Misplaced Pages

#21978

51-455: .30-30 Savage Model 99F Albert Johnson ( c.  1890–1900 – February 17, 1932), also known as the Mad Trapper of Rat River , was a fugitive whose actions stemming from a trapping dispute eventually sparked a huge manhunt in the Northwest Territories and Yukon in Northern Canada . The event became a media circus as Johnson eluded the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) team sent to take him into custody, which ended after

102-516: A Scandinavian accent, generally kept himself clean-shaven, and seemed to have plenty of money for supplies. After venturing the waterways in an indigenous-built raft to the Mackenzie River delta, he built a small 8 ft × 10 ft (2.4 m × 3.0 m) cabin on the banks of the Rat River. Johnson had not acquired a trapping licence, which was considered odd for someone living in

153-598: A 150 mi (240 km) pursuit lasting more than a month and a shootout in which Johnson was fatally wounded on the Eagle River, Yukon. Albert Johnson is suspected to have been a pseudonym and his true identity remains unknown. Albert Johnson arrived in Fort McPherson after coming down the Peel River on July 9, 1931. He was questioned by RCMP constable Edgar Millen, but provided little information. Millen thought he had

204-694: A North Dakota repeat criminal by the name of John Johnson were one and the same person. John Johnson did time in San Quentin Prison and Folsom Prison , and his physical description is well documented and similar to the Mad Trapper's. North traced John Johnson's identity back to Norway. "Johnny Johnson" was born Johan Konrad Jonsen (1898) in Bardu Municipality in Norway, north of the Arctic Circle. However,

255-467: A detachable magazine. The rotating magazine design allowed the rifle to be one of the first lever-action rifles to use spitzer bullets commercially introduced in the decade after its development. Previous lever-action rifles used tubular magazines, which placed cartridges of ammunition end to end. The pointed tips of a spitzer bullet would touch the primer of the cartridge in front of it, possibly causing an accidental discharge. Another novel safety feature

306-531: A forensic team assembled by Myth Merchant Films located and exhumed Johnson's grave near the cemetery in Aklavik , then conducted a modern forensic examination on his remains; these were documented in the documentary film The Hunt for the Mad Trapper and the book The Mad Trapper: Unearthing a Mystery by Barbara Smith. This team found that isotopic analysis of his teeth suggested he may have grown up in Scandinavia or

357-547: A new rifle at discounted price. During World War I , the Montreal Home Guard was issued Model 1899 rifles in "musket" form, which incorporated a bayonet lug and military-style stock. While similar to the earlier catalogued 1899 military muskets, it has several differences and is thus known as the Montreal Home Guard Musket. The Montreal Home Guard contract was for a total of 2,500 rifles, though according to

408-455: A sawn-off Iver-Johnson 16 gauge shotgun and a sawn-off Winchester Model 58 .22 Long Rifle ) as Albert Johnson. Nelson was also remembered by Kaska Dena elders Art John Sr. and others who knew him by the alias "Mickey Nelson" when he trapped and prospected in the Ross River region in west-central Yukon. North's 1989 book Trackdown put forward his theory that Albert Johnson, Arthur Nelson, and

459-664: Is essentially the same as Inuinnaqtun which is also used in the Nunavut communities of Kugluktuk , Bathurst Inlet and Cambridge Bay . Natsilingmiutut used by the Netsilingmiut of Gjoa Haven , Taloyoak , Kugaaruk and Repulse Bay in Nunavut. Uummarmiutun, Siglitun and Inuinnaqtun (Kangiryuarmiutun) are all written using Latin script while Natsilingmiutut is written in Inuktitut syllabics . Year-round, Inuvialuit hunt caribou from

510-526: The 22HP in 1912, the 250-3000 in 1915, and finally the .300 Savage in 1921. In 1956 the .243 Win , .308 Win and .358 Win were added, and later the .284 Win , .375 Win , .22-250 and 7mm08 would all make appearances. Originally incorporated as the Savage Repeating Arms Company from 1894 to 1897 in Utica, NY (present on the barrel address of Model 1895's), the company reincorporated as

561-601: The E.W. Bliss Company ). Followed by the Model 1893 prototypes, that evolved into the Model 1895 whose prototypes and design was done by Colt's Manufacturing Company and production rifles made by Marlin Firearms . A Model 1895 musket possibly in .30-40 Krag was the winner of an 1896 competition for a New York National Guard rifle contract, beating out the Winchester Model 1895 and several other rifles. Political controversy and

SECTION 10

#1732837975022

612-861: The Thule who migrated eastward from Alaska . Their homeland – the Inuvialuit Settlement Region – covers the Arctic Ocean coastline area from the Alaskan border, east through the Beaufort Sea and beyond the Amundsen Gulf which includes some of the western Canadian Arctic Islands , as well as the inland community of Aklavik and part of Yukon . The land was demarked in 1984 by the Inuvialuit Final Agreement. The Inuvialuit Settlement Region

663-871: The Cape Bathurst and Bluenose herds, and have also shared the Porcupine herd with the Gwich’in . There has been some tension between the Inuvialuit and the Gwich’in over caribou hunting. Other activities are seasonal: Traditional games include: The area of the land covered by the Inuvialuit Settlement Region is 521,707.68 km (201,432.46 sq mi). Aklavik ( Aklavik Indian Band , Ehdiitat Gwich’in Council ) and Inuvik ( Nihtat Gwich’in Council ) are shared with

714-510: The DNA analysis ruled out all of the candidates and his identity remains a mystery. In 2017, it was decided to attempt a familial DNA investigation; however, technical problems with the DNA eluded analysis until an adequate sequence was developed by Othram Inc. in 2021. Further investigation by Othram traced his ancestors to Sweden , linking him to multiple descendants of Gustaf Magnusson (1776–1853) and Britta Svensdotter (1781–1846), suggesting that he

765-455: The Leader Grade, Rival Grade, Excelsior Grade, Monarch Grade, etc. By the end of production, Savage had sold the 99 family in 58 different models and special grade configurations. Inuvialuit The Inuvialuit (sing. Inuvialuk ; the real people ) or Western Canadian Inuit are Inuit who live in the western Canadian Arctic region. They, like all other Inuit, are descendants of

816-492: The Mad Trapper's expensive dental work were not likely to belong to the criminal Johnson. Also, DNA tests involving John Johnson's great-nephew Ole Getz disproved that Johnny Johnson and the Mad Trapper were the same people. The Johnston family of Pictou , Nova Scotia have long believed that Albert Johnson is actually Owen Albert Johnston, a relative who had left Pictou at the beginning of the Great Depression to find work in

867-414: The Model 1895 design led to the Model 1899, whose name was changed to the Model 99 with the introduction of the 300 Savage cartridge in 1921. In 1899, Savage offered to convert any existing Model 1895 rifle or carbine to Model 1899 configuration for a $ 5 fee. After changes to the Model 1899 receiver and internals in 1908, Savage would no longer work on 1895's or pre-1909 1899's and would instead offer to sell

918-488: The Model 1895, which was the first hammerless lever-action rifle. The 1895, as well as the later Model 1899 and early Model 99, used a five-shot rotary magazine to hold the cartridges. The rotating magazine uses a spring-loaded spool with grooves to hold the cartridges. The Savage 1899 took advantage of the spool to include a counter to indicate how many rounds are left in the magazine. The Model 99 continued using this system for many years, except for later models which had

969-467: The RCMP "found an entirely different story. Evidently, Johnson had roughly told them to take off and had even pointed a gun at them, when they came-a-visiting at Johnson's cabin". On December 26, Constable Alfred King and Special Constable Joe Bernard, each of whom had a considerable northern experience, trekked the 60 miles (97 km) to Johnson's cabin to ask him about the allegations. Seeing smoke coming from

1020-470: The RCMP hired First World War flying ace and leading post-war aviator Wilfrid "Wop" May of Canadian Airways to help in the hunt by scouting the area from the air. He arrived in the new ski-equipped Bellanca monoplane on February 5. May discovered that Johnson had crossed the Richardson Mountains when the airplane saw his tracks on the far side of the range. On February 14, he discovered

1071-651: The Savage Arms Company in 1898. This lasted until 1917 when the company changed to the Savage Arms Corporation after being bought by Driggs-Seabury , and they have kept that name since then. The company produced Model 1899s and Model 99s in Utica, NY from 1899 to 1946, Model 99s in Chicopee Falls, MA from 1947 to 1959, and in Westfield, MA from 1960 to 2003. The Model 99 and Model 1899 were preceded by

SECTION 20

#1732837975022

1122-501: The Savage ledgers only 803 were delivered. These rifles were chambered in .303 Savage, as altering the design for the Canadian standard .303 British Mk VII cartridge would have resulted in an unacceptable delay in delivery. Guardsmen were responsible for purchasing their own rifles and had the option of having their names stamped on the stock. Many also chose to have their names engraved on

1173-410: The U.S. Midwest, that he had scoliosis which would have led to chronic back pain, that he was approximately 35 years of age, and that he had been struck multiple times in his final gun battle including his leg, thorax and a debilitating shot from behind through his pelvis. A spiral fracture of his femur supports the anecdote that a bullet had hit and exploded an ammunition pouch on his hip. His dental work

1224-534: The United States. The family's last letter from Johnston was posted from Revelstoke, British Columbia early in 1931. They never heard from him again. According to a 2009 radio interview a relative was arranging for DNA tests. Previous theories were challenged with the release of Mark Fremmerlid's book What Became of Sigvald Anyway . He proposed too many coincidences to ignore the possibility of Sigvald Pedersen Haaskjold from Norway emerging as Albert Johnson. Sigvald

1275-609: The abandonment of the project in 2017. The traditional language is known as Inuvialuktun and it is made up of three or four dialects. Uummarmiutun , spoken by the Uummarmiut of Aklavik and Inuvik , is an Inupiatun dialect but is usually associated with Inuvialuktun. Siglitun is spoken by the Siglit of Sachs Harbour , Paulatuk , Tuktoyaktuk and Inuvik. Kangiryuarmiutun is used by the Kangiryuarmiut of Ulukhaktok. Kangiryuarmiutun

1326-524: The area. Once again they fell into retreat. The posse continued to grow, enlisting local Inuvialuit and Gwich'in who were better able to move in the back country. Johnson had clearly decided to leave for the Yukon, but the RCMP blocked the only two passes over the Richardson Mountains . That did not stop Johnson, who climbed a 7,000 ft (2,100 m) peak and once again disappeared. In desperation,

1377-433: The bank but was not wearing his snowshoes and could not make it. A firefight broke out in which RCMP Constable Alfred King was seriously wounded and Johnson was killed after being shot in the left side of the pelvis at an acute angle. It is believed that the bullet passed through vital tissues, bowels, and main arteries, which led to his death. May landed the plane, picked up the injured officer and flew him to help for which he

1428-464: The bush. At that time many northern native traditional trapping areas were being invaded by outsiders fleeing the Great Depression and some complaints may have been intended to remove him. In December, indigenous trappers complained to the local RCMP detachment in Aklavik that 'Johnson' was tampering with their traps, tripping them and hanging them on the trees. A post incident investigation by

1479-400: The cabin they thawed the dynamite inside their coats. The common version states that this charge was thrown onto the roof of the cabin, collapsing it in the following explosion. After the explosion, the men tried to rush in. Johnson opened fire from a five-foot dugout beneath the ruins. No one was hit, and after a 15-hour standoff (ending at 4:00 A.M.) in the −40 °C (−40 °F) weather,

1530-424: The chimney, they approached the hut to talk. Johnson refused to talk to them, however, seeming not even to notice them. King looked into the cabin window, at which point Johnson placed a sack across it. The two constables eventually decided to return to Aklavik and get a search warrant . King and Bernard returned five days later with two other men. Johnson again refused to talk and eventually King decided to enforce

1581-429: The compacted snow without having to use his snowshoes . He left the trail only at night to make camp on the river bank, which is the track May had spotted. May radioed back his findings and the RCMP gave chase up the river, eventually being directed to Johnson by February 17. The pursuit team rounded a bend in the river to find Johnson only a few hundred yards ahead, standing in front of them. Johnson attempted to run for

Albert Johnson (criminal) - Misplaced Pages Continue

1632-416: The initial investigation about the identity of Albert Johnson primarily focused on an obscure individual named Arthur Nelson. Details of Nelson's life were recorded by Yukon researcher and author Richard North. Nelson apparently travelled from Dease Lake, British Columbia , up into the Yukon in the 1927 to 1931 period. He had similar guns (a Savage Model 99 , a .30-30 Winchester calibre lever action rifle,

1683-425: The left side of the receiver. Initially the Model 1895 was available only chambered in the 303 Savage , a similar cartridge to Winchester's .30-30 but usually loaded with heavier bullets of 185gr or 190gr. The Model 1899 was also only available in 303 Savage initially, but in 1900 they added the 30-30 and in 1903 they added the 25-35 , the 32-40 , and 38-55 . Charles Newton worked with Savage Arms to introduce

1734-471: The new Mackenzie Delta community of Reindeer Station . Indigenous Sámi people were imported from Norway to teach Inuvialuit men how to care for their own individual herds. However, the program was relatively unsuccessful, as it required a lonely lifestyle and was less lucrative than traditional hunting and trapping . The Inuvialuit Settlement Region Traditional Knowledge Report of 2006 identified additional naming characteristics. Those Inuvialuit who live in

1785-652: The offer of free rifles from the US Army led to the cancellation of the contract, and the New York National Guard was therefore equipped with obsolete single-shot Trapdoor Springfield rifles during the Spanish–American War . Similarly, the Model 1895 musket won a contract for arming the Mexican Army in 1897, but again had to cancel - this time due to lack of a factory to produce the rifles. Later refinements to

1836-464: The posse retreated to Aklavik for further assistance. Again, the RCMP investigative report partially contradicts this, claiming that the dynamite charge barely damaged the cabin, but it was later purposely destroyed to prevent him from returning to it, which may have led to the impression by some that the blast had destroyed it. By this point, the news had filtered out to the rest of the world via radio. After being delayed because of blizzard conditions,

1887-406: The reinforced posse returned on January 14 to find that Johnson had left the cabin, and the posse struck out after him. Eventually, they caught up with him on January 30, surrounding him in a thicket . In the ensuing firefight, Johnson shot Constable Edgar Millen through the heart, killing him. Millen was later to have a tributary of the Rat River, Millen Creek, named for him. A memorial is located in

1938-412: The tactics Johnson had been using to elude his followers. He noticed a set of footprints leading off the centre of the frozen surface of the Eagle River to the bank. Johnson had been following the caribou tracks in the middle of the river where they walked in order to give them better visibility of approaching predators. Walking in their tracks had hidden his footprints and allowed him to travel quickly on

1989-409: The warrant and force the door. As soon as he began, Johnson shot him through the wooden door. A brief firefight broke out, and the team managed to return the wounded King to Aklavik where he eventually recovered. A posse was then formed consisting of nine men, 42 dogs and 20 lb (9.1 kg) of dynamite which they intended to use to blast Johnson out of the cabin if necessary. After surrounding

2040-493: The west are called Ualinirmiut ( Ualiniq ) by the people of the east. The Inuvialuit who occupy the east are known as Kivaninmiut ( Kivaliniq ) by the people of the west. The Inuit of Ulukhaktok are neither Siglit nor Uummarmiut but are Copper Inuit and refer to themselves as Ulukhaktokmuit after Ulukhaktok , the native name for what used to be called Holman. The proposed Mackenzie Valley Pipeline would have passed through both Inuvialuit and Gwich'in territory before

2091-452: Was Johnson's laugh after he shot Constable Edgar Millen. To this day people debate who he was, why he moved to the Arctic , or if he was actually responsible for interfering with the trap lines as alleged. The RCMP sent a series of photographs throughout Canada and the United States in an unsuccessful effort to learn his real identity, which has never been definitively established. In the 1930s,

Albert Johnson (criminal) - Misplaced Pages Continue

2142-399: Was a cocking indicator. On the Model 1895 this was a hole on top of the bolt through which a C (Cocked) or S (Safe) could be seen. On early Model 1899's this changed to a tab on top of the bolt which raised up when the rifle was cocked and could be visually seen or easily felt by touch; and in 1908 it changed to a small pin which would protrude above the top of the receiver to indicate the rifle

2193-558: Was an intense dislike between the Siglit and the Uummarmiut, but these differences faded over the years, and the two aboriginal peoples intermarried. With improved healthcare and Nunatamiut intermarriage, the Inuvialuit now number approximately 3,100. In the 1930s, the Inuvialuit were involved in a Canadian government scheme to introduce reindeer herding as the primary economic driver of the Western Arctic. At tremendous expense, thousands of domesticated animals were herded from Alaska to

2244-472: Was cocked and ready to fire. A number of special option features were available for Model 1895's, 1899's and 99's through the 1930's including multiple grades of engraving, several different checkering styles, pistol grips, a takedown option, better sights and peep sights, special order buttplates, and even having parts of the rifle silver or gold plated.The Model 1899 had a number of special grades available which came with sets of special order features, such as

2295-438: Was credited with saving his life. After Johnson's death, RCMP officials realized that he had travelled over 137 km (85 mi) away from his cabin in 33 days, burning approximately 42 MJ (10,000 kcal ) a day in the cold weather and hostile terrain. Seventy-five years later in 2007, forensics teams found that his tailbone was not actually symmetrical, causing his spine to curve left and right slightly. In addition, one foot

2346-468: Was either their descendant or the descendant of one of their close relatives. Many of his genetic matches traced their ancestry to the Swedish towns of Hånger , Kävsjö and Kulltorp . As of July 2021, further DNA samples and family history were being sought from possible descendants to further the investigation. Savage Model 99 The earliest predecessor of the Model 1895 was the Model 1892, and it

2397-568: Was last known as a highly self-sufficient 32-year-old in 1927, 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 years before the chase and death of Albert Johnson, who was estimated between 35 and 40 years. Sigvald had become obsessed with the notion that the authorities were still looking for him after evading conscription during the First World War . He had built a fortress-like cabin on Digby Island on the north coast of B.C. before disappearing. This author points out circumstantial evidence for this case. In August 2007,

2448-484: Was longer than the other. An examination of Johnson's body yielded over $ 2,000 in both American and Canadian currency as well as some gold, a pocket compass, a razor, a knife, fish hooks, nails, a dead squirrel, a dead bird, a large quantity of Beecham's Pills and teeth with gold fillings that were believed to be his. During the entire chase, the Mounties had never heard Johnson utter a single word. The only thing they heard

2499-504: Was of very high quality for the time suggesting he was able to afford expensive state-of-the-art work at a major centre such as Chicago or New York. DNA samples were also obtained for comparison work. After the examination his remains were re-interred with full religious rites by both the local priest and native elders, something that had not been afforded to him at his original burial. While many people had offered convincing circumstantial and anecdotal evidence that they were related to him,

2550-478: Was one of the contending rifle models offered to the U.S. Army when they were looking to replace the Springfield Model 1873 trapdoor rifle. The Krag–Jørgensen was chosen over the Savage and other models. The Model 1892 was never put into production (and indeed pre-dated the actual establishment of the Savage Repeating Arms Company; the Model 1892 was a collaborative venture between Arthur Savage and probably

2601-480: Was primarily inhabited by Siglit Inuit until their numbers were decimated by the introduction of new diseases in the second half of the 19th century. Nunatamiut , Alaskan Inuit, moved into traditional Siglit areas in the 1910s and 20s, enticed in part by renewed demand for furs from the Hudson's Bay Company and European markets. The Nunatamiut who settled in the Siglit area became known as Uummarmiut . Originally, there

SECTION 50

#1732837975022
#21978