Oakes Republican. (Oakes, N.D.) 1898-1906, 1905-12-28
FROZEN TO DEATH
ON OPEN PRAIRIE
Such the Fate Of J. L. Potter Of
Riverdale Township

Started to Walk from Oakes to His Home Six
Miles Distant and Gets Lost in Fog.
Had an Honorable Career
The finding of his dead body in the
snow, half mile south of L. D. Ish-
mael's residence in Riverdale township
last Sunday afternoon, was sad end
ing for j. L. Potter. The remains
were found after a nearly two days
search in which neighbors and friends
joined.
j. L. Potter was an old man of al
most seventy-seven years and for the
past six years had made his home with
his son, w. D. Potter of Riverdale
township. A week ago last Monday,
December 18th, the old gentleman and
son came to town together in sleigh.
The younger man attended to his trad
ing and was ready to start home early
in the afternoon. The team was
hitched at Perkins & Tuthill's corner
and there father and son met to start
home when it dawned on the elder man
that he had some clothes at the Oakes
Steam Laundry and started after them.
His son wanted him to get in the sleigh
then, but they parted, with the under
standing that in short time they
should meet again at the Klein & SUIT
mar corner. The son drove around that
way when he got his load, but not see
ing his father, started for home.
The son was up town Tuesday and
Wednesday and made some inquiries
about his father, but could find no trace
of him in the city. He then thought
that the old gentleman had started
home afoot or with some of the neigh
bors and had stopped with some of them
as he had done at times before. Not
until Friday night had the son sus-
picions that his father was lost. His
wife made inquiries of the neighbcrs
who attended Christmas entertain
ment at the Hutsinpiller school house,
but they had not seen him since Mon
day. It was discovered that the cd
gentleman had been at the school house
about four O'Clock on Monday after
noon, and after getting warmed had
again started out. He was carrying a
& bundle ofsslaundry. The next day a
search was instituted, but not finding
4 him lit was renewed Sunday with
!, greater energy u art ut his bundle was
/ found, and back Y ss forth his tracks
could be seensS In ~ HE snow. In the
afternoon the body was found by Ray
Edwards and Will. Hanson, who were
on horseback, in the place indicated in
the beginning Of this article. The old
man had one Of the shirts Of the bundle
tied around his head, and had crawled
around on his hands and knees for some
distance before becoming entirely ex-
hausted. He was frozen stiff. His
tracks showed that at one time he was
within half mile of home, and the
place where found was about two and
one-half miles from the Potter resi-
dence. The night was a very foggy
one, which accounts much for the lost
mans bewilderment.
The body was broughtsto the under
taking rooms of Boardman Bros.
Coroner Hodges was informed by tele-
phone Tuesday morning and he drove
over from Glendale that day to make
an investigation. He found everything
as above stated, and ordered that the
body be prepared for burial.
]. Z. Potter was New Englander,
being born at North Stonington, Conn. !,
in March, 1929. At the age Of sixteen
he began teaching and followed that
profession for over thirty years. He
was married to Miss Ellen Holmes when
nineteen years of age and they lived a
happy welded life. He came west to
Peoria, Ill, in 1850, and year and a
half later moved to GAINESVILLE, Wis,
and two years later to Madison, where
for seven years he was principal Of the
city schools. Afterwards he engaged
in farming near Racine, but moved to
Phillips in 1887 for his wife's health.
Mrs. Potter died there the same year.
From Phillips he went to Chardon,
Ohio, where he cared for an aged uncle
for nine years. After the death Of his
uncle he came to Dickey county to
make his home with his son, landing
in January, 1900.
In the last few years he was quite
feeble and used a..cane while walking.
The walk Of six miles from the city to
the Potter home in the deep snow
would have been enough to have tired
out q man Of more rugged constitution.
He must have trudged all night for in
the snow could be found lines and cir
,cles whore the snow was tightly packed
from tramping and retramping.
The funeral will be held this after
noon at one O'Clock from the N. a.