NEWTOWN is not a place where you expect anyone to have ever met their demise at the hands of a Grizzly Bear.

Yet a remarkable newspaper account from 1847 describes a gruesome scene where one man was mauled to death and the attacking bear was shot in the aftermath.

The following account appeared in the  Caernarvon & Denbigh Herald on September 25th, 1847

'A most shocking and fatal accident occurred at Newtown, on Friday week.

'Mr R Cowen, who rents the tea-gardens and Green Dragon Inn at that place, keeps, for the amusement of his customers, and as a source of attraction to his house, a number of monkeys and other wild animals, and to this collection he had a time ago added a large North American bear.

'The bear was chained to a tree, in an unenclosed space behind the monkey-cages.

'On Friday evening a man of the name of William Rawson, had occasion to call at Mr Cowen’s in the way of business, and went into the garden to see the bear, and gave it some bread, as had been his wont on several occasions.

The Green Tavern Inn  in Newtown. (Image: Newtown History Group.) OTHER NEWS:

'He was accompanied by an old man of the name of Gass. Rawson held out some crumbs of bread to the bear, which he took quietly from his hand. He then offered his hand without bread, when the bear, with both its fore-paws, suddenly seized him by the arm, and dragged him within its circle throwing him down, and instantly commencing to worry him.

'The old man courageously seized the infuriated animal by the collar, and Mrs Cowen got hold of its chain but both their efforts proved ineffectual to relieve the unfortunate sufferer.

Green Cottage Inn in Newtown. (Image: Newtown History Group.) 'Two men speedily arrived with pitchforks, and succeeded in forcing off the bear and drawing the man from within its reach. It made no attempt to turn upon its assailants.

'Rawson was found to be dreadfully lacerated about the head, neck, and shoulders, and was immediately removed to the Infirmary, which is close by.

'He lingered until two o’clock on Monday morning, when death put an end to his sufferings. The bear was shot on Saturday morning by Mr Cowen.'

A few questions arise from this report as Newtown has never had a pub called the Green Dragon Inn but it is likely the North Wales newspaper confused the name with the Green Tavern which once stood on New Church Street or the Green Cottage Inn which stood on New Road.

The other question is whether the bear remains buried below Newtown's streets even today.