Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-04-19
A Trapper is Fatally Wounded by
a Fisherman and with His
Helpless Son
Drifts Down the River TO Die Oh
Presidents IsIand-FuIl Par.
tlcuIars Of the Tragedy.

body OF a man found dead there. Con
nected with this dead man is a story
which ia more than one repect appeals
to the sympathy Of all who read the sad
facts OF his life and death. Sometims
during the month Of December last, a
trspper by the name of George Right
accompanied by his little SON Bonnie,
came down the Mississippi from above
Cairo, ILL.,, and stopped in Fogleman's
chute, just above this city, where be Sc.
cured lodgings ct the fish and family
boat Of a well knowR man named Bill
Boregard. According to tie story, Right
informed B%oregard hat he had been
robbed OF everything he possessed by a
former partner, whose name we have not
learned. Being almost destitute he de.
termined to go up White river, in Ar.
kansas, where he understood fishing and
trapping we're remunerative, and there
fore made arrangements with Boregard
and his vile to keep little Bennie until he
returned, hoping to be able to pay for the
board of the boy, who is about eleven
years of age. Leaving his son, an in
%teligent aud industrious boy, on Bore.
CARDS boat, Right went on to White
river, but fortune did not favor him. aud
his health rapidly failed, so that he was
soon unable to work. Disappointed in
hope and shattered 10 health, the poor
trapper made his way back to Boregard's
boat, expecting to get his child and seek
help among strangers elsewhere. Upon
returning to the boat and making
known the object Of bis presence,
Boregard notified Right that be should
not take Bonnie away, and any attempt
to do this would result in death. With
the feelings Of a father Right would not
relinquish bis claim upon his son, and at
once proceeded to put Bonnie in bis
skid for the purpose Of coming to this
city, where he hoped to get aid. When
he started to take bis son the desperate
B~oregard, known as "Wlld Bill" knocked
the trapper down with a chair and Mrs
Boregard struck him several times.
breaking his left hand. A blow from
-
Boregard broke Right skull over the left
eye, iniictirg a long and ugly wound
Right, though knocked senseless, finally
recovered, but was almost blinded with
blood from his wounds. By dint of I'm.
usual exertion, Right took little Bonnie
in bis frail skif, but bad to leave what
few articles of clothing, cooking utensils,
etc, be owned. The current bore The
skif with the suffering father and help.
less son down the river. Right, being
helpless, because o.! his broken hand and
other injuries, and the boy too weak to
control the skif, the boat, with its suffer
ing freight, hoated past this city last
Monday. During that stormy night, the
eddying current carried the skif below
the gas works at Fort Pickering, above
Presidents Island. Right, in the mean.
time, lost a large quantity Of blood, aud
was exposed all that night to the storm
of wind and rain. Next morning an old
colored man in q skiF from Padsett's
plantation on Presidents Island, rowed
by Right IN his boat, aud the latter in.
CURED where he could fud a vacant
shanty. Being directed to a de
serted building on the lower end
of the island, several miles,
skiff dropped down the chute,
they managed to effect a landing
Right and his son remained all day in
the old house, but in the meantime the
face Of the wounded man had swollen to
such an extent that he lost his eyesight.
To add to the misery Of the dying father
and his devoted but helpless son. an
escaping prisoner from Forests penal
colony on the island stole the poor mans
skif and rowed away to Arkansas. Real.
Izlng the condition Of his father, who was
groaning on a bed Of boards, Bonnie
Father, you are going to die; ,
come, let US try to get down the island; ,
might find somebody that would do :
for u.s." The poor man arose {,
aud staggered but a few yards, when he
ell dead, with no one there but his =,
ieastbroken son, Who cried, Father. !,
peak to me; tell me what to dol" No :
answer came fran the fathers lips; they
we're now sealed in death. Come, stay
lere," continued the boy, while l 90 {
o Gnd some one 10 help me to
you" and then the little fellow
hurried away, finally reaching Mr.. Pad.
place, three miles distant, where -,
ls told the sad story. Mr.. Padgett at :
nee sent word to Deputy Coroner Britt, Z
Who proceeded to the spot, where be
ound little Bonnie and q farm boy be.
the lifeless body. Coroner Brit.
'eld an inquest on the body of George
Eight, and a verdict in accordance
nth the above statement was c
made. Are you sorry that your a