The Bear That Bit Back: Deputy Collector’s Narrow Escape from Tax-Collecting Felines
In a bizarre twist of frontier justice in Toledo, Washington, two tame bears were unleashed on a deputy revenue collector after their Italian owner refused to pay taxes.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
TOLEDO, Wash., April 23.—Deputy Revenue Collector H. [Name Illegible] today narrowly escaped being killed by two tame bears from the owner of which he was attempting to collect a revenue tax. The Italians refused to pay, and the bears were turned on the officer. A large part of his clothing torn off, and he barely escaped with his life.
While modern tax collection is handled by bureaucratic agencies rather than men with trained animals, this story highlights the chaotic, often violent nature of frontier law enforcement in early 20th-century Washington. It serves as a reminder that 'tax evasion' once had much more literal, physical consequences for those on the receiving end.
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