My Other Pursuits In History

One thing I have not really touched on in the blog much (in some cases not at all), are some of my other pursuits.

My hobbies and other interests, for example.

I tend to be interested in things that are related to my business in some way, on the fringes, or otherwise have some connection to the antiques biz.

My passion is history, after all.

Take, for example, my interest in the case of The Mad Trapper Of Rat River.

I have established a page of FaceBook that will assist you in following my progress on this case, here.

I am working on a book on the trail I believe to have discovered, which may lead to the man known as Albert Johnson being linked to 2 murders in Manitoba and at least one in near-by Saskatchewan.

But, that is not the best piece of treasure in this case I believe I have found....

You see, the identity of the Mad Trapper has not been determined. The posse sent to capture him ended up capturing him, which they did so, but had to shoot him dead to do it.

The body of Albert Johnson, mouth frozen in a death grimace.

And, the name Albert Johnson is ultra common, and was assumed to be a false name, anyway.

Also, at the time, no one claimed  him as one of their own, as one of their relatives, after the chase was over. Nor has anyone to date been able to do so, and today we have his DNA available to do familial DNA comparisons. All the 80 years of accumulated plausible potential leads to his family were eliminated when Myth Merchant pictures had "Albert Johnson's" body exhumed and DNA taken.

This DNA has also eliminated several plausible identities since.

However....

I may have found his family.

Yes, I am very close to having found a true treasure.....

Albert Johnson's true identity...

Well, this is a dual treasure, really....and the this portion of it may be worth the most...

A family could well find out what happened to a son, an uncle; missing for 90 some years.