Los Angeles herald., 1890-12-08
MAJOR MITCHELL.
Tragic Ending of a Hunting
Expedition.
w. E. Dunn Mistakes His Friend
for a Deer.
A Full Account of the Circumstances
of the Affair.
The Career of Major Mitchell-The Expe-
dition Up the Mountains-A Wounded
Deer Causes the Dreadful Mistake.

The death of Major H. M. Mitchell,
an account of which follows, will be
deeply regretted by very large number
of people in this city, and throughout
the whole county. Indeed in all parts
of the state the news will fall on the
ears of sorrowing friends, for the de-
ceased was widely known and univer-
sally esteemed.
Henry M. Mitchell was native of
the state Of Virginia. He was A years
old, and at the outbreak of the civil war
was boy about entering his teens at
school in his native state. In spite of
his extreme youth the promptings of
patriotic impulses led him to enroll his
name in the confederate army,
some considerable time prior to
the close of the great contest. While
in service he was taken i'll of malarial
fever, caught while under exposure and
the more easily because Of the priva-
tions the army of Virginia suffered DUR
ing the last years of the war. So shat
tered was his health that when the war
closed he was advised to remove to
California, and following this advice he
arrived in Los Angeles some time in
1885, For some months he was too
weak to engage in any active enterprise,
but later being somewhat better, he
undertook the duty of reporting for
the Weekly Star, published by
Henry Hamilton, now at San
Gabriel. When W. R. Rowland was
elected sheriff of Los Angeles county, in
1869, Major Mitchell became deputy un-
der him. Alexander succeeded Rowland,
and Mitchell continued to serve in the ca.
pacity of deputy. At the next election
Major Mitchell was elected sheriff, and
served until A. T. Currier defeated him,
in 1879.
Major Mitchell was always known as
man on whom reliance could be placed
in all the relations of life. As an officer
he was tireless in the discharge
of his duty, and as fearless as if no
harm could happen to him. He was
one of the posse who captured the des-
perate outlaw, Vasouez, near Cahuenga
pass during the time he served under
Sheriff Rowland. During the time
that he was in the sheriff's Office
its duties involved great responsibilities
The Temple Workman bank failure in
1876 precipitated the foreclosure OF
nearly all the mortgages in the county
during the succeeding four years.
These financial responsibilities were all
fully met by those in charge of the Of
fee, and 80 were all calls made upon
the Office in the way of bringing Grim
inals to justice.
Major Mitchell married about twelve
years ago the oldest daughter of An
drew Glassell, ESQ.,, of this city, and for
many years has resided near Tropico,
where he has a lovely and ideal home.
He leaves Mrs. Mitchell to mourn his
untimely loss, but with the charge of
two lovely children, daughters, to claim
her attention and TO mitigate the great
severity of this terrible shock
THE TRAGEDY.
Yesterday morning, about o'clock,
Major H. M. Mitchell, one of the best
known residents of this county, was ac-
cidentally shot and killed while deer
hunting in the mountains near Bur-
bank, by Deputy City Attorney w. E.
Dunn, under circumstances of pecu-
liarly distressing nature.
The two gentlemen were friends of
long standing, and on Friday evening
last, Mr.. Dunn accepted Major Mitch
ell's invitation and accompanied him to
his residence near Tropico, with the
view of having a few days hunting in
the neighboring mountains. Bright
and early on Saturday morning Major
Mitchell and his guest shouldered their
rifles and started out in quest OF game
but after tramping over the neighboring
hills for several hours without finding a
single trace of their quarry, they re-
turned weary and somewhat dispirited
at the result of their days sport.
They determined, however, to renew
the chase on the morrow, and it was
agreed that they would extend their
search further into the mountains. Ac-
the two friends again left the Majors
house, and drove in light spring wagon
to Burbank, where they accosted a mu-
tual fr;ens and inquired as to the best
place to find deer He informed them
that friend of his named L. CASTOR,
from Los Angeles, had just gone up to a
cafion in the mountains, some three
miles distant, for the same purpose, and
as he knew the whole country, and was
an expert hunter they were advised to
look for him and introduce themselves.
Following this advice they drove rap
idlv in the direction indicated, and on
reaching the canon drove up as far as
possible. There being no road, and fur
ther progress being impossible with the
wagon, they unhitched the team and
proceeded on foot. A few minutes later
they found Mr.. CASTOR, and after stat
ing their object in seeking him, learned
from him that he had, shortly before
their arrival, shot at and wounded a
deer, but that the animal had
got away and was hidden in the dense
brush, which covered the mountain
side. 1t was agreed that they should
separate and head the wounded deer
off, Mr.. CASTOR going in one direction
and the two friends in another Major
Mitchell, who was slightly in advance
of Mr.. Dunn, and separated from him
by quantity of dense brush, caught
sight of the deer about thirty feet ahead
of him, and turning round signalled to
his guest to run up the mountain side so
as to get good shot at the animal as it
raced over the ridge, should he miss it
himself. The deer, however, startled
from it's hiding place by the cracking
of the brush under the majors feet as
he advanced towards it, got away before
he had time to draw bead on it, and
he at once started in pursuit, taking a
direction almost parallel to that taken