The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-10-07
Il AM SHOT, DEAR.
Last Words Uttered by the Murdered
Missionary.
MRS. MEDIA THORNTON'S ARRIVAL
AT SAN FRANCISCO.

She VIII Start for Her Home in Auburn at
Once-Her Story of the Tragedy-Horri-
BILE Revenge Wreaked by the Natives ON
the Three Boy Murderers.
San Francisco, October 6-Mrs. Media
Pratt Thornton of Auburn, Me-, widow
of Harris r. Thornton, young teacher
and philanthropist, who was murdered
early last month at Cape Prince of Wales,
Alaska, arrived late Tuesday on the
revenue cutter Corwin. She was met by
relatives of her dead husband and went
to their home.
Hers is story of singular interest.
She married young Thornton year and
half ago. He was an earnest student
for languages and of technology, and had
accepted in 1850, the post of teacher at
the far northern mission station in order
to pursue his researches among the
to his post in the Arctic.
Mr.. Thornton began vigorous crusade
against the liquor traffic among the
natives and made enemies among them.
Pupils were melted to rebellion ,and the
young teacher promptly expelled the
most unruly. In revenge three of them
murdered him.
Mrs. Thornton is a frail young woman,
and as she told her sad story tears
sprang to her eyes, already sunken from
weeping.
!" We retired early on the night of Au-
gust 20,n she said. "My husband was
asleep before was We had been
slumbering soundly three hours when a
loud rap was heard on the outer door.
Il "a
night. spoke to my husband and he
got up and felt his way toward the door.
The night was very dark, and as my
husband opened the door two loud re-
ports rang out, and he jumped back,
calling out in a strong voice, i am shot,
DEAR These were the last words he ever
uttered.
81 jumped out of bed and tried to light
lamp In my nervousness | took "a
good deal of time. AT last the lamp
burned, and / saw my poor husband on
the floor in pool of blood. In his chest
was a large, gaping wound, and he was
breathing slowly and heavily. dragged
him to the bed and put him on it. In
less than an hour he was dead.
Il remained with the body until day
light, when l went to the hut of an
Indian whom | knew to be friendly.
Three native youths were the murderers.
One of them, Titak, had been expelled
from the missionary SchOol GndG my
husband and Mr.. Leopp conducted, and
with the other two had planned the att
tack.
"The weapons they used were an ole
whale gun and a rife, both of which
were thrown on the ground outside oi
our house after the murder was COM
mitted.
The three boys ran away and hid 10
couple of canoes on the beach. The older
natives hunted for the murderers and
found them. Two were shot to death,
but Titak, who was the ringleader, es-
capped to the mountains badly wounded.
Two parties followed him up and swore
vengeance against him if they found
him. The natives, doubtless, killed him.
"The bodies of the two boy murderers
were dragged from the beach to the from
of our house. / have been told that the
bones in their bodies had all been broken
and the flesh mutiiated."
Mrs. Thornton feared to remain in the
neighborhood, as relatives of the
murderers threatened vengeance upon
her. She embarked in a large kyak with
nineteen natives, and started tor Port
Clarence, fifty miles away. A high sea
was running and progress was slow.
Another Indian in a better manned
canoe came along and took Mrs. Thornton
in his craft 1t took five days to make
the journey.
Captain Healey of the cutter Bear sent
a party to Cape Prince of Wales to bury
Mr. Thornton's body.
Mrs. Thornton will start in foW days
for her home in Auburn, Me.