The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-10-31
MURDERED FOR HIS GOLD.
Chicago Man Who Left for Alaska
Has q Tragic End.

Chicago, Oct. 31.-The Chronicle says:
The family Of Louis Scala, of this city.
who left Chicago on a quest for gold in
Alaska last May, are convinced he was
murdered He was well provided with
funds, purchased mining machinery and
a steamer in Seattle aud enlisted eleven
men in the enterprise. Mrs. Scala says
she has strong reason to believe some
one or more of the party killed him, took
his money and equipment and started
for the Yukon river gold district and
that, by what she regards as a remark
able coincidence or an act of providence
retrfbutiOn overlook the party on the
trip north and nine of the eleven men
drowned during a storm.
Mrs. Scala declared that the peculiar
manner in which the news of his death
was sent home and conflicting stories as
to the manner in which he met his
death, coupled with many other suspic-
douS circumstances made her certain her
husband met with foul play in the far
north. Mr.. Scala, who for years has
been a building contractor in Chicago,
at first intended to take a trip around
the world for his health, decided to go
to the Klondike to develop a claim
which he had purchased earlier in the
year.
Four dayC after leaving home he
wrote to his wife that he had nearly
$4,000 in cash with him and would buy
an outfit in Seattle and fit out an expe-
dition to go up the Yukon river to his
claim.
On his arrival IN Seattle Mr.. Scala
DOhS HI Tie steamer Alpha ana DuTCnaS-
ed steam machinery for the purpose of
facilitating the work of digging gold.
He formed a party of II men for the in
vasion Of the district
The last letter Mrs. Scala received
from her husband was written from St
Michael, August 8. In Mr.. Scala said he
intended to leave for the Yukon valley
in a few days and that he was well and
strong. Two days later an anonymous
letter was mailed from the same place
to Mrs Scala which impaired the infor-
nation that her husband was sick.
Three days after the receipt of this let
ter Mrs. Scala received in the mail
strip of paper from st. Michael which
simply read: your husband is dead"
AS in the former letter no signature
was attached, and Mrs. Scala would not
believe her husband was dead. She
wrote to those of the party whom she
knew. but did not receive an answer.
Still hoping against hope, she patiently
waited for further particulars, firmly
believing members of her husbands
party would acquaint her with the sad
news and the circumstances attending
upon his death if he had died.
Week after week passed without any
word and Mrs. Scala made up her mind
that her husband was either alive or
had met with foul play. Saturday she
received another peculiar letter from
the Alaskan region. Tt purported to be
from one of the party but he did not
sign his name or give any address. The
letter conveyed the news of Mr.. Scala s
death but gave an entirely different ex-
PLANTATION of the cause from the pre-
vious note.
The writer said the party left ST. Mi
chael in the Alpha and We're caught in
a violent storm on the Yukon river two
days later; that the steamer sprang
a leak and the party had to take to the
small boats. Within an hour after the
steamer had been abandoned, he said
the small boats capsized and all but two
of the party, including Scala, were
drowned. The two survivors, the letter
continued, were finally rescued and
made their way to Lampart City, Alas
ka- The letter was postmarked from
that city September 25. and was receiv-
ed by Mrs. Scala on Saturday.