The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1919-01-23
new YORK SCARED
BYIONE BEAR CUB
One man Dies Of Heart Failure
when Mollie Gets Loose and
Wanders About City.
Frop, the New Yord world.

MakFOu1 the New YOrd WOTid.
"a little black bear cuo named Mollie.
only i year old and 100 pounds or 30 In
weight, with q reputation Cor tame-
gained in an estimapie career as
mascot, OF the 22nd infantry and in
mate OF the Central Park menagerie,
got loose for two hours In the park yes
terday morning and crowded enough
excitement into that short period to last
a lifetime.
Tragedy. melodranna and comedy
all these divisions OF drama-were min
gled In Moilie's great adventure II 1t
We're not for the tragic part OF It, n
narrative OF Mollie's two hours of free
dom would read like a moving picture
comedy. But 1t caused the death OF
Louis Seeboldt. the aged keeper re-
sponsible for the escape. who dropped
dead Of heart failure during the ex-
element.
For the rest, she bit q soldier and
a policeman, knocked down a yelling
infant who will never have any faith;
In Teddy bears again, scared scores Of
children, and nursemafds, entertained
hundreds OF other persons who were
more curious than afraid, led police,
soldiers and sailors a crazy chase
through the southern end OF the park;
wandered for a few minutes In the
traffic Of Fifty-ninth street, went back
to the park, climbed trees, vas run over
by an auto. jumped right up and
climbed a dozen other trees, and was
finally captured after a thrilling fight
with a police captain and a sailor on the
shaky limb OF a tree so feet from he
ground.
Failed to Lock the Gate.
the cause of Mollie's escape, which
she made at 1910 o'clock, was the
failure OF the keeper t o lock the gate
when he went in to clean her cage.
She Just walked around him, pushed
the door open with her nose, and
went out for a little stroll in the
park. It was Thanksgiving day, lots
of folk were out, and .&Mollie felt
sociable. She undoubtedly had the
best intentions In the world. but no.
body gave her credit for them.
Molfe at once pointed her nose for
Broadway and proceeded to follow it.
She roanled around for a few minutes
before her escape was discovered by
Seeboldt. When the keeper finally
started in pursuit she had evidently be-
come frightened by the attitude Of the
persons In the park. Some ran away
screaming n shrieking, and others
ran up close to look at her and yelled
loudly to one another. A few made
i2pffectual efforts to catch her.
Then Mollie began to show what a
bear a do when 1t comes to going
from some place to some place else.
She ran faster and faster for the
southern boundary OF the park, dodg1
ing automobiles and baby carriages.
Seeboldt a after her as fast as he
could, but he was 60 and o o got tired.
Soldiers Joined in Chase.
A few hundred feet from the entrance
at 18th street astd Sixth ayenu there
ts a little encampment Of the list Engi-
neers Searchlight Corps; with four or
five khaki tents on a knoll above the
i'll the chase. They said later that they
suddenly saw the bear leap to the top
Of a big rock, pause a omnent and
then run on. Right behind her came
Seeboldt.
The keeper also paused a moment
atop the big rock. But he did not go
on. The soldiers saw him topple over
backward. An ambulance was called,
and DIR. Harlem and DR.. William D.
Sloane both attended him, but the
keeper died within d few minutes.
Meantime, with soldiers still pursu-
ing. Mollte ran out into Fifty-ntnth
street. Men at breakfast in the New
York Athletic Club, looking from the
windows. saw her run in heir-direction,
hen suddenly swerved back into the
park.
She Won Wrestling Match.
Just inside the park she ran directly
at a soldier named Michael Griffin.
He tackled her and tusled with her for
a few minutes. Gut she got away and
left the soldier with a torn hand.
BY this time mounted policemen had
Joined the chase.
The police chased Mollie to the west
stdO OF the duck pond, where she
climbed her first tree. From that time
until she was caught In a tree on the
Sixty-fif street Transverse road. not
far from where she had started, she
Kept On climbing trees. sliding down
trees. running through crowds and
lodging autos.
Every time Mollie climbed a tree
Captain Bourke climbed also. The cap
tain is a veteran, but is an hard as a
rock. and is strong as a bnll. In he
Spanish American war he was a chief
gunHers mate, but in all lis pic.ur-
es career he never had a more exciting
time thtn, Noble gave him.
His Bluff Scared Her.
He cAubed one tree to "a limbs feet
above q ground. when Molie turned
and mede for him. They svTayed In the
air, with nothing between the captain
and death but his nerve. He remem-
bered, he says, that the best thing to do
When an animal attacks you is to put
up a bold front. So he thrust out his
Jaw n jumped at Molie-and Mollie
packed away. She slid down the tree.
bourkeis men We're waiting for. her, but
she slipped away from them. A bear
cup IN such circumstances is something
like q creased pig.
The police had a long rome and .ha
captain decided. 10 lasso MoNio....He
failed to do this in several trees. but