The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-04-22

Three of a party of four men who left
Seattle on the bark Highland Light, May
81. 1898, in search of gold in the Norton
Sound country. have left their bones
bleaching on the cold ground. Two are
supposed to have been murdered. one TO
have died from scurvy. and the fourth
is thought to have deserted the sick man
and escaped to the states.
The tale IL one of the most sensational
chat has come out of Alaska 1t reached
the Post-Intelligencer in the latest adj
vices by the steamer Cottage City from
Nome.
The party comprised d. A. A. Keyser
and William w. Wright. of Covington.
Va, representing the Virginia. Alaska
Mining Company: o. w. Scott. OF 81
Jackson street. San Francisco, and a
man named Haines. about whom little
is known He IL the only man of the
party who got out of the country alive,
and at what cost TO his associates may
never be learned
News Of the Death.
They arrived at st. Michael in the lat
ter part OF June. and early in August
sailed for Norton Sound. From that
time on all track of the party was lost
until late last December, when reports
of death from murder and scurvy, and
almost certain news of the death of
Wright, reached Nome. Deputy United
States Marshal James Lee. of Nome. who
Is cousin of Gen. Fitxhugh Lee. of
Virginia. sent one of his force, Deputy
Marshal w. c. crowdy. into the Nor
ton Sound country 10 investigate. He
returned to Nome the second week in
January with startling reports, and
diary kept by keyser from New Year,
1888. up to year and half later
This throws considerable light on the
fate OF the expeaition and its members.
Crowdy brought out with him a native
named kiyuk who claims to have seen
murder committed.
Deputy Marshal Crowdy learned from
the natives In the vicinity of the Igla-
tulk river that Wright had been shot.
but whether by Haines or Scott or oth-
ers does not seem clear. There is no evil
dence that connects Haines with the
murder From the diary found on the
remains of Keyser there seems to be
no doubt that he died from scurvy.
keys~r Keeps ui. Diary.
1t shows a pitiable condition OF the
mans mind short time before his
death and that the party had frequent
quarrels. chiefly ove- a division OF labor
and a distribution OF baking powder. In
one place In the diary Keyser. while
alone and deserted. wrote: II am cold
and hungry tonight. | wish were back
in Charleston"
Kiyuk. the Eskimo. said, under oath: Il
live at Mahoktuly. on small river. In
the summer OF 1893 a schooner came into
the mouth OF the Iglatulik river and four
ment got out and went up the river about
two days travel Here one man was shot
In the mouth aud Killed; another man was
shot In the breast. one man. named Scot
". ran OF over the divide into the IN
terror presumably making for the Ya-
kon river. The man who was shot In the
breast. and the fourth man. who appears
to have been Keyser, who seems not 90
have been injured. started down the river
for the schooner Two or three miles from
the mouth the man who was shot IN the
brcas, died. Koyser sewed him up in his
sleeping bag aad len him. after marking
the place and the date of death on a
stump Keyscr sot 20 the schooner an1
went 10 Unaaklik where be told the
white men all aboai g."
The EskimO does not claim 10 have seen
thc shooting himself but SAYS keyser and
a white man named sconn. who lives near
ly a DAYS Journey up the tgiatulik. told
him ahout H.
Other story Of the auatr.
The Indians sJoFy does rot sErea ex-
ac;ly Niih subsequent developments and
Aiscos cries. rVpgty MARSHAL Crowdy. who
was assisted hy a Prospector namc4 Harry
Raa. founa the boay tac diary and other
papers of keysoT At a cabin where the
body of Wright was left Five pounds Z
aour, teu pounds of beans and twe pounds
! of sugar we're a. the provisions that re-
maned A man named ". NJ HArrka sent
/ a sixned statement by The deputy marshal
that be ard six ether prospestoTs found
aim dead IN halfway house above the
I big caa,a q the four partners, tock the
I diary ard papers from bis pockets ana
I buried thr body.
1 From February =. a year ago. Keyscg's
( tiaTy SHOWS thaf he gradually welkene5
from day 90 cav. For four days 8, states.
j hs ate nothing. but lay Ia bis far rote
Z thinking 81 ~old Virginia and something
rooa To cas- lie seemed 90 have no
idea that he was ul Vtth scuryy. and
ascsibes MS sickness 10 getting wet He
tells one day that be poured boiling water
4 Continued 81 f.se Nine.