Yahoo News Terror in Grimsby when huge brown bear escaped from menagerie and ended up in couple's kitchen
Terror and fear struck the people of Victorian Grimsby when a huge brown bear that was part of a travelling menagerie broke loose from its caravan and made its way into someone's kitchen.
The bizarre incident happened in the early hours of April 24, 1883 near Freeman Street Market, and not only did it hit the headlines in Grimsby at the time - but the tale was also published in newspapers across Britain, fascinating readers.
After being exhibited to members of the public on the Saturday night, the brown bear managed to escape the caravan it was kept in and made its way along Freeman Street, before turning onto Garibaldi Street and subsequently onto Thesiger Street.
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A fisherman spotted the bear and informed Police Constable Pawson, who was on duty on Freeman Street at the time. The PC then informed the people travelling with the menagerie what had happened, and a number of people gathered with the aim of catching the huge creature.
Realising it was being chased, the bear made its way down a passage before crashing through the kitchen window of a house on Thesiger Street, instantly waking the terrified couple who slept in the room above.
The unconventional event hit the headlines in newspapers published as far away as Edinburgh, with an article in the Edinburgh Evening News reading: "Yesterday morning a large brown bear escaped from its caravan in Bostock & Wombell's menagerie, which was located in the Freeman Street Market Place at Grimsby. About two o'clock in the morning a fisherman who had passed the menagerie informed a policeman that one of the wild beasts was loose.
"The officer found one of the caravans with a large hole in one end, and a moment afterwards he described a bear prowling about the market place. The officer hastily climbed into a swing boat close at hand, from whence he pelted stones at the caravan in which some of the persons connected with the show slept. The whole of the keepers and attendants belonging to the menagerie turned out.
"On being chased, the bear dashed down a narrow passage into a square, from which he could not escape. Being still hotly pursued, Bruin dashed through the kitchen window of a house in the yard, smashing a quantity of crockery.
"The owner of the house, who had been roused from sleep by the crash, was about to rush downstairs to ascertain the cause, when he heard the warning cry that there was a bear in the kitchen, and decided to remain where he was.
"Some of the keepers followed the bear through the broken window, and having unlocked the door from the inside, the bear was driven out and safely caged again."
According to an article in the Manchester Evening News newspaper, the occupants of the house, Mr and Mrs Rubenstein, were "naturally alarmed" when they came to the realisation that a bear was in their house.
It reads: "The occupants of the house, who were sleeping in the room above, were naturally alarmed. Mrs Rubenstein, looking out of the window, and seeing large number of men with lanterns flitting to and fro, exclaimed, 'There must be a fire' and Mr Rubenstein was about to rush downstairs when the warning that there was a bear in the kitchen reached his ears, and he decided to remain where he was."
Strangely enough, a similar event would take place in Grimsby just over 100 years later. In 1991, the people of Grimsby were left petrified when four lions escaped from Chipperfield's Circus and terrorised the town's streets. You can read about it here.
