Bertie COUNTY NC Newspapers Bear Hunt Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by "Neil Baker" http://www.usgwarchives.net/nc/bertie.htm FOUND IN AN OLD NEWSPAPER The following news article was discovered by researcher/historian Neil Baker in the Windsor Ledger for May 26, 1898 A TERRIBLE BATTLE Aulander, N.C., May 19. ~ Yesterday evening about 6 o'clock about a half-mile east of town, I was driving on my way from here to Windsor, N.C., and close by the roadside I heard several screams and a great yelling. Casting a glance in the direction of the noise, I saw a great gang of men in pursuit of a big bear, which seemed to be crippled in some way, and was defending his rights with all his power. I saw one man coming from the direction with a terrible wound on the left jaw from a lick by the bear's foot. Several more were severely wounded. Bruin fought for at least an hour or more and great excitement prevailed, but at last he was conquered and taken to town perfectly lifeless. He weighed 458 pounds gross. People here seem to be greatly excited over the affair and it is thought that in the near future when dark comes, everybody will close their door and take in such arms for protection as pitch forks, turtle giggs, broad axes, etc. There is no doubt the community will be bothered a good deal by such animals, the forest having most all been cut with the exception of one large pocosin near here known as Beaver Dam. Another sad accident recently occurred in or near Aulander, which is too old to mention, but I can say one thing: Aulander has heretofore been a great place for tramps to lay around but from now on, I would advise all who intend going tramping and to make Aulander their headquarters, to change their notion as there is nothing that pleases a grizzly more than to take a meal off of a tramp's carcass. Clipping courtesy of Lawrence Memorial Library, Windsor, N