The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1911-05-25

Lost lhelr Way in Attempt to
Cross Divide in North
ern Canada.
Ottawa, Canada.-All that will ev-
er be known of the greatest tragedy
in the annals of the Northwest
Mounted Police, the starving and
freezing to death last February of
Inspector Fitzgerald and three con-
stables, Kinney, Taylor and Carter,
was brought here to Col. Frederick
White, controller of the mounted po-
lice, by a special messenger yester-
day.
The messenger brought the diary
kept by Fitzgerald's will, scrawled in
his last hours with a burnt twig on
a piece of battered and torn paper.
and the report Of Corporal Dempster,
who commanded the relief and
searching party that found the bod
les. One of the men, Constable Tay-
lor, crazed by his sufferings, blew
his head off with his shotgun.
Inspector Fitzgerald's will was
drawn as he lay beside the body of
Constable Carter, whom he blamed
for the party's misfortune. It con-
cluded with the words, "God bless US
ALL" and b%equeathed his money and.
papers to my dearly beloved moth
err" who lives in Halifax. Colonel
White will not allow a verbatim
copy of the will, which contains only
twenty-five words, to be printed uns
til Mrs. Fitzgerald has seer the docu-
ment.
Hoped to Meet Indians.
The diary was found March % by
Corporal Dempster, In charge Of the
search party sent out from Dawson.
1t was under the robe on which the
bodies of Constables Kinney and
Taylor were found. The first entry
in the diary is December 81, 1910,
and the last is February s., 1911. The
entry of January IL reads as follows:
"Twenty-three below, with strong.
S. w, wind which turned to a gale
in the evening. Did not break
camp; sent Carter and, Kinney OFF at
z a. m. to follow a river going south.
"They returned at $3.50 p. M, and
reported that it ran right up in the
and Carter said that 1t
was not the right river. l left at s
a. m. and followed a river running
but could not see any cuttings
on it. Carter is completely lost and.
doesnot know one river from an
other.
I'VE have now only ten pounds of
and eight pounds of bacon and
some dried fish. My last hope is
gone and the only thing I can do is
to return and collect some Of the
dogs to feed the others and ourselv-
es, unless we can meet some Indians.
Sorry He Took the Guides Word.
we have now been a week look
ing for a river to take us over the
divide, but there are dozens Of riv-
ems, and I am at a loss. I should
not have taken Carter's wore, that he
knew the way from the Little Wind
River"
This is the true explanation of the
catastrophe. 1t is evident that In
spector Fitzgerald had relied upon
Carter as a guide to Dawson. At the
time that the party turned back they
we're about 264 miles from MacPher-
son and twenty-five miles from
Dawson. They had travelled from De-
cember 81, 1910, until January IL,
1911, continuously with only n day
OFF, a distance of $40 miles.
From January 1S to February s,
which date the last entry is made,
they travelled 230 miles. The entries
in the diary are not extensive. but
some are terribly suggestive Of the
they were undergoing; the
trail was exceptionally heavy and
they were breaking through ice, get
ting wet and the cold was intense.
Worried Only at Failure.
Inspector Fitzgerald in his diary
gives some inkling rs to what most
affected his mind; it seems to have
been the anxiety to perform the pa
troll and not to return to Fort Nc
Pherson defeated. His expression,
''My last hope is gone and the only
thing I can do is to return" seems
indicate this. Had he been q less
experienced traveller he would have
turned back soone
--o-
Pierre, s. D.-With the organiza-
ton of the new commission in this
city, following the election Of yes
terday, they will have to care for the
49,, 49, xNnkg AAhAFa~x