The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-07
DEATH BY WOOD ALCOHOL
Frank Lacy and Joseph Short
Brought to the City Dead.
TWO MORE MEN VERY SICK
Carl Sarchet and Charles Hextrum Ill at
Moose Lake, Where the Terrible
Drug Played Such Disas-
trous and Fatal Havoc.

Two dead and two more supposed to
be dying, the result of drinking wood
alcohol
Yesterday forenoon the dead body of
Frank P. Lacy was brought to the city
from Moose lake. Yesterday afternoon
the dead body of Joseph Short was
brought to the city from the same
place. Short had died en- route to the
city from the lake. Last evening DIR.
Evans and Charles Luxton started for
Moose lake to attend Carl Sarchet and
Charles Hextrum, who were i'll when
the party that brought the body of
Lacy to the city left the lake.
Last Friday night, the story goes,
Lacy, Sarchet Short and Hextrum
assembled in cabin near Moose lake
to spend an evening in social converse.
They had considerable amount of
wood alcohol, of which they drank
freely during the evening. They all
was the home of Lacy and Short.
About or o'clock the next morning
''Seigniorty" Walton went to the
cabin, as was his custom, before going
to work, He spoke to the men and,
soon after, Lacy's name was spoken.
He called to Lacy to get up, and there
being no response the startling discov-
cry was then made that he was dead.
Carl Sarchet went to his assay office,
and Short and Hextrum walked around
for while, but complained of pains in
the stomach. Sarchet appeared to be
less affected.
In the afternoon arrangements were
made to bring the dead man to Ana
conda. Short volunteered to accom-
pany the corpse to the city. AT 5
o'clock in the afternoon of Saturday
Thomas McGrath, accompanied by
Short, started for town, riding with the
dead body in a sled. The road was COW
cred with snow and progress was slow.
When the east fork of Rock creek was
reached Short complained of feeling
badly. Just before Straumbs ranch. on
Georgetown Flats, was reached, Short
was suffering from intense pains in the
stomach. McGrath covered him with
his ovefcoat and tried to make the suf-
fering man as comfortable as possible
When the ranch was reached Mr.. Nc
1rath aroused the household and left
the sick man there. This was about
midnight. McGrath proceeded on the
journey with Lacy's body and reached
this city yesterday morning.
Following the first party from the
lake came one composed of Al. Stevens,
q. M. Dallas and Walton When this
party left the lake Hextrum was a very
sick man. Walton asked him to accom-
pany them, but Hextrum declined. This
party came after medicine and medical
assistance for Sarchet and Hextrum.
When Straumbs ranch was reached
Short was dead and had been since
O'Clock yesterday morning. The dead
man was put into the sled and brought
to the city. The party reached here
about o'clock yesterday afternoon.
Last evening Mr.. Walton told a re-
porter for the Standard that the men
had drunk wood alcohol. Where they
got it or why they drank it, he did not
venture guess. He said the many
friends of the men in that district were
much grieved, s the dead men We're
well liked by everybody. Walton said
that he believed that Hextrum was
dead before dark last night, as he was
in bad way late Saturday afternoon
He thought that Sarchet was not so
badly affected.
Thomas McGrath, who brought
Laey's body to town, describes his trip
through the mountains in the night as
being weird and uncanny experience.
He had to be very cautious coming
across the fiat, as the recent fall of
snow had entirely obliterated every
trace of wagon tracks. His position
was indeed a trying one. blowing
through snow over mountain passes
and in canyons at midnight with one
dead man and another dying in the
sled box.
Joseph Short was born in St Stephen
n. b., 28 years ago. He had been in
the neighborhood of Anaconda for the
past six years. He was associated with
L.
Horn had known him since he was a
child. Short has three sisters living.
One of them is mother superior in a
convent AT Biddeford Me-; another a
nun in 0ldtown, Me. A brother. Will
lam Short, resides in Rat Portage.
His brotherin-laW, Robert j. Rftehie.
is magistrate in st. Johns, N b.
Members of the family have been noti-
fed of the death. john Horn has the
arrangement of the funeral in hand
Frank p. Lacy was born in Savan-
nah, Ga. He was IS years of age He
also had been here for several years and
was interested with John Horn in min
ing propositions. He has no relatives
living, SO far as is known. Mr.. Lacy
was one of the owners of the big copper
lead eight miles from Moose lake. His
partners were Al Stevens and Thomas
OLeary of this city.
Both bodies are at Ehret's morgue
Coroner Hardenbrook will hold an in
quest to-day over the remains of Short,
who, it is believed died in this county
1T is question as to what county Lacy
died in. Some say the lake is In Gran
lite county, some hold that it is in Mis-
soula, and others say that it is in
Deer Lodge. There is near the lake
large granite rock inscribed to indicate
that as the intersection of two or three
counties. 1t Is matter that will prob
ably be determined before the inquiry
into these recent deaths is concluded.
Leo G. Rryant violin studio Cos I,a-