The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-04-08
BLEACHING ON THE PLAIN
Bones Only We're Found by the
Party Searching for Harry
l. Thornton.
Murdered by Treacherous Mexi-
cans With Whom He Started
Out to Travel
His Pockets Rihed and His Body Loft Ia
lie Dsvoured by Hungry Coy
0tes-Tho Discovery.

| SAN Francisco, April 7.-.Crittsndsn
Thornton. who won't down into Arizona
some weeks to search for his brother. Harry
/. Thornton, who was last seen alivo on
the 18th of November last, came home
Wednesday morning.
He found his brother-what the coyotes
had left of his dead body-lyinQ by the side
OF a mountain trail. with . bullet hole
through the empty skull. The pockets Of
the dead man had been rihed of their con-
teuts of value. and the men who found
the remains picked up the last letters that
the dead man had received from his father
and mother. Tbs Identification was per-
feet.
Thornton wsre found on tho trail leading
TO Hooker Hot springs 10 about six miles
from the San Pedro river and fifty miles
from Fort Grant. from which point Crittsn-
den Thornton on Sunday evening tels-
graphed the melancholy news of the finding
Of the body Of his murdered brother TO his
father. Ex-Justice j. l. Thornton. OF the
| supreme court.
For weeks and weeks the family Of the
dead man have bssn in state OF s9oniz-
ing suspense concerning the fate OF the
young lawyer and stookman. Ever since
his disappearance first became generally
known the reports that Judge Thornton
had received from Arizona had been Of the
most conflicting character. 1t was along
between the 1Oth and 18th that Judge
Thornton first became suspicious that
something hac happened to his son. He
had written several letters to his boy in
Arizona. and in one he had inclossd dssd
to seme property In Alameda which young
Thornton wanted 10 sign and return to his
father.
No answer came. though Harry Thornton
was a prompt man In all his business af-
fairs. To all the other letters written by
the father and mother no answer came from
their boy after Nov. of last year. This
was the last direct missive they ever re-
ceived.
Judge Thornton. after waiting some time
for an answer to the letters, wrote to two
business men in Wilcox, A. T.. with VII ON
his son had business relations. and from
the fate of the young stockman. One wrote
that in his opinion Harry would come out
all right. 1t was . cheerful letter and the
writer told why he thought that Thornton
would be found alive and we'll.
The opinion expressed by the other man
was confirmed BY the short express dispatch
that came over the wire Sunday night tell
ing of the finding Of young Ihornton's
dead body.
Then some weeks ago when no definite
t,dinRs could be received of the missing
} man. though searching parties had been
out over the country whsre Thornton had
been last seen alive. brother OF the cad
man, Csittenden Thornton, went to Arizona
for the purpose of making more thorough
search than had vet been make.
<ha of In Ah,k
young Thornton. with some Mexicans. left
the ranch of his friend Niok Meyer to go
to Hooker Hot Springs. The distance was
, not great. and he started on foot and IN
armed. Evidently it WAS his intention to
return to Meyers ranch in 4 short time, for
when he started out on his walk to the
springs he left his gun, some personal Of
, feots and a saddle shore. He could have
! gone but few miles from the ranch of his
friend before he was shot to death.
The trail is most lonely and untrayeled
one. and as far as known but single
} human being has passed over ii since the
day that young Thornton WAS shot down
until the little party searching for the miss
ing stockman rode over it.
That one man was Mexican. Tbs from
tiersmen all thought that he was crazy. He
had acted 30 for years that no one ever paid
the slightest attention to him.
One day about two months ago this Mexi-
can rode into settlement not many miles
from whore the body of Thornton was
found last Friday. He was more than
usually excited, aud when he told Of how
he had seen the dead body of a man lying
, by the side Of the trail no one thought
enough OF his story TO go out and recover
tho body. The same Mexican had told be-
fore of how he had seen dead men lying
along the trail and searching parties had
ridden many miles and faced many dangers
only to learn that the Mexican's stories of
dead men were but the strange fancies of
an unsound mind. So they paid no atten-
tion to him. though this time he had seen
dead man by the trail side.
Ibis was over two months ago. and it was
not until Crittendsn Thornton began the
sea- oh for his brother that the story told
by tho or zy Mexican WINS recalled by some
one who had first heard it.
Then the searching party rode over the
lonely trail and found all that was loft of
the murdered stockmap. They found a
skull with II bullet hole under the ear. COM
ing out somewhat higher on the opposite
side. the dry skin and a few hairs still
clinging. and the neck bones and-nothing
else.
Coyotes. in tho months intervening be-
! tween tho day he WAS shot to death and the
finding OF the remains, had carried tho
body away. leaving only the empty skull
and evidences that a robbery and murder
had been committed.
When Thornton started from the Meyer
ranch he had about $500 in his pockets.
This tho Mexloana with him knew. and the
theory now il that when four or five miles
from the ranch one Of the MeYicans, who
was walking behind Thornton, placed a six.
shooter behind his right ear and fred bull
let through the young stockmnn's brain.
The pockets OF the dead man were then
rihed. ths body loft by the side of tho trail
for the coyotes and the murderers made
good their escsre. Nothing has been seen
Of the Mexicans since.
l