The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-09-20
HOW RAY HAM|L TON DIED
Some More Details Of the Drowning
in Snake River,
Idaho.
DR.. Green Tells All the Details
Connected With the
Matter.
The Spurs Probably Got Tangled Up in
the Weeds and Drew Him
Under.

The INDEPENDENT on Monday last con-
tanned the first news of the death of Robert
Ray Hamilton and the finding of his body
in the Snake river in Idaho. The story as
told The INDEPENDENT by DR.. ]. o. Green
son of Pre- sident Green, of the Western
Union Telegraph company, created wide
comment, and was the first information
that the public had Of the ending Of the
much-writte n-of Hamilton. DR.. Green.
who went ca st and south from Helena, was
in Louisville fe " days ago. The Courier
journal, of that city, contains the follow
ing account of the finding of Hamilton's
body, as furnished by Dr.. Green:
''Mr. Hamilton left his southern ranch,
at the lower end of Jackson's lake. to go
over to the northern ranch, where he had a
force of carpenters at work building hotel
for the accommodation of travellers. He
started on horseback for this trip on the
ed of August, leaving note for his part
ner, Mr.. Sergeant, with whom he lived. He
geant, becoming alarmed, got out search
parties and the neighbors were soon look
ing in all directions for some trace of Mr..
Hamilton. On the first day of September
one of these parties arrived at the camp Of
DR.. Green and his comrades on the bank of
OAhAO 1NC1S III pCAAopo VIC AAOOV OOdOGlAuA
section of the Rocky Mountains. They
reported having found Mr.. Hamilton's
horse and dog; the horse still had the eaddle
on, to which was strapped the hind quarter
of an antelope which it was evident Ham
ilton had shot but a short, while before his
tons shown by the cpudltion of the animals
and agreed that i Was probable that Mr..
Hamilton had been drowned in attempting
to ford Snake river. They parted for the
night, resolving to make thorough search
of the river the next day, when there would
be light enough to see the bottom as we'll
aB the shores
with a fat-bottomed boat and a man on
foot on each shore, DR.. Green joining the
party on horseback. At some distance be-
low the camp they found a large pool of
water where the river has comparatively lit
tie current, and at the lower end of this
pool were two large pine trees uprooted in
the stream. DR.. Green, who was somewhat
ahead of the boat and the men on foot,
called attention to these trees and sug-
gested that the body of the unfortunate
man might be found there. The bank of
this place was cut under by the stream, and
it was impossible to get very close on horse
back, but the footmen soon saw the body
aid of DR.. Green's tether-rope it was towed
clear of the brush and brought near the
shore. Here, under the direction of DR..
Green, large piece of canvas used for
camp bedding was passed under the corpse,
and it was then brought to the shore intact.
1t had evidently been in the water many
days; the watch had stopped at $50
O'Clock, and this, in connection with
the facts showing the killing Of the an
telope, indicates that Mr.. Hamilton had
spent some time in the chase, and had
probably attempted to ford the river at
night. He had probably observed a rock
bar projecting some forty yards in the
river, but short distance above where DR..
Green had camped, and had been tempted
to seek ford there. He was good swim :
mer and had probably cast himself loose
from his horse and attempted to swim
ashore. His spurs were clogged with water
Weeds and it may be that they cost him his
life. There were no marks of violence
whatever on his body; he had a small
of money in his pockets and a belt nearly
full of cartridges around his waist and
book of flies for trout fishing in his pocket
with his name on the case.
''Dr. Green and party broke camp the
next day, leaving the body in the care of
Sergeant, with whom Mr.. Hamilton had
business relations. One of the members of
DIR. Green's party had a Photographic
camera, and took views of the place selected
for the grave, which will be presented to
the Hamilton family"