The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-10-20
CRAzED WITHFRICHT
ALASKAN MERCHANT ATTACKED
BY STRANGE BEAST IN ABAN-
DONED CABIN
STORY OF THE DAWSON TRAIL
of One Winter Night
Drives Prosperous Prospecter
Insane-Has just Been
Located.

CraZed by fright one awful winters
night alone on the Dawson trail Joseph
Lancaster, produce merchant, has been
missing almost a year, says the Denver
Post His sister in Denver, Mrs. Pauline
Peyton, received a letter yesterday from
Lancaster, who is now at Beaumont, Tex
Lancaster is not the first man made
mad by Alaskan solitude, but his case is
the most remarkable one in the annals
of mysterious disappearance. The coo
miles between Bennett and Dawson was
not new road to him, for he had been
over the trail a number of times He was
one of. the pioneer merchants of the
AIond1ke, and with his partner. Samuel
Calderhead, had made fortune in the
feed business and in mining ventures. In
the middle of last winter it became i'm
perative for him to visit Seattle on bust
ness. Although the thermometer ranged
around 60 degrees below, the trip had
no terrors for him, and with several COM
panions he set out upon the journey.
Lancaster, although almost fifty years
OF age, was extremely we'll preserved
and was supplied with warm clothing and
plenty of supplies. Progress made by the
party afoot was too slow to suit him, and
when they were two days out from Daw-
son Lancaster purchased a. dog team.
Less than 100 miles the other side of
Dawson he was met by party going
IN, who told him that one of the road
houses where Lancaster had decided TO
pass the night had been abandoned. Ii
was in this lonely log cabin that the adj
ventures which eventually made him
crazy took place.
All that is known about then, is from,
LancaSter'S own rambling account when
he reached Seattle and the scars which
were corroborative evidence of his
strange tale. In his rooms at the R,,tIeT
Seattle from IIyhi nh hoo AL, I,
soon after disappeared he told the story
to William Calderhead, his partners
brother.
According to Lanca ster's statement he
arrived at the deserted roadhouse lust as
the early Alaskan night had fallen. He
took his dogs into the house with him.
and from his outfit he procured small
ak and chopped wood to make a fire.
After eating his supper of bacon, beans
and coffee, he fell into a sound sleep,
from which he was aroused by the whin-
ing of his dogs, Alaskan bred, and used
to fight the ferocious gray wolves of
the North the sturdy CANNES do not get
frightened without cause. Even a
grizzly bear has no terrors for them,
although it takes number of them to
yanquish polar bear. Lancaster was
accustomed to their ordinary chickering's
and growls at each other, but the pecul-
lar cries they We're now uttering were
entirely different, and Immediately i'm
pressed upon him sense of horror. The
fact that half dozen murders had taken
place within few miles of whehe he
was, and that the owner of the roadhouse
had left because he feared being killed
did not tend to reassure Lancaster.
With the caution which becomes second
nature to those men who risk their lives
on that dreary trail Lancaster slowly
reached for his Winchester lying beside
him. He was careful to feign sleep for
awhile in order that he might have the
advantage of any intruder who might
mean harm. After perhaps five minutes
had passed the dogs again set up their
whining, but one Drawer than all the rest
walked on his tiptoes toward the door
growing at every step, his whole atti-
tude being one of expectancy Suddenly
there was an impact against the door of
the cabin and it gave way. Then pam
demonium prevailed.
The dogs taking courage from the fact
that they heard their masters voice.
rushed at the strange shape which came
through the cabin door. Although the
twilight of the Alaskan night afforded
considerable light, Lancaster was wholly
unable to determine by what he was at
tackled. In man nor beast he had never
seen such a looking object before He
had little time for speculation, however,
for the dogs did something dogs of their
breed were never known to do before
They deserted their master, and save one
them again. They We're valued at $50
apiece, but Lancaster, when morning
made no extended hunt for them.
He was anxious to get out of the region
upon Wnicn ne nrmly peI1eVeS there rests
curse.
The details of his fight with his eerle
assailant were never related coherently
by Lancaster. In trying to tell the story,
even when safe in his rooms at the But
Ter hotel, his eyes would dilate and his
face blanch with the recollection of the
awful battle. All he could remember
was that he fired round after round from
his rifle, and that the bullets, although
dischaI ged within five feet of the strange
target. produced no effect. On Lancas-
ter's arms and legs there are several
blue marks which We're made by what