In small towns all over America, there are remarkable and tragic stories that if not told could easily slip into oblivion. These stories must be recounted so history doesn’t get lost and the mistakes of the past are never repeated.

In Mena, Arkansas, the hometown of host Clay Newcomb there are two notable graves nearly in sight of one another.  One holds a story so unbelievable and tragic that it hardly sounds true, and one story that holds some dark history.

In 1951, Maria de Campa, the 9 year old daughter of trapeze artists was killed by an unattended circus lion outside the big top as the show performance was underway. Then the following day, as the circus moved to the next town on their tour a vehicle accident resulted in the escape of some exotic and dangerous animals into the National Forest.

Rewind 50 years before, to the story of Peter Berryman, a mentally unstable African American man who was arrested for allegedly kicking a young girl. The night before he was to stand trial before the judge, a group of masked men detained the deputy on duty, entered the jail, took Berryman, and beat and lynched him.  Despite town outrage, the perpetrators were never brought to justice.

Watch Clay's Alaska Bear Hunt on YouTube

Thank you to our sponsor, Tecovas.

If you have comments on the show, send us a note to beargrease@themeateater.com

Connect with Clay and MeatEater

Clay on Instagram

MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube Clips

MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube

Shop Bear Grease Merch

In small towns all over America, there are remarkable and tragic stories that if not told could easily slip into oblivion. These stories must be recounted so history doesn&rsquo;t get lost and the mistakes of the past are never repeated.
In Mena, Arkansas, the hometown of host Clay Newcomb there are two notable graves nearly in sight of one another.&nbsp; One holds a story so unbelievable and tragic that it hardly sounds true, and one story that holds some dark history.
In 1951, Maria de Campa, the 9 year old daughter of trapeze artists was killed by an unattended circus lion outside the big top as the show performance was underway. Then the following day, as the circus moved to the next town on their tour a vehicle accident resulted in the escape of some exotic and dangerous animals into the National Forest.
Rewind 50 years before, to the story of Peter Berryman, a mentally unstable African American man who was arrested for allegedly kicking a young girl. The night before he was to stand trial before the judge, a group of masked men detained the deputy on duty, entered the jail, took Berryman, and beat and lynched him.&nbsp; Despite town outrage, the perpetrators were never brought to justice.
Watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OEXSfTX4Ps">Clay's&nbsp;Alaska Bear Hunt on YouTube</a>
Thank you to our sponsor,&nbsp;<a href="tecovas.com">Tecovas</a>.
If you have comments on the show, send us a note to <a href="mailto:beargrease@themeateater.com">beargrease@themeateater.com</a>
Connect with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.themeateater.com/authors/claynewcomb">Clay</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.themeateater.com/">MeatEater</a>
Clay on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/clay_newcomb">Instagram</a>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@MeatEaterPodcastNetwork">MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube</a>
Shop&nbsp;<a href="https://store.themeateater.com/collections/bear-grease-podcast">Bear Grease Merch</a>

The Bear Grease Podcast with host Clay Newcomb delivers compelling storytelling through documentary-style episodes exploring the culture, traditions, and history of rural America. He’ll dive in deep with hunters, biologists, anthropologists, and hillbillies to learn about human nature and our ancient connection to the land. Bear Grease explores unique people, topics, and stories that reveal the incredible value of life lived close to the land. Part of the MeatEater Podcast Network.

Bear Grease

Home to the Bear Grease podcast and Bear Grease Render show with Clay Newcomb, and This Country Life with Brent Reaves.

Clay Newcomb delivers compelling storytelling through documentary-style episodes exploring the culture, traditions, and history of rural America. He’ll dive in deep with hunters, biologists, anthropologists, and hillbillies to learn about human nature and our ancient connection to the land. Bear Grease explores unique people, topics, and stories that reveal the incredible value of life lived close to the land. Follow up with the Render discussion show, where Clay interviews experts and brings together a cast of crew members to explore themes within the Bear Grease show.

Brent Reaves is a lifelong outdoorsman whose family roots go back over 150 years in the river bottoms of rural Arkansas. On This Country Life, he's inviting you into his home to teach you everything he knows about hunting, fishing, and the very best parts of country living. To Brent, country living is about living life on your own terms, or as he says, "beating the system." In each episode, Brent's going to tell you a story about a time he did just that, and teach you a country skill you need to know to do the same. So pull up a chair or drop the tailgate, Brent's got a thing or two he can teach you.

Part of the MeatEater Podcast Network.

Home to the Bear Grease podcast and Bear Grease Render show with Clay Newcomb, and This Country Life with Brent Reaves.
Clay Newcomb delivers compelling storytelling through documentary-style episodes exploring the culture, traditions, and history of rural America. He’ll dive in deep with hunters, biologists, anthropologists, and hillbillies to learn about human nature and our ancient connection to the land. Bear Grease explores unique people, topics, and stories that reveal the incredible value of life lived close to the land. Follow up with the Render discussion show, where Clay interviews experts and brings together a cast of crew members to explore themes within the Bear Grease show.
Brent Reaves is a lifelong outdoorsman whose family roots go back over 150 years in the river bottoms of rural Arkansas. On This Country Life, he's inviting you into his home to teach you everything he knows about hunting, fishing, and the very best parts of country living. To Brent, country living is about living life on your own terms, or as he says, "beating the system." In each episode, Brent's going to tell you a story about a time he did just that, and teach you a country skill you need to know to do the same. So pull up a chair or drop the tailgate, Brent's got a thing or two he can teach you.
Part of the MeatEater Podcast Network.

Ep. 445: “Killed by Circus Lion” - Graves From a Small Town

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/09d46712-67b0-4798-956b-b43301818720/transcript