The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1905-12-01
CLARENCE MCDONALD DEAD.
Meets Most Tragic Death on The
Lava Desert.

Soh' uoou Ills SHoC gun aS support
hobble along on, broke the gun stool
struck the breech on the rocks as h
did SO, and received his death woun
from the accidental discharge of tn
gun.
This is the decision reached by tn
searching party that found him in tn
darkness and the storm of last Monda,
night, and these are circumstances at
tending his sad and untimely death.
His brother, j. H. Mcdonald, in an in
terview Tuesday morning said:
"My brother was getting some woot
out of the lava beds north of Nc Donald
vile. / think it was Saturday he was
out for load, and on his way home he
told me he had found where he coulo
get another load or two. | knew Just
about where he had been that day and
on Monday evening when saw one Of
his horses coming from the lava beds !
ran out and tried to catch it, but it got
by me and I got my neighbors, John
Deane and j. Kinney, to go with me to
look for him as | feared something was
wrong
1t was getting dark, and we took a
lantern. We could scarcely follow the
road in the storm, and just happened to
take the right branch road that lead us
to his wagon There was part of a load
of wood on. such as man puts on to
bank out to the edge of the lavas. His
dinner bucket and other things were on
the load
knew he had some traps set for coy
otes, and | think he was ready to hitch
up, but took his shot gun and his dog
and went to look after the traps. We
shouted for awhile, built fire, and then
began to hunt in all directions from the
wagon, keeping up good fire as a signal
for him in case he was lost
Finally we heard the dog growl, and
then he put in an appearance at the wag-
on as if to try to keep us away from it.
We took the dogs tracks which lead us
near the body. First saw mans knee
raised little from the ground, as if the
body were lying back downward.
He was covered with snow and was
quite cold. All the top of his head was
blown off and one leg was broken just
above the ankle. He had bound up the
leg with couple of handkerchiefs and
had tied piece of rope around it above
the knee as if to check the flow of blood. |
He had the gun barrels in his hands,
with the muzzle near his face We no.
tlced patches of blood in the snow where
he had heen hobbling along, and believe
he was using the gun to help himself
to hobble to the wagon when the stock
broke. That let the breech strike the
rocks and discharged it. We did not
look around much and l did not notice
whether the gun had load left in it or
not. We laid it on rock and brought
the corpse to town. On the way we met
brother Charlie going out to look for
Clarence. Mr.. Van Blarican had met us
on the road when we were going to the
lavas, and told Charlie about it.
Charlie had an accident during the
day and was lame from having timber
fall on his ankle.
We have telegraphed our father at
Henning, Minnesota, and brother Will
am who has been in the hospital at
Salt Lake mending up from injuries re-
;elved in the runaway month ago.
We have not yet broken the news to
Mrs. Mcdonald. They have an infant
only a week DID, and we have told her
Clarence is hurt, but don't know how
Or when we will tell her the rest of it.
We think Clarence broke his leg by step t
ping into crevice and falling while the '
OOt. WdS ldSC. AlIeT Cue SUOrm is over
we shall 60 back and make careful ex !
animation of the place"
DR.. Kinnard came down from Idaho :
Falls to hold an inquest if it was thought
advisable, and on making an examina-
ion of the corpse at the undertaking
oarlors of Brown q Eldredge, it was =
found that the shot in the head had
;ome from the front on his left.
The right leg had sustained COM T
,ound fracture, and some shot and n
powder burns we're found in the flesh s.
md clothing, indicating that this injury c
vas also gunshot. An examination of il
he broken gun and the scene of the ac- il
ident may reveal something more. II
On Tuesday evening the sad affair was =
aade known to Mrs. Mcdonald by Miss "
'ylva Wood, one of her close friends
those love and sympathy enabled her
D present it without severe shock.
lrs. Mcdonald is bearing up bravely NJ
nder the ordeal, and the big heart of W