| Show Mad Trapper Slain as Mounties Bounties Close In on 1 Him After Long Chase t Drops One Officer Critically Wounded BeI Before Before Be Be- I fore Being Shot to Death by Volley From Prom Pursuers' Pursuers Guns GunsBy By Associated Press w J. J AKLAVIK LA VIK Northwest Territory Feb 18 In 18 In fresh fallen now of the Rat river country about a weeks week's hard mush from where the majestic Mackenzie pours into Beaufort sea the blood of Johnson Albert-Johnson has written written written-as as the blood of hunted men inen has jas written before the before the familiar axiom The IThe Canadian Mounted police always get their man mant t The mad trapper o of Rat river died dice esterday yesterday with a rifle stock tucked his fur shoulder an and with a cold blue-cold finger upon the trig trig- get er which had sent death to on one and dangerous wounds t to another nother r. r As he fell in snow fresh laid by a blizzard that stun stung the laces faces of th the police who had cornered him he sen sent 10 0 bullets whining toward his a at- at tickers ackers dropping Staff Sergeant E E. f. f Hersey lAbove him droned a plane In it were ere bombs which Pilot PHot W W. R. R gay fay was ready to drop in case th thlire the theme lire fire of the ground force torce failed When May ay saw Johnson dead he slipped sUpped Ills his plane to a a landing on oti the snow picked up the wounded staff sergeant jac in the plane and flew him litre bere Hersey Herse lies today critically wounded a bullet through the knee and another in the chest into which it ricocheted from his elbow ONE lOU l MOUNTIE TIE KILLED Once before in the two two month month pur pur- uit of the mad mild trapper the same pilot had flown a mountie home The other time it Was Co Constable stable E. E and was dead v During all alIthe the eight weeks Johnson Johnsonb b hid laughed at the law o of the northland north north- land the mounties trappers and Indians In In- called him mad They said he was was s crazy crazy like a fox lox First they went boldly to his hermit cabin Indians had complained that someone h had been robbing their traps The trail of the thief led to Johnsons Johnson's place The officers knocked on the door Bullets through the wood answered them Constable A. A W. W Kin King fell severely severely se verel verely wounded His companion H R. R W. W McDowell loaded the wounded oi of- of fleer icer on a dog sled and in the teeth toot of ot a cruel Arctic blizzard back 80 miles to Aklavik in the re rc time of ot 20 hours The Arctic Arctic Arc Arc- tic seldom has seen such speed under unde such conditions It saved the wound wound- edmans edman's life lite Other police in greater numbers went to the mad trappers trapper's cabin Bullets Bullets Bul- Bul lets warned them away but they would not leave They bombed the cabin root roof Johnsons Johnson's mad laugh echoed to them across the thc glistening snow Bullets from his guns kept kepi them at a distance FI FLED ED THROUGH TUNNEL The mounties sought to starve him out but one da day the cabin was silent I Johnson had escaped through a tunneL tun- tun net neL They thought he couldn't get far The Rat river country affords alfords slow going The cold is intense Men with spats and a carnation in their buttonholes would die within a mile The snow rides ales rales that cut likE a lash ash It swirls and nd drifts drUis drUist t to gr great greal a depths Through h the pines the wind windings sings ings a dirge to the hopes of ot he who dares to flee But Albert Johnson was as hard hardas hards as s the ice that seals the Yukon lakes With a pack paek of or policemen behind and the he grim northland winter ahead he on Once the law caught up with him He had thrown up a three- three sided fort That time they thought they hey had him It was then a bullet from rom his rifle killed Constable Millen All Millen MilIen saw was a wrapped fur head protrude above the fort and the gleam leam of or the midnight sun upon the barrel arrel o of a gun Death was Persons who knew Johnson say he could hit a mark at half halt a amil mil mile e The mounties leaving two of ot their number on guard returned to Aklavik Aklavik Ak- Ak lavik avik for tor supplies While they were gone one the mad trapper slipped away The chase was renewed DOUBLED ON TRAIL May and his plane kept the po posse osse e supplied with food and ammu Johnson on Often he ic doubled on his trail so foxily that he lie was at his pursuers' pursuers rear watching rear watching his own pursuit Back tracking and circling he outmaneuvered the hunters hunt hunt- ers repeatedly But yesterday tI trail of ot the mad trapper plain as print in fresh fallen snow zig zigzagged It meant he was through through his his strength great though it was was exhausted Staff Staf Sergeant Hersey forging forCing ahead of ot the posse came upon him first Johnson was weak but there still was strength to lift Jilt a gun still power to press a trigger still that tha t uncanny uncanny uncanny un un- un- un canny aim that could send a bullet to toa toa toa a target at half halt a mile miTe Hersey fumbled to get his own weapon from the sled to which it was strapped Too late Two o bullets tore into his bod body The plane circled overhead Bombs were ready to be dropped but the po posse e by now was too near DROPPED BY YOLI VOLLEY Y The full force of policemen Indians and trappers came forward their guns speaking in irs unison A single I II volley dropped the mad trapper of ot Rat river in m the sno snow Frozen with his b body dy was the secret secret se sc se- se cret of his madness Who he was and what prompted his eccentricities none in the northwest territory know He ie was under 40 powerfully built builtA A man who knew him in Saskatoon said aid He was a smart fellow He was able to do 40 miles a day through the snow now with little more exertion than one might experience from a Sunday walk valk He was a crack shot with rifle or r revolver He went into the wilderness 12 years ears ago He never came back |
