Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1884-03-21

Man Perishes on the Prairie-His Head
Nearly Devoured by Wolves.
Blunt Times.
Travellers over the prairie in Potter
county on Saturday, found the body of
q man In township 1876 frozen stiff. .
As they drew near they were horrified to
see that his face had been eaten away by
the wolves so as to leave it impossible
for the remains to be identified by that
means. They took the corpse to the
halfway house of Lindsay Bros, in
the hope that it would be iden.
titled by that means, but no one there
seemed to know who it was.
Wednesday morning, Chas. Sargent
returned from Potter with the remains
of the victim on his wagon-he, in com.
pany with VIM. Freeman and Peter
Rock were driving over SETON 25-117-
70, Sunday, when they saw the body
half covered with snow on the ground
and put it on their wagon. They at once
started for the halfway house and drove
until very late in the night 10 reach
there. The Llndsays declined to receive
the corpse and no one in the vicinity
would do anything toward caring for
the remains 80 they brought them to
town. The remains are those of man
between fifty and sixty years old
and we're dressed in an old faded black
overcoat, dark undercoat, and brown.
ish check cottonade pants much worn
and patched, a red bandana handkerchief
and buckskin gloves. The fuce from the
crown down was eaten off, evidently by
wolves, exposing the bones and teeth. A
strip of thin dark hair, much mixed with
gray, from the middle to the crown re.
naming. He evidently had full beard
of dark color. much mixed with gray,
bat only little, high up toward the ears
remains.
A search was made of the remains
Wednesday. which disclosed letter from
q daughter of the deceased dated in
Black berry, Kane county, ILL.,, in Janu.
ary. The envelope bears an endorsement
on the back "2-l2." from which it is in.
ferred that it was received in Gettysburg
lis destination. on the 18th of February
The writer. who signs the letter "Mama,'
and Mary Rooney writes very affection.
ately to her father, whose name proves
to be Lawrence Rooney. She speaks Of
Mamma" and 1.-THE boys" and
gives him to understand that she
ls nkely to come out during the
summer. From this it is evident that
Rooney was returning from Gettysburg
to bis claim. on section 33-ll7-75, an(
had fallen chilled within mile OF hi
home and perished. The place where tn
body was found Is in draw, from whicI
his shack could not be seen, and as
storm ragged about the 18th it is believe,
that he was oveftaken by it and perishe,
} about that time. On the envelope wa
note written to James Springfield, ex
planning that the writer could not get tn
formers mail. but bearing no date
Rooney was missed by his friends, an,
letters were written here enquiring if b.
had been here.
Mr.. Chas. h. Burke telegraphed th,
asked for orders for the disposition O
the remains.
Mr.. Sargent deserves great praise TO
the humanity he showed in the case
which compelled him to convey the re
mains about thirty.five miles before b
could find any encouragement to proper
ly dispose of them. As soon as thei
, presence in town was known willin
! hands went into open pockets to bes
any expense that might be incurred il
properly disposing of the remains, fe,
, only declining to subscribe 10 any fun
I for the purpose.
; In this connection We cannot refral
from expressing regret that there ar
remaining IN the world q few peopl
whose superstltions make them thin
they have no right to perform any act {
humanity where a dead body has bee
found till coroner or other official hs
Investigated the case. Charles Sargen
is not one of that kind.
: James Rooney, son of the deceased
telegraphed that he would start Wei
nesday evening for Blunt to take chare
OF the remains. Coroner Steere's inve
tigation resulted in verdict in accor,
9 ance with the above facts.
8 -.