On July 11, 1923, 9 year old Elizabeth
Harris was visiting the Manito Zoo with her Nanny. She put her hand, full of bread, into the
Polar Bear enclosure and one of the bears pulled her arm into the enclosure
while the other, smelling blood, attacked it.
Attendants immediately came running at the little girl’s screams, but as
they pulled her away from the cage, her arm remained inside.
Little Elizabeth so loved all the Manito
Zoo animals that she insisted on harm come to the bears over this. Although her father was a prominent Spokane
attorney, no lawsuits were ever filed.
Shortly after the accident, the family moved to Seattle where Elizabeth
grew up, graduated from the University of Washington and later married George
Spence, also a graduate of U of W. They
had one son, Richard Spence who is still living in Bellevue, Washington.
According to Richard, his mother’s life was
full and rewarding and filled with acts of charity and kindness toward
others. She knew of no handicaps in
spite of her accident many years earlier.
Elizabeth passed away in 1981 and was buried next to her husband in
Arlington National Cemetery.
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