The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1899-05-02
rHE CoRoNERs INQUEST
RESUMED ON CLoUTRtE.
Or, TuItle SIN Holds 20 the Theory ot
Poison, Bu, Indian Louie pls.
agrees With Him

to Astoria yesterday morning, and after
a post mor,rm examination by prs. Tut.
Tie aud J, A, Fulton, the coroner's Jury
heretofore cmpanecd resumed the TAX.
ing ot testimony
nr, Tuule was the first witness *.
amned, ne testified 20 nnding the
same or rather more exaggerated con.
ditou OF Inflammation In the stomach of
Clouiyje than was observed IN either OF
the other men examined There were 10.
dications that Cloutric had Vomted con.
siderably before his death and there
I We're no marks OF violence found on IN,
body,
pr. Tuy,le stated that the condition og
the stomach and in,rstines could not.
In his opinion have resulted from cS.
posury and that the cause ot Clou,ric's
death was the same as that which killed
the other two meu This the doctor st,u
thought TO be an lrri,anl poison probably
ptomalnr. contained iH the meat ot which
they had partaken indian Louie who
led th, searching parties which found the
bodies of all the men, was examined a,
length by the coroner he rcjoId .hr cir.
cumsJances under which the bodies we've
found and maintained that the death 5g
all resulted from exposure. Ioult's story.
subsequently told more ln detail 20 an
Astorian representative, was -ubsganu.
'ally as follows:
The camp ot the party va. found about
one half mile from where Cloutrle was
found. In 10 were an the belongings OF
the men. including a macintosh. which
Tor some strange reason was LEFT hy
Hickman. There was food Of various
kinds including par; Of an uncookcd ham
and some onions. The castings Of sausaErs
were also lying about The men had
erected a shelter. composed OF a pair of
blankets and a bed quilt Under this
shelter were found evidences OF long
continued and frui,less attempt TO build
la fire. There was pile Of whIt,lnga
and several pieces Of slightly scorched
paper torn from a note book belonging
10 Hickman A FUN double handful of
matches which could not De lgnlted were
scattered about How long the men had
been without nre could not be conJec.
iured. but. In Louie's opinion. they must
have spent the better part or one whole
night In endcayoring 90 start a nrr There
was no doubt Louie said that Cloutrla
was pressu, aiding In the attemp, 10 T,
make fire The fact that several I
unused matches were found on Clou. |
tries person was OF NJ significance |
because they we've In IA. samr condition |
a. those In the tent-wet and useless. |
L9uie's idea Is that the men left the /
tent. under which they had thus been
huddled, cramped and chilled 10 the bone |
and started IN a desperate attempt 10 |
reach Johnson's house on the Nacanl. .
cum, about six miles away. C!oufrl, |
being an old man over % years OF age |
soon gave ont and died After LAYING I
his body away as best they could the |
other three, under the leadership Of Helix. !
man who was supposed to know the coun |
try better than Doty or Radir. continued |
their effort to escape. He thinks Helix. !
man. who was of an .xcltable nature. |
got confused. After tramplng about Tor I
hours and well into the night Hickman /
and Rndir became exhausted and gave |
up In the vicinity Of whore they lay /
there was a path worn by Doty and IN |
which the spikes of his shoes were plainly |
visible as II he had trampcd backward |
and forward the entire night In hls de- |
termination not to give up When day. |
Hight came he evidently started. depend /
Ing upon his own judgment for the near. |
est water course intending to follow Il |
out. This IL exactly what they all should |
have done Louie thinks. and by saving /
their strength, instead Of wasting It In |
cIrclIng about. they might have escaped.
In following Dotys trail. Louie SAYS
they came across mud holes and boggy |
places through which he had fioundered
on all fours. AZ one point the imprint
Of his hands and knees showed that he
got down 10 the creek 10 drInk-the very
thing man In his condition. Louie says
ought not 10 do. He says from time i'm
the Indians have taught that
to drink heavily OF water. under such
Is fatal The disturbance
Of the ground showed that after taking |
the drink II was only with great difficulty
that DOty regalned his feet At another
point. near where his body was found.
In crossing a mud hole his stick was left
N the mire. A little furh along he
oosened his pack and then feH TO the
ground and perlshed
Louie says many strong men have died
In the same way. That on one occasion
lbOut three years ago. he himself mar
-owly escaped death by crawling into
Try hole under the roots of tree and ,
covering himself with dirt and trash un-
~ hs face only was exposed.
Burke and Hiil, who were with Louie
n his search agree with him AZ to the
.ause OF the death OF the men. Louie ;
ays when they first saw Hickman and
fadir they unanimously agreed from the
'ositlon and appearance Of their forms {
hat death resulted from exposure ana
Exhaustion. When remin6ed that Doty
lad u compass in his possession and
therefore, the party could not have been
ost, Louie replied II made no difference.
Ie lnstanced the case OF the Thielson and
''"b'""' P"iiJ ""i'H Bot Iobt hDout
our years ago while hunting In the
anne section for the same pass which
vas the object Of the last party's mis-
ion. The Thleson party was supplied
With three compasses, and yet got los.
nd wandered for days before making
heir way out. Fortunately they were
yell provided with suitable clothing and
upplles and did not suffer from the In
lement weather.
OF the Hickman party, Louie says,
'loutrie was the only man properly
ressed. Doty was clothed better than
he other two, and being a man OF more
Itality lasted longer In following the