The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-09-04
Story of Mrs. Edith Whites Death
Smacks of the "Pipe."
Many People Do Not Believe She Was
Devoured BY Beasts.
From Fridays Daily.

If the information received from far
off Alaska is true the woman must have
suffered most terribly and died thous-
sand deaths by torture, but there are
those that have read the story of her
passing with a large flavor of salt. 10
them the story smacks of the pipe"
The story as told by the dispatches
from Alaska, says that Mrs. White wan
dered about alone in the Copper river
valley, she having become lost while
making her way from one camp to an
other. What would a lone woman be
doing in that wild and desolate coun-
try? And the letters and diary written
two years before were found intact. An
other strange thing. If the wild animals
devoured the woman leaving no trace,
not even a shred of her clothing or
few bones, they certainly would have
devoured letters and diary that are
claimed to have been left behind. Here is
another section of the story that has a
''fishy' smell:
''Once she escaped death at the hands
of vicious mountain lion by wading
into a small lake up to her chin. For
two hours she stood in the icy water,
while the ravenous beast crouched on the
edges of the lake, snarling and licking his
vicious chops Finally the cat got tired
of waiting and skunk away in a canyon.
More dead than alive, Mrs. White EN-
erged from the water and lay down eX-
hausted But the desire to let her family
in her old home know that she was peni-
tent for wrong which she had commit
ed and which, it is inferred, drove her
from her once happy family, was strong,
and with her remaining energy she scrib-
bled with an indelible pencil the letters
and diary which recorded her wander
ings and sufferings up to the time that
hunger deprived her of strength to
write"
Could a person-either man or woman
remain in icy cold water for two
hours and survive the shock? Authori-
ties on animals agree that mountain
lions are harmless and instead of at
lacking persons will tremble with fear
and scamper when anyone approaches.
1t is suspicioned by some people that the
writing of the letters was done for
purpose.
Mrs. White was never a resident of
Mankato. She was a graduate of the
dental school of the state university and
practiced dentistry in Minneapolis until
she left Minneapolis three years ago. 1t
has been two years since her husband,
Mr. White, or other members of her fami-
ly have heard from her.
She was practicing dentistry in Daw-
son City two years ago, when she sent
letter to her relatives in Minneapolis say
ing that she was going into the interior
and would probably not be heard from
for some time.
A dispatch from Seattle to The Mime
apolis Journal says:
at is believed here that Edith White
may have been murdered by some man
who accompanied her north and who left
the account to hide the crime. B. S.
Shields here says that late in the eigh-
ties Mrs. White ran away from her hus-
band with another man, later she left
this man for still another. Her husband
some years later found her and took
her back but it was only short time
until she left him again and that was
the last ever heard of her. She was a
beautiful woman and if she was not
murdered and the account left to cover
up the crime, then her penitence was for
the wrongs she had done her husband
H. H. Cheatham says: after leaving
White in Mankato, Mrs White went to
Minneapolis, where she studied dentis-
try and opened an office. After leav
ing Minneapolis she went to Chicago
where she opened dental office and did
well. She remained in Chicago until
about three years ago, when, we heard
she passed through Seattle on her way
to Alaska"
Mr.. White was divorced from his wife
before he came to Mankato in 1897 to
take charge of the Deering office here.
Two daughters, Misses Vera and Blossom
White, are living in Minneapolis with
their father
Postmaster C. L. Benedict today receiy-
ed the following communications:
Central Alaska, July 9th, 1908. Post
master, Mankato, Mimi: While hunt
ing moose in the mountains [ found a
diary and two letters written by Edith
White on October 9th, 1901. Letters
addressed to her husband, John A. White,
and two daughters stating she was lost
in the mountains and starving to death,
also note to anybody finding her body
and letters to notify them. Will hold
letters and diary until hear more. If
should want a quick answer better
wire as mail is slow in this part of
Alaska. No trace of her body has been
seen.
WILLIAM SHAFER,
Sergeant Signal Corps, Shifted States
Army.
Ketchemstock, Alaska, Aug. 4th, 1903.
Postmaster, Mankato, Minn.-Sir: As
we have mail twice a month at this sta
ton, this letter from Sergeant William
Shafer was forwarded to this station by
wire. Respectfully,
JOHN GUSTAFSON,
United States Signal Corps.
Mr.. Benedict will forward the letters
to Mr. White.
John A. White was still in Chicago
when The mee Press called up his Min
neapolis residence today. Miss Blossom
White answered the phone. She stated
that her father was expected home
from Chicago this morning, but he was
delayed there and will not reach Mime |
apolis until tomorrow morning. Miss
White stated that there is bare posi- |
bility that her mother still lives. She |
was not inclined to believe the murder
story.