The Irish standard., 1902-04-05

what cheap and rude old craft named
the G. \. Thompson. 1t was a freight
boat, but had cabins for perhaps a
dozen persons. nhe pilot or mate of
the boat was an Irish American by
the name of Dolan, think. and when
during the afternoon had introduced
him to the general, he doubtingly In
terrOgated me as to whether this was
the famous Thomas Francis Meagher
renowned i'll the Irish rebellion of
lS4S, and upon my assurance that it
was, he could not conceal his delight
ut meeting so distinguished q person
who evidently was his idol, and he
showed the general much Difference
and attention and wasted on him no
| inconsiderable blarney. Ascertaining
the generals errand he invited him
to become his guest on his voyage
the next morning down the river rs
far us Camp Cooke.
General Meagher returned from
the fort about dusk, in company with
some other gentlemen whose names l
do not now recall. l was seated in
front of the store of I. C. Baker T. Co.
when my attention was arrested by
abnormally loud conversation, and as
the party came nearer l saw that it
| came from General Meagher.
"As the party came to the place
where l was, and l had listened a mo-
ment, it was apparent that he was de-
ranged. lie was loudly demanding Il
revolver to defend himself against the
citizens of Fort Benton. who, in his
disturbed mental condition. he de-
cared were hostile to him. and sever
al who then joined us sought to allay
his fears and by all the means in our
power to restore to sanity his disturbed
mental condition.
His nautical friend, whose host he
was to be the ensuing morning, sug-
gestcd that he 80 to his stateroom on
the boat. and thither three or four of
sistcnt that the people Of Fort Benton
We're hostile to him and was impor-
tunate for revolver. He was in
duced to retire to his berth, which
was on the starboard side of the boat
next the bank, and in the hope that
he would sleep we all went on shore,
seeking to allay his anxiety by the
promise of getting him revover
CAS- he had removed his outer gar
mcnts and lain down in his berth, we
did not apprehend there would be fur
Their trouble, thinking the temporary
alteration the result of the hot and eX-
hausing ride of the morning, which
sleep would speedily correct. 1t was
a great shock to his friends, but we
were confident of his immediate recov-
cry.
Il do not stop here to speculate on
the cause of his hallucination that the
people of Fort Benton were hostile to
him, but 1 have always thought that
contention between the BlackfoOt
Indian agent. George Wright, and the
general as superintendent of Indian
affairs, wherein the general directed
the release of all the Intoxicating
liquors in the country which the agent
had assumed to seize, was in his mind.
This controversy had assumed an epis-
(nr,
cral Mcagher's controversies were eN-
cccdingly wont to do. I only attrib-
ute it to this for lack of other causes
but General Mcaghcr had no more
loyal friends than those in Fort Benton
who solcitousy surrounded him there
in his last hours.
81 cannot say that anyone remained
in the statcronm With him. for nothing
WAS farther from our thoughts than
the dcnoucmcnt then impending. After
Il brief consultation on the lower deck,
| went to the office Of the Indian
agent, opposite the G. y. Thompson.
and perhaps fifty yards distant, where
Iwrotc a letter for the outgoing mail
to Helena, which left at II o'clock.
Perhaps had been in the office thirty
minutes when heard Captain James
German. the state agent Of G. G.
Huntlcy, eXctcdly cXclaim: General
Mcaghcr is drowned!
81 dropped my pen aud fastened
out the door and pushed across the
gang pank and across the lower deck
OF the steamboat. There was a col
ored man. one of the men connected
with the boat-the barber. I believe
who, replying to my Interrogation said
a man had let himself down from the
upper to the lower deck and jumped
into the river and gone down stream.
l Immediately returned to land and ran
down the river bank. repeating the
alarm until 1 reached one of the lower
steamers, the Guidon. believe. where
I went across the boat to the river side
to watch for the general.
"Boats We're instantly lowered and
manned, and many anxious eyes were
pcering in the darkness ut the swift
rolling waters of the great river, that
never seemed so wicked as then. 1t
gave back no wished-for sight nor
sound The search was kept up all
| night and for two or three dayS there