The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-08-13
DEATH FROM A SPREE.
The CorOner's Explanation of
Skykomish Mystery.
BURGESS FELL INTO THE RIVER.
DR.. Horizons Omcial Trip Into tho
Wilds-FrOntief Life on tho
Great Northern Line.

Coroner Horton returned late on Thurs
day night from the south fork of the Sky
komish river, where he had been to inves-
tigate the cause of the death of Thomas
Burgess. a saloon-keeper, whose body had
been found on the river bank. The cor
Oner left here on Tuesday morning, rode
on horseback from Snohomish to Granite
point, distance of forty-two miles, before
night. went on next morning to the place
where the body was found and to the dead
mans former home. That night he rode
back to Granite point and on Thursday
rode down to Snohomish. reaching there
in time to catch the Lake Shore train
home. Having ridden ninety miles on
horseback over toll road in three days,
he was pretty tired.
The coroner says that Burgess body was
found by Mr.. Farmer. who was formerly
assistant prosecuting attorney, and is
now holding down a claim on the Skyko-
mish, above Granite point. 1t lay on a
sand-bank in the river, beside dry cham
mel through which the river flows only at
high water, and first attracted Mr.. Farm
er's attention through his sense of smell.
He found it in an advanced state of de-
composition and swarming with maggots.
He sent messenger down to the coroner,
who went to the scene to investigate.
Any number of stories of murder were
floating along the valley to explain Bur-
CESS death, but the coroner, after a thor
ough inquiry. rejected them all. He found
that just previous to BURGESS disappear
ance about six weeks ago he had been on a
prolonged spree at Snohomish, and had
then gone up to the saloon run by himself
and man named Snyder, about twenty
miles this side Of the summit, on the Great
Northern line, and continued his course
of drinking with the stuff called whisky
on sale there. Snyder at last took him
across the river and left him in the brush
to sober up, and that was the last seen of
him alive. There were signs of his having
cooked some food at fire about this spot
The doctor came to the conclusion that
Burgess had started to walk across the
river on foot-log and had fallen into the
water, which was then flowing deep and
swift. From there he seems to have been
carried down by the current until he
stranded in the slough where his body was
found, five miles below. There, as the
water fell, the corpse was left high and
dry on the shore, and there it remained
until Mr.. Farmer found it. The coroner,
having decided that the death was acct
dental, placed the body in rough box
and buried it near the spot.
Coroner Horton said yesterday regarding
the country through which he passed:
That northeastern corner OF King county gives
one fair idea of frontier life just now. There
ought to be justice of the peace and deputy
sheriff at Martin creek. The place is full o:
rough men and dissolute women and the men
go about with six-shooters hanging by their
sides ana drink stuff which is a libel on whisky
There are similar scenes at all the places along
the line; big freight wagons were constantly
passing through Sultan and occasionally you
can q man with red Handkerchief around
his neck and a six-shoOter at his side 60 tearing
through the streets on a mule, whooping like an
Indian.
They are working fast on the Great Northern
road, but it does not look as though they would
get through at the time the officials say, unless
they do some surprising work. They have some
big cuts to make, some of them through rock
There is fine white granite all the way up from
Granite point coming out in big blocks where
they are making cuts for the road. The timber
is splendid, the scenery grand and there is any
amount of good fishing. But l do not want
such another trip very soon.