February 17, 1932: Death did not end the enduring mystery of the Mad Trapper

It is one of the many enduring legends and mysteries of Canada’s far northern frontiers.

The story begins in summer of 1931 when a stranger about age 35, shows up in the tiny community of Fort McPherson in Northwest territores.  Any stranger arriving attracts a little attention and the local RCMP chatted with him, but found him to be less than forthcoming about who he was, why he had come to this remote region, and what his intentions were.

He was soon viewed as an unfriendly loner, in a place where because of the isolation, friendliness was the norm. The name Albert Johnson was given, but with no indication that was true.

He seemed to have enough money, and bought supplies and moved on to the Rat River where he built a small cabin, but without having obtained a trapping licence which was also deemed very odd for someone moving into the bush.

In December, the local mounties in Aklavik heard complaints of someone taking animals from native traplines, and went to investigate the stranger who called himself Albert Johnson. In temperatures around -40, two constables used dog sleds to travel the almost 100km to Johnson’s cabin, but when they got there he refused to answer the door or even talk to them at all.

They left intending to return with a search warrant, two more mounties and a civilian which they did in the frigid Arctic territories a couple of days later.

This time, when he refused to talk, they tried to force the door, but Johnson shot through the door, wounded one of the police. They retreated after a few shots, taking the wounded man back to Aklavik where he recovered.

Now the police returned in force with nine men, and several kilos of dynamite to blast Johnson out.  Given his refusal, and shots fired from gunports in his thick walled cabin, they tossed the dynamite at the cabin and blew it apart.

Thinking they’d find Johnson in little pieces, they approached but were shocked by gunfire coming from within the cabin. Johnson had dug himself a bunker inside, apparently for just such an occasion and had survived the huge blast.

A 15 hour shootout ensued in the -40 temperatures after which the mounties retreated to Aklavik for reinforcments. Word of the high Arctic shootout began reaching the world by radio.

When the police returned on January 14^th, they found he had taken off and began their pursuit. Although amazingly wily, they caught him on January 30^th, and in a shootout Johnson killed one of the mounties.

The story was now intriguing radio audiences everywhere as they followed the manhunt for the Mad trapper of Rat River.

Now, Johnson was on the move toward the Yukon, and making almost superhuman travel as hundreds throughout the region were on the lookout. Johnson couldn’t use his gun or light fires, as he forged dozens of kilometers a day through heavy snow, blizzards and temperature of -40.

Knowing the mounties would block the only two passes over the Richardson Mountains, Johnson did the impossible. He chose to bypass the mounties by climbing over a steep 2,100 metre ice covered mountainside and did so in a raging blizzard and with no climbing gear.

The mounties were now flummoxed as they had lost his trail and he had not attempted the passes.

A plane was called in, which by chance spotted his trail on the other side of the mountains. The following posse was informed by radio and headed up the Eagle River where they surprised him out in the open on February 17, 1932.

Another shootout occurred with Johnson, shot some eight times, continuing to shoot back until the ninth fatal shot, although he also wounded another officer. On his body was found some $2,000 in cash, but no identification.

The story lasted some 53 days. In the almost 6 week chase they realized that in deep snow, blizzard and -40 degree weather, Johnson had managed at least 240 km, including the incredible feat of 137km in three days in a blizzard, seemingly without food,  while also climbing an impossible mountain. During the chase he had travelled twice as fast as his pursuers, often doubling back and circling around to throw them off his trail, and travelled through a couple of whiteout blizzards.

In spite of two autopsies, the last in 2007, his identity, or even his real name has never been determined, although isotopes in his teeth showed he probably grew up in the US Midwest “cornbelt”.

As such, the mystery remains to this day, of who he was, why he came to the remote far north, and why he acted as he did.

The legend has been subject of books, songs, and documentaries. A 1981 Hollywood version “Death Hunt” featuring Lee Marvin, has reversed and invented much of the story.