Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Albert Johnson's Savage 99

The Canadian newspapers were busy in 1932 with the account of the "Mad Trapper", Albert Johnson
and his violent contacts with the RCMP. Johnson trapped without a license, and disturbed native trappers
trap lines.
Constable Edgar Millen was shot and killed by Johnson near the Yukon's Rat River area, which launched a
Canadian manhunt across the NWT/Yukon landscape in the dead of winter. The account is most interesting.
Albert Johnson was finally hunted down, and his Savage 99 in 30 WCF found near his body by Mounties.

Where is this Savage rifle now?
In the RCMP Museum in Edmonton

I saw it in the RCMP Museum in Regina, Sask. The Museum is at the RCMP training facility.
It's been 15 years since I was there and the Museum was small but interesting.
I've canoed up in that country and maybe 45 years ago I met an elderly native lady that remembered the incident.
That was supposedly the first time aircraft were used to hunt a fugitive.
For years, it was thought that Albert Johnson was a Swede from North Dakota but a few years ago DNA was extracted from his remains and compared with a supposed relative in ND and there wasn't a match.

Mornin, not knowing?? Have told this story here before but here goes. There used to be a Canadian tv show, Front Page Challenge. Three people, news, actors, etc on a panel would ask a guest questions about a topic from major news stories & then if they thought they new the story would guess the title. An RCMP was the guest one night (out of view)! He was in on the hunt for Albert Johnson. At one point Albert was shooting at them from about 300 + yds. The RCMP officer thought it was ridicules with an old 30-30 until he felt a sharp pane in his knee & dropped to the ground. Don't remember if the panel guest the story or not (was very young) but always remember it, possibly because we trapped?? Panel if I remember Gordon Sinclair, Pierre Burton, Orientel lady. Anyway an interesting part of the story. There were a lot of things said about Albert, killing & stealing gold teeth, stole furs,& traps........ Don't know if things were as bad back then with NEWS coverage, BUT, probably if they had left him alone all would have ended better maybe. Probably some bitch from the trading post didn't like him so called the RCMP & the rest is history. You might be able to google Front Page Challenge & find out more info?? GWP. 🐾👣🐾👣🇨🇦

Most recent Jan/Feb issue of The Backwoodsman magazine has an article on the items found with Albert Johnson. Pictures too of the Savage.

Yes I read that Backwoodsman magazine and the description of the rifle was a Savage Model 99 "Featherweight". Would that be the "H"?

Native trappers complained that someone was robbing/disturbing their traplines. That combined with
no record of a trappers license caused the Mounties to at least try to question Johnson.
One incident lead to another. WWI pilot Wop May assisted in the chase with his biplane.
Bush pilot aids RCMP. Full account can be seen by looking him up on the net. Interesting
but they still do not know his identity.

I just finished reading the book "The Mad Trapper of Rat River", by the late Dick North-first published in 1969. Very interesting read with detailed description of the manhunt based on interviews of people that knew Arthur Nelson who is suspected of using the name Albert Johnson and of the mounties involved including one that was shot by Johnson/Nelson.

The author provides the serial number of the 99F, 293575. The text of the letter is shown in Exhibit D in the Appendix, dated November 4, 1969 signed by Robert McComb-Works Manager, Savage Arms Division of the Emhart Corporation. At one point in the text the author uses serial number 292575....Who knows, typo, transposition. There is another reference to 293575 in the RCMP inventory of Johnson's effects-Exhibit C.

Inquiring minds.

LHS

Hmm....



Picture of it from the museum that it's in right now. But they don't list the serial number.

Yes. Hmmmm.

The letter in the book states ship date of May 2, 1927 to Marshall Wells Company.

Another transposition?? 2/5/1927.

LHS

2/5/1927 is Europe and Canada's 5/2/1927

Yup! Learned that working for an international telecom provider.

Good catch!

Just as a double check, I've sent an email off to the RCMP museum asking for the serial number.

I figured as well. I am still wondering what ser # is correct. Not that it matters, I guess.

LHS

Madtrapper on the forum!?
Am I the only one that sees a resemblance!?

Deceased Madtrapper



Our Madtrapper

I sent you a PM

The resemblance is pretty close. But I am still alive.

Darryl

Thanks Rory, go to the source!

LHS

Good. Thanks for being here.

Are you a trapper?

And are you mad?

Hmmmmmmmm...

I trapped for about 40 years on and off. I was known to get mad in my younger days. Now getting mad takes up too much energy.
Darryl