Mad Trapper of Rat River: A True Story Of Canada's Biggest Manhunt
"The Arctic trails do indeed have their secret tales, and one of the best is that of The Mad Trapper of Rat River, equal to the legends of Bonnie and Clyde or John Dillinger. Now author Dick North (of course) may have solved the mystery of the Mad Trapper's true identity, thereby enhancing the saga."—Thomas McIntyre, author of Seasons & Days: A Hunting Life

"A courageous and unrelenting posse on the trail of a furious and desperate wilderness outlaw. .. Lean and bloody, meticulously researched, The Mad Trapper of Rat River is a dark and haunting story of human endurance, adventure, and will that speeds along like the best fiction."—Bob Butz, author of Beast of Never, Cat of God

They called it "The Arctic Circle War." It was a forty-eight-day manhunt across the harshest terrain in the world, the likes of which we will never see again. The quarry, Albert Johnson, was a loner working a string of traps in the far reaches of Canada's Northwest Territories, where winter temperatures average forty degrees below zero.

The chase began when two Mounties came to ask Johnson about allegations that he had interfered with a neighbor's trap. No questions were asked. Johnson discharged the first shot through a hole in the wall of his log cabin. When the Mounties returned with reinforcements, Johnson was gone, and The Arctic Circle War had begun.

On Johnson's heels were a corps of Mounties and an irregular posse on dogsled. Johnson, on snowshoes, seemed superhuman in his ability to evade capture. The chase stretched for hundreds of miles and, during a blizzard, crossed the Richardson Mountains, the northernmost extension of the Rockies. It culminated in the historic shootout at Eagle River.
1110848552
Mad Trapper of Rat River: A True Story Of Canada's Biggest Manhunt
"The Arctic trails do indeed have their secret tales, and one of the best is that of The Mad Trapper of Rat River, equal to the legends of Bonnie and Clyde or John Dillinger. Now author Dick North (of course) may have solved the mystery of the Mad Trapper's true identity, thereby enhancing the saga."—Thomas McIntyre, author of Seasons & Days: A Hunting Life

"A courageous and unrelenting posse on the trail of a furious and desperate wilderness outlaw. .. Lean and bloody, meticulously researched, The Mad Trapper of Rat River is a dark and haunting story of human endurance, adventure, and will that speeds along like the best fiction."—Bob Butz, author of Beast of Never, Cat of God

They called it "The Arctic Circle War." It was a forty-eight-day manhunt across the harshest terrain in the world, the likes of which we will never see again. The quarry, Albert Johnson, was a loner working a string of traps in the far reaches of Canada's Northwest Territories, where winter temperatures average forty degrees below zero.

The chase began when two Mounties came to ask Johnson about allegations that he had interfered with a neighbor's trap. No questions were asked. Johnson discharged the first shot through a hole in the wall of his log cabin. When the Mounties returned with reinforcements, Johnson was gone, and The Arctic Circle War had begun.

On Johnson's heels were a corps of Mounties and an irregular posse on dogsled. Johnson, on snowshoes, seemed superhuman in his ability to evade capture. The chase stretched for hundreds of miles and, during a blizzard, crossed the Richardson Mountains, the northernmost extension of the Rockies. It culminated in the historic shootout at Eagle River.
19.95 In Stock
Mad Trapper of Rat River: A True Story Of Canada's Biggest Manhunt

Mad Trapper of Rat River: A True Story Of Canada's Biggest Manhunt

by Dick North
Mad Trapper of Rat River: A True Story Of Canada's Biggest Manhunt

Mad Trapper of Rat River: A True Story Of Canada's Biggest Manhunt

by Dick North

Paperback(First Edition)

$19.95 
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    Qualifies for Free Shipping
  • PICK UP IN STORE

    Your local store may have stock of this item.

Related collections and offers


Overview

"The Arctic trails do indeed have their secret tales, and one of the best is that of The Mad Trapper of Rat River, equal to the legends of Bonnie and Clyde or John Dillinger. Now author Dick North (of course) may have solved the mystery of the Mad Trapper's true identity, thereby enhancing the saga."—Thomas McIntyre, author of Seasons & Days: A Hunting Life

"A courageous and unrelenting posse on the trail of a furious and desperate wilderness outlaw. .. Lean and bloody, meticulously researched, The Mad Trapper of Rat River is a dark and haunting story of human endurance, adventure, and will that speeds along like the best fiction."—Bob Butz, author of Beast of Never, Cat of God

They called it "The Arctic Circle War." It was a forty-eight-day manhunt across the harshest terrain in the world, the likes of which we will never see again. The quarry, Albert Johnson, was a loner working a string of traps in the far reaches of Canada's Northwest Territories, where winter temperatures average forty degrees below zero.

The chase began when two Mounties came to ask Johnson about allegations that he had interfered with a neighbor's trap. No questions were asked. Johnson discharged the first shot through a hole in the wall of his log cabin. When the Mounties returned with reinforcements, Johnson was gone, and The Arctic Circle War had begun.

On Johnson's heels were a corps of Mounties and an irregular posse on dogsled. Johnson, on snowshoes, seemed superhuman in his ability to evade capture. The chase stretched for hundreds of miles and, during a blizzard, crossed the Richardson Mountains, the northernmost extension of the Rockies. It culminated in the historic shootout at Eagle River.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781493035823
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date: 09/01/2018
Edition description: First Edition
Pages: 352
Sales rank: 609,185
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Dick North has worked as a seaman, a fisheries officer, and a newspaper editor in Alaska and Canada's Yukon. He is also the author of Trackdown, Arctic Exodus, and The Lost Patrol. He is currently the curator of the Jack London Exhibit and Interpretation Center in Dawson City, Yukon.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Foreword xi

Maps xii

Prologue 1

Part 1 Albert Johnson 5

1 The Stranger 7

2 Rat River 15

3 Across the Mountains 39

4 Final Shootout 49

Part 2 Arthur Nelson 61

5 Dease Lake 63

6 Teslin, Ross River, and the Lost McHenry Gold Mine 73

7 Mayo, Lansing, and Russell Creek 81

8 The Lost Porcupine Mine 93

9 Bad Guy? 99

10 Or Victim? 109

Part 3 Fifty Years of False Leads 115

11 The Early Clues: A Shortcut to Nowhere 117

12 He Walked with a Stoop 133

13 In the Wake of an Elusive Scandinavian 141

14 Bill Johnson and the Black Lake Mystery 155

15 The Ex-Cop Hypothesis and Another Cold Trail 165

16 The Mysterious Disappearance of Zane Grey's Guide 175

17 The Eccentric Carpenter from Anyox 181

18 The "Wrong Man" Theme 189

Part 4 A Northern Legacy of The Wild West 195

19 The Badlands Immigrants 197

20 On the Trail of a Wyoming Horse Thief 211

21 The Road to Folsom Prison 225

22 Fingerprints - Let the Sleeping Dog Lie 233

23 The Net Tightens 259

24 Another Run at Exhumation 271

25 The Missing Lank 287

Bibliography 291

Appendix A Savage Arms Company 297

Appendix B Dental Chart of Johnson 299

Appendix C Personal Effects 301

Appendix D Vital Statistics and Modus Operandi 305

Appendix E Personal Interviews 315

Appendix F Portion of the Sills Report 319

Index 327

From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews