The herald., 1898-11-01
AN ALASKAN ARGONAUT
MURDERED BY THE MEN HE
HAD EMPLOYED
Friends and Family Of Louis Scala Of
Chicago Convinced Of Foul
Play

CHICAGO, Oct. 3l.-The Chronicle says:
| The family of Louis Scala of this city,
who left Chicago in quest for gold in Alaska
last May, are convinced he was murdered.
He was well provided with funds, mining
machinery, bought steamer in Seattle and
enlisted IL 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 remarkable coin
cidence or an act of Providence, retribution
nine of the eleven men were drowned dur
ing a storm.
Mrs Scala declares that the peculiar man.
ner in which the news of his death was sent
home, and conflicting stories as to the man.
ner in which he met his death, coupled with
many other suspicious circumstances, madG
her certain her husband met with foul play
in the far north. Mr.. Scala, who for years
had been a building contractor in Chicago,
at first intended to take trip around the
world for his health, decided to go to the
Klondike. to develop a claim which he had
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 expedition to 60 up the Yukon river to
his claim.
On his arrival in Seattle, Mr.. Scala bought
the steamer Alpha. and purchased steam
work of digging the gold. He formed a
party of II men for the invasion of the dis
trict.
The last letter Mrs Scala received from
her husband was written from st. Michael,
August 8. In it he said he intended to leave
for the Yukon valley in a few days and that
an anonymous letter was mailed from the
same place to Mrs. Scala which impaired the
information that her husband was sick
Three days after the receipt of this letter
Mrs. Scala received in the mail strip of
"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 par
husbands party. would acquaint he with the
sad news and the circumstances attendant
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
letter from the Alaskan region. 1t pur-
ported 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 q
death, but gave an entirely different ex-
planation.
The writer says that the left St. Michael
in the Alpha and were caught in terrible
storm on the Yukon a few days later 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 tc
Rampant City, Alaska The letter was post
marked from that place, September 25, and
was received by Mrs. Scala on Saturday
After showing the reporter the different
letters she had received from the unknown
persons regarding her husbands death, she
said:
'T am certain that some unscrupulous
member of the party murdered my husband
for his mining outfit and money. If he did
not meet with foul play why does not this
man who wrote the letter sign his name and
give an address? He says he would like
me to send him enough money to get back
to the city, but he does not tell me where
to send the money. He says Louis was
drowned in the Yukon river. The other
note, which I got month ago, was pre-,
ceded by letter saying he was sick. 1t
certainly looks to me as if he had been muir.
dered"