Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-07-05
TOUCH TALES
FROM NOME
J. M. HINKLE WRITES STORIES
OF RICHES WERE GROSSLY
EXAGGERATED.
HANK LUCAS, A BUTTE
MAN, KILLED IN A ROW.
Ed. Lynch Witnessed the Tragedy
Another Murder Committed
Death Of Ben King.

OSaIA OF Zen Ming.
The weekly budget of hard luck stories
and tales of disaster, murder and suicide
arrived in Butte this morning from the
Montana men who reached Cape Nome a
few weeks ago. Accompanying the let
ters were copies of the Cape Nome Gold
Digger containing the latest news of the
amp
J. NJ. Hinkle, the Butte attorney writes
under date of June 10, detailing his trip
on the Valencia, one of the transports
that brought the Montana soldiers back
from Manila. He left Seattle May 13. On
June IA, the crew of the Valencia sue
ceeded in rescuing about forty-three peo-
pie from the schooner Hunter, wrecked
near Cape Romanzoff.
Mr.. Hinkle says that the stories heard
in Butte about the rich beach mines were
grossly exaggerated. Very few of the
new arrivals are making wages and a
great many of the Montana men have al
ready become discouraged and nave
bough return tickets and will a X pas
sage on the first vessels returning.
There are a great many lawyers and
doctors here - writes Mr.. Hinkle. The
law business is confined principally to
preparing papers. There is no system of
court in force here yet. There are a few
justices of the peace, but they have lit
tie power SO that until a judge is ap-
pointed and sent out here there is not
much business for a lawyer in the trial
of cases. Those who left their claims last
year and came back this spring found
them jumped and with no way of getting
the new locator off, except by using
force. Two people We're killed yesterday
while e~ndeavoring to get possession of
claims. All the Butte people 1 have seen
say hat Butte will be good enough for
them when they get back"
EG Lynch sends an account Of the kill
ing of Hank Lucas on June IS. Lucas was
from Butte n a relative of VIM. Kane,
foreman of the Silver Bow mine in this
city. Lucas has been in Alaska for some
years. Mr.. Lynch was a witness to the
ira gedy. Lucas and Joe Lyme a watch
man for the Alaska Commercial &C. had
some trouble over a lot. Lucas attempt
ed to move a building on the lot n the
building collided with Lyne's tent. A
quarrel ensued during which it was stat
ed Lucas drew mis- revolver and fired a.
shot. Lyme also began shooting, the first
shot toppling Lucas over. Lyme then ad-
vanced and poured three shots into
Lucas body, the range being so close
that the clothing on Lucas body was
burned. Lyme had been struck by Lucas
bullet in the abdomen and he died on
the morning of the goth.
Another shooting occurred on the
morning of the Goth when Frank Luther
mier, a bystander, was killed by Bruce
Kinwight, a Seattle gambler. Kinwight
had shot at another man but missed him
and a United States deputy marshal at
tempted to arrest him. Kinwight drew
his weapon when in some way Luther
mier stepped between the officer and the
desperate and received a bullet in the alb
domen which soon proved fatal. The
murderer was arrested. Lutllermier was
q years old and a native of Ohio. De-
tails of the death of Ben E. King, said to
be from Helena, Montana, are also CIV
en-. While f~louIishing a revolver before
Mrs. Stanton, with whom he was living,
the weapon was accidentally discharged,
the bullet lodging in his left lung.
About Il, 900 people arrived in Nome
during the month ending June 10. Thous-
ands more are enroute. The Oregon,
upon which a good many Montana men
were passengers, surreptiously landed
two smallpox cases at Nome river to
prevent being q~uarantined.
Some extraordinary scenes were wit
messed at Nome during the landing of
the great army of gold seekers. Along
the beach for a distance of five miles
is a solid stretch of houses and tents,
the latter predominating. The beach
down to the waters edge is packed with
merchandise of every variety. Back from
the beach and also or the tundra the
same scenes are witnessed.
After the landing of the boats, there
/ WAS u general ScTdIlDle 1OT the DGdCn
by the Montana men who with new and
shining gold pans searched the beach for
the precious metal which they had heard
was stored away in the sands and could
be had for the digging. The results, how
ever, We're not to their liking and dis
gust was plainly pictured on the counte-
nances of more han one Montana man.
watching their efforts, remarked II can
see their finish"
L. M. Woodward, of Philadelphia, who
in a diary found on his person. said he
was "ill and destitute, without friends
or means committed suicide on the
beach,, June 18th. He was one of the
new arrivals.
]. III. Murray also a recent arrival from
San Francisco, committed suicide on the
same day by swallowing carbolic acid.
The deed was committed at the grave of
! his son who died last fall at Nome. MUIR
ray was about so years of age and had
been in business in San Francisco.
A letter was received in Butte today
from ex-Alderman Marco Medin. who
took several thousand dollars worth of
merchandise with him to Nome. Mr.. Me-
din says he will sell his merchandise at a
sacrifice and return at as early a date as
possible.
Excelsior sewing Machine oil is the
j best: will not gum or spoil our machine
Sherman the undertaken sells it.
"
DIR. German, Dentist. ia N. Main st.
1 Dl,al TrnC{roiI nz. -