Evening star., 1898-09-12
TERRORS OF THE TRAIL
9. Z. Richardson of Chicago, Desperate from
Suffering, Kills Himself.
The PcriIs and PriNations EncOun-
tered by Party of Young Men
on the Way to I<lOndike.

SEATTLE, Wash, September 12.-G. E
Richardson of Chicago killed himself with
& revolver a Telegraph creek. on the Stick
cen river route TO the KIondike, on August
81. He had just completed a terrible trip
from Ashcroft. 3. c.. in company with four
other young men from Chicago, and the
party had narrowly escaped starving 10
death on the latter part of the trip. He
was exhausted from travelling without food
and found that he had arrived at Telegraph
creek toe late to go to the mines. Addi-
ttonaI encouragement in the losing of sew
eraI horses, 1t is said, decided him on sui
eide.
On the day Of the tragedy he had re-
manned in camp with z. T Stone a Chica-
60 newspaper man, to look for the missing
horses. while the other men Of the party
went TO q new camp near Glenora.
He compIained Of being i'll. and Stone left
him az the camp. ON returning several
hours later he saw nothing of his partner.
He noticed that the packs had been opened
and on going into the tent saw Richardson
stretched out on the bed, with the story of
his ended life plainly told by d gaping
wound IN the side of the head
Their Terrible Trip.
The story OF the terrible trip is told by
Mr- Stone as follows:
We left Ashcroft full of hope and with
every prospect OF success, early in ApriI
There were five of use Il Richardson
Harry ". Jones, r. II. Matthews, Samuel
J. Shaw and myself, all of Chicago We
mad twenty horses and a big OUTFIT We
were assured that the trip TO Telegraph
creek would take but sixty dsCs and th.t
there was plenty OF food for our horses
We followed the Caribee agon road a
snort distance and then went along the
fraser riyer 10 Qdesnelle. so that we NIGH,
have food for our horses After Ieayinp
that point our troubles began II rained
and the trail was soon in d terrible condi-
ton There was a band OF 800 cattle on
The road before us. and they chopped up
the road. In u few days We lost twelve
horses
They told US that from Hazelton 10
Telegraph creek the distance was 100 miles
and We took provisions for that distance
We found the distance was really over 4(s
miles. and consequently nearly starved 10
death before the end OF the trip. For two
weeks before reaching Telegraph creek We
had hardly nothing TO eat. as we were
forced 10 live on such food as we could
gather in the woods
We turned the horses out 20 feed and in
the morning could find but three of them
Ihe other boys wen. on to Glenora, while
Richardson and myself remained behind
The morning that We were to join the othe,
boys Richardson seemed particularly de.
spcndent- He had often talked of suicide.
but We did not think he would take his
life
When I returned from last search
after the missing horses l noticed the camI
was somewhat disordered On looking clos
er l found Richardson rolled up in q
blanket In his head was a gaping holt
from u revolver. The weapon was still in
his hand He had killed himself shortly
after / left camp. Richardson was twenty.
two years Of age. His parents live in Bat.
tle Creek. Mich. The body was buried al
Glenora and lam taking his effects bach
20 hts people in Michigan.
The other boys IN the party decided Il
so on. and are now working their way
into the mountains Of far northeastern
British Columbia"
Stone says that their party is one of the
trst ones TO get through and thinks sons
Of the others will perish on the trail.