Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1905-07-24
A GRUEsoME FIND.
Indians Find Badly Decomposed Body
of Dead Whiteman On Standing
Roek Reservation


of Dead Whiteman On Standing
Rock Reservation. .r..i@
Mandan Pioneer: Coroner Draper
returned from CannonbaH Wednesday
where he went Monday, in response to
a phone message, that an Indian had
found corpse on the prairie. When
Mr.. Draper got there he was taken to
the place where the body was and
made a thorough examination as to
the probable cause Of death. The
corpse was a man, evidently about Is
or 80 years of age. Hair a sandy
brown, the moustache shade lighter.
He was well dressed, and had cap
on his head. The shoe and stocking
on one foot was missing. The body
was lying face downward with one
hand under and the other thrown back
on top. In turning the body over it
was found that the flesh had decayed
entirely and nothing but the shelton
of the hand remained. The other
hand, exposed to the sun was dried or
mummified. From the size of the
bones in the hand it was judged that
he had rather small and shapely
hands. A hat was found in one pocket
and a small memo book in another,
also a lot of conductors destination
checks, punched. The leaves of the
book ere stuck together, but an effort
is being made to get them separated.
There are no marks on the body in.
dicating death by violence. The man
had been dead for quite while and
the features were beyond recognition.
The coroner's jury developed the
following, which may serve to identify
the body: A strange person was seen
at various times on the Fort Rice res
ervation, sometimes during the months
of October and November last year.
He acted very strange and was first
noticed by Mr.. Marsh when short
distance from the house. The strang.
er could not talk English, but it was
he wanted something to
eat. Being asked to go to the house,
he refused and thinking that he did
not understand, Mr.. Marsh took him
by the arm, motioning to the house,
but he broke loose and started for the
hills. Next day he was seen coming
up the river all wet and icy. Again
being asked to have something to eat,
be refused to go to the house, and one
Of the boys went and brought him
which he ate. From what
could be understood he was looking
for some relatives. Next he showed
up on the Indian reservation at Par.
kin and at various other places, but at
all times he appeared scared and kept
out of human company as much as
possible. If he was induced to stay
over night anywhere he would use
the first chance to get away in the
unobserved. His ways were
so strange and peculiar that he be-
came known as the wild man of Fort
Rice seservation. Last seen he seem.
ed to be suffering from lack of food
and cold. The description seems to
tally with the unfortunate young man.,
whose remains were found and In,
tered in the Episcopal cemetery on
the reservation this week, Rev. Thos.
Ashley, officiating. The man is sup
posed to be q Finlander.
Ex-Governor Van SAINT Of Minnesota,
was in Minot recently and negotiated
Tor the purchase Of twenty farms.
Al Minot man wants the city and
county prisoners to be fed on bread,
salt and water. y
The Minot school board will call an
election to vote on the issuance Of
bonds 10 the amount OF $4,000 to
ward the erection OF $4,000 school
house. II