The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1922-03-23
ED DoNNELLY LOSES
LIFE IN BLIZZARD
Former Resident of This Section
Caught in Blizzard of Two
Weeks Ago and Perishsd

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One of the tragedies Of the recent
snow storm that swept over the
southwestern portion Of the state,
was the untimely death, apparently
by freezing and exposure of man
by the name of Ed Donnelly, who,
several years ago, filed on and
proved up homestead in the breaks
of the Cimarron river, in the north
west part of the county.
Donnelly's body was found on the
M. McGehee ranch which is near the
old Donnelly homestead. A resi-
dent of that section, a Mr.. Davis,
and his son-in-law, while driving
down to the Cimarron river in search
of some cottonwood trees, which
they might use for fuel, found de-
serted wagon with some mems
clothing and loaf of bread in it,
and, upon looking further, discovered
the body of man about mile and
quarter south, further toward the
river In the meantime, some of the
McGehee family reported the finding
of team Of strange horses in their
pasture, one of them with halter
on, but no harness. A telephone call
was at once put in from the Edwards
ranch to the county authorities, and
County Attorney Davis, Coroner
Miller, Sheriff Nelson and Under
Sheriff Freeman hurried to the scene.
No one was able to identify the dead
man, who apparently had succumbed
to exhaustion and exposure.
Driving up near Satanta, the Of
ficers found man by the name OF
Smith, who had seen a man answer
ing the description of the dead man,
and who identified the wagon and
team; he reported that the man was
Ed Donnelly, who lived in that local
ity several years ago with his wife,
who had died there; this was later
verified at Satanta, where names OF
his relatives were obtained, and they
came to Liberal and claimed the
body,
Donnelly was last seen by Smith
driving toward the river the even
ing before the snowstorm, in his
wagon; he was headed in the direc-
= ton of his old place, where his wife
: died. The wagon was found in
deep washout, and it is presumed
that while going through the storm,
the wagon going in the ditch, ne got
stuck. unhitched his team and at
TEMPTED to make his way on without
the wagon. Some days after the
body was found, the harness from
the horses, two suit cases and red
sweater he had been wearing were
found piled up in the hills. Mr.
McGehee reported he saw a man
wandering some distance from his
house on Friday after the storm, but
took him to be a trapper or hunter.
The body of Donnelly was found just
west of where he had been seen py
McGehee. His fingers, hands and feet
were badly frozen.
1t is an odd coincident that ne met
his death near the spot where ne
lived years ago; had he been able
to get few miles further, he would
have reached his former home, where
| he undoubtedly suffered the hard
ships of other pioneers in that section
of the country.
A sister of Donnelly, a Mrs. Trim
die. lives near Gray, Oklahoma, and
another sister and the father live at
Enid, Oklahoma, where the body was
shipped for burial.
During the past five years Mr.. DON
nelly has resided at or near Denver,
Colorado, and it is surmized that ne
made the trip out to the old place.
possibly to look over the old home
stead again, and possibly to do some
trapping. 1t is fortunate that he was
remembered by some of the older
residents near where he was found,
as there was nothing found on his
person by which he could be identl-
! fed In the suit cases found nearly
two miles distance from the body,
were important and valuable papers,
Indicating that he carried insurance.