The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-03-22
HOW GENERAL MEAGHER
MET HIS FATE
Continued from page IL

Continued from page II
diately returned to land and ran down
| the river bank, repeating the alarm
until L reached one of the lower steam
ers, the Guidon, l believe, where l went
across the boat to the river side to
watch for the general
Boats were instantly lowered and
manned, and many anxious eyes were
peering in the darkness at 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
after. LoaveS of bread were cast on
the turbid waters in obedience to a be-
lief that they would cause a drowned
body to rise to the surface of the
stream. A cannon was brought into
requisition for the same purpose. but
the mighty river defied all our solicit
tudes and kept its treasure well. L
turned from the steamer as | saw the
boats go down the river in the dark
ness to fulfill the sadly duty of advis-
ing Mrs. Meagher of the overwhelming
calamity which had befallen her and
us all. She lived on the same street
near me in Virginia City. and it seemed
to me to be my duty to tell her the
sad story. 1 inclosed my letter to DR..
James Gibson, the postmaster at Vir-
ginia City, an accomplished gentleman
and a fast friend of Mrs. Meagher,
confiding to his discretion the manner
in which he should break to her the
melancholy news.
MRS. MEAGHER TOLD THE NEWS.
AS there was no telegraph, the news
of the event went by mail that night.
Co. 7 Il he
colored man, saw General Meagher go
into the river, and he, related to me
the circumstances as / have told them.
The next day some members of the
generals staff said to me that we must
report that he fell from the boat acct
dentally and must not mention the
mental alteration nor attribute 1t to
that | said to them | had written
to Mrs Meagher the exact facts as
they had been related to me, and
could see no imputation upon the gen.
eral nor cause of humiliation to his
friends if his eager; devotion to his
duties in. hand had brought upon him
so great an affection. Some of them
seemed to think otherwise, and in the
proclamation by Governor Green Clay
Smith announcing his death it was,
believe, alleged to have been caused
l can we'll appreciate the affection
which General Meagher inspired among
his race and his countrymen. His
form was manly, his manners cordial,
his demeanor gracious, his converse
ton instructive, his wit kindly, his
impulses generous. and L agree with
Horace Greeley, who once said to me
that General Meagher was one of the
finest conversationaliSts and extempor-
aneous speakers he had ever known.
1t is to be regretted that so much is
said and written of General Meagher
and the manner of his death that is
not so. Those who were with him on
that last day of his life will join me,
l know, in denying that his death
could be attributed to any convivial
habit. ] was with him most of the
and he was as resolutely
ahstemious as the most devout anchor
tie, and it is cruelty unjust to repeat |
such an accusation.
The river was searched for his re- !
mains down to the mouth of the
Marias, but the search was in vain.
in the stream his manly
'orm sleeps in as serene repose as it
would in classic Arlington but the
Jealous waters guard their secret we'll,
md the rushing waves from unbound
springs seem destined forever to be
he monument and his grave-Butte
inter- Mountain.