completely ot? in front, from the-throat to below the waist. The face, throat, breast. and, in fact, all the front part of the body were torn and lacerated fearfully, as if by the teeth or claws of some wild beast.* The flesh on the left shoulder was torn off to the bone, and the muscle of the arm was entirely gone. No sign of a struggle could be found anywhere about, and it was at once concluded that the hunter’s contest with the animal had taken place at some other part of the mountain, and that he was on his way in search of aid when he fell exhausted to the ground, to meet his death, beyond doubt, by .‘freezing. It was evident that he was trying to reach Frazer’s clear ing, which was less than half a mile beyond where be fell. The mangled remains were sent back to tlie village in charge of three «f the searching party, and the others continued their efforts to discover the fate of the other hunters. About threequarters of a mile furtiter on, and higher up the mountain, one ,ot the party came upon the rifle of the dead hunter. It was leaning against a large oak tree, and, as the stock was hidden beneath the snow and rested on the ground, it was placed in its position some time on Wednesday, before the snow began to fall. Both barrels of the rifle were empty. A search around the spot resulted in the finding in a hollow, made by the uprooting of a pine tree, the body of au immense catamount. It was nearly buried in snow, ami was covered with wounds, one of them a gunshot wound, the others knife wounds. On scraping away the snow the whole scene of the struggle between the hunter and tlie catamount was brought to view. The ground was covered with blood for several tect around, . and there was every evidence that the contest had been a terrible one. A longbladed hunting-knife, covered with blood, was found, with other accoutrements, also blOmT-stained? From all the circumstances the following theory was formed: The hunter, in passing along through the woods, hud discovered the catamount in the oak tree. He tired at it, hit it, and it fell to the ground. Being an unerring shot, and the animal lying still On the ground., the hunter had no other thought than that he had killed it and walked up to where it lay, and, standing his gun against the tree, had probably pushed the prostrate catamount with his foot. Instead of being killed it was only badly wounded and stunned by the fall. Reviving, and discovering its enemy, with all its natural ferocity increased by pain, it sprang upon him, and the contest followed—a contest the duration oi which will never be known, resulting in the death of both contestants; Some time after noon they found James Bloom, who was on his way back from Martinsville. He and his brother had arrived in the village a short time before, where they first learned Frailey’s sad ; fate. It seems that they had hunted ■ all day Wednesday, and had two or three ■ shots at the bear, but that they had lost • him in Great Tamarack Swamp. So they ' concluded to remain until next day,.,and i Frailey said that lie would return home and bring out his dogs. He left the other • two about five o’clock Wednesday after- ; noon, and they went to Lone Cabin and i camped for the night. The heavy snow ; and wind/coming on they did not expect Frailey back, and did not,venture out to hunt. Friday it was so cold they did not go out, and finally made up their minds that Frailey would not be back, and started for home about noon.

Frailey was about forty years of age, and had almost lived in the woods all his life. He was a great hunter, and had in his day- close combats with bears, wounded bucks and othsr and bore many scars received therein. Although he had shot many’ catamounts, this was his first tight with one at close quarters, home think that it he had reached Frazer’s he would not have died; but being overcome with loss of blood, and having nothing to stanch his wounds, h< was forced to stop, and met death by freezing. He leaves a wife and several children, comfortaoly provided for.— Martinsville (Pa.) Cor: hew York Times. A Rcssian journal announces that a belief in the approaching end of the world has seized on the Cossacks Of the Don. Many, especially aged people, are giving up worldly affairs, wearing a shroud, and ordering their coffins. On every road are seen men repairing to Moscow to be consecrated priests, in order that the smallest village may have its own priest and church. The authorities are passive, hoping that the movement will die out of its own accord. It has originated with the Dissenters.