The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1919-01-23
new YORK SCARED.
BY Lone BEAR CUB
One man Dies Of Heart Failure
when Mollie Gets Loose and
Wanders About City.
, rrom .he New Yord world.

4 @heS
A little black bear cub named Mollie.
only / year old and 100 pounds or so in
weight, with a reputation FOR tame
ness gained In an estimabie 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 inko that short period to last
a lifetime.
Tragedy, melodrama and comedy
all these divisions OF drama--were min
gied in Moliie's great adventure. TX 1t
Were not for the tragic part Of II, the
narrative or Mollie's two hours of free
dom would read like a moving picture
comedy. But II caused the death OF
Louis Seeboldt, the aged keeper re-
sponsible for the escape, who dropped
dead Of heart failure during h x
element.
For the rest, she bit a soldier and
a policeman. knocked down a yelling
infant who will never have any faith
in Teddy bears again, scared scores OF
children and nursemaids, 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 few minutes in the
traffic OF Fifty-ninth street, went back
to the park, climbed trees. was run over
by an auto, jumped right up and
climbed q dozen other trees, ond was
finally captured after a thrilling fight
with a police captain and a sailor on the
shaky limb OF a trea so feet from, the
ground. "a
Failed to Lock the Gate.
The cause of Mollie's escape, which
she made at 1910 o'clock, was the
failure of the keeper to 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, 1t 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.
Moilie at once pointed her nose for
Broadway and proceeded to follow 1t.
She roamed around for a few minutes
before her sea was discovered by
Seeboldt. When the keeper finally
started I'm pursuit she had evidently be-
come frightened by the attitude of the
persons In the park. Some ran away
screaming and s%hrieking. and others
ran up close to look at her and yelled
loudly to n another. A few made
Intellectual efforts to catch her.
Then Mollie began to show what a
bear an 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, dodg-
ing automobiles and baby carriages.
Seeboldt ran after her as fast as he
could, but he was SO and soon got tired.
Soldiers Joined in Chase.
A few hundred feet from the entrance
at 59th street and Sixth avenue there
is a little encampment Of the list Engi,
neers Searchlight Corps, with four Or
five khaki tents or a knoll above he
duck pond. Some of the soldiers Joined
in the chase They said later that they
suddenly saw the bear leap to the top
of a big rock, pause q omment 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 oyer
backward. An ambulance was called,
and DIR. Harlem and DIR. William d.
Sloane both attended him. but the
keeper died within a few minutes.
Meantime, with soldiers still pursu-
ing, Mollie ran out into Fifty-ninth
street. Men ut breakfast IN the New
York Athletic Club, looking from the
windows. saw her run In their direction,
then suddenly swerved back into the
park.
She Won Wrestling Match.
Jrst inside the park she ran directly
at a soldier named Michael Griffin.
He tackled her and tusled with her for
8 few minutes. But she got away and
feft the soldier with a torn hand. -
by this time mounted policemen had
Joined the chase. 50.
The police chased Mollie to the west
sido of b duck pond, where she
climbed her first tree. From that time
until she was caught in a tree on the
Sixty-fifth street Transverse road, not
far from where she had started, she
kept on climbing trees, sliding down
trees, running through crowds and
lodging autos. S'
Every time Mollie climbed a, tree
Captain Bourke climbed also. The cap
tain Is a veteran, but is an hard els a
rock, and Is strong as a hull. In the
Spanish American war. he was a chief
gunner's mate. but in. all his pic.ur-
co career he never had a raore exciting
time than Mollie gave him.
His Bluff Scared Her.
He climbed one tree to a limb26 feet
above the ground, when Moiie turned
and male for him. They swayed In the
air, with nothing between the captain
N 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 Moli,e
backed away. She slid down the tree.
Bourke's men were waiting for her, but
h slipped away from them. A bear
q In such circumstances IL something
! X a creased pig.
The police had a long rope and the
captain decided to lasso Mollie.g %. he
failed to do this in several trees. but
finally cornered her in a high tree.
M0llie got ont as far as she could at
the end OF the branch and the captain
followed with his rope.
Mollie was still full OF fight and
made three swipes at Captain Bourke, |
but he warded off the paw with his
buckskin gloves and was not cut. Then
he beat her back with the o
Even then MoIlie had the better of !
the situation. for she was above the |
antafntN NNHn AA..I -