The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1930-01-31
THE WILDERNESS MURDER

enabled him to survive in the
wilds, was responsible for an in
vestigation that revealed not only
the wanton murder of a member
Of a prominent London, Eng,
family, but it also demonstrated
the thoroughness of the police
system.
Into the Moostoos Indian Re
serve, near Sucker Creek and in
the vicinity of Lesser Slave Lake,
one day in October, 1904, rode
Charles King, with three pack
horses and a collie dog. He was
northward bound. The stranger re-
manned with the Indians for two
days, and might have been per-
mitted to continue his journey
had not an Indian boys curiosity
been stirred by the fact that the
dog refused to follow King, nor
would the animal obey his com
mands. The native youth com
mented to his elders on the
strange demean0r of the dog, ex-
pressing wonderment over the col
lies obvious fear of the man.
Chief Moostoos, versed in the
ways of man and beast in the
northland, heard the boys story
and he sent a courier for Joseph
Kisanis, THE Little Old Man"
who resided in a tepee near
Swan Hill. The recluse told of
having seen two men in camp
King and a companion-and that
on the third night of their stay
there he had heard a gun-shot.
The chief became convinced a
crime had been committed, and
he himself made the journey to
the detachment at Athabaska
Landing where he related the
facts as he had found them.
Staff-Sergean Anderson, with
Constable Mcdonald, accompanied
the old back to the reserve. A
few brief inquiries among the
hunters revealed that two
Of them had come across Kings
camp a few hours after he had
left the reserve. They, too, had
wondered at the necessity of the
huge campfire King had made,
but, less sophisticated than their
chieftan, the braves had attribut-
ed the coating of grease on the
nearby trees to the probability
that King had smoked the choice
portions of a caribou, burning the
undesirable parts.
While King was breaking camp
at the reserve, preparatory to re-
his trip, Sergeant Ander-
son left for Swan Hill, leaving
Mcdonald behind to watch King
and follow him if the latter made
MS departure before the sergeant's
Arriving at the abandon
ed camp, Anderson, according to
his official report, dug into the
ashes of the fire with his hands.
found pieces of bone, and
about a foot beneath the extin-
embers he discovered a
hole made only a short time pre- !
yiously. From this he dug pieces !
If flesh and what he believed to !
De a human heart. =
Leaving Chief Moostoos and :
several of his companions to !
guard the spot against possible !
nolestation, the Sergeant returned =
o the eserv where he placed Q
King under arrest. He, with Nc !
Donald, then returned to where !
he bones had been found to OBJ
ain, if possible, additional evi-
lence of foul play.
During the policeman's brief alb
.ence, Chief Moostoos' eyes had
busy. Footprints, u%ndiscerni- n
lie to other than those who had V
,een long in the north, were fol t
owed by the Indian to the edge v
f a swamp. He had sent two com o
Ianions into the muddy water h
nd they had kicked up a canvas
ucket and a pair of boots. These s
hey stood guarding when Ander- Il
and Mcdonald returned. f,
1t was getting dark by this a
ime so the Indians quickly built c
fire that the contents of the q
ucket might be examined by the f;
olice. The container gave forth d
everal articles, including a gold
ugget and a locket, the latter D
all-marked by a prominent Lon q
jeweler. The Investigators m
ere certain that the articles had Il
elonged to Kings companion and m
nat they had been thrown into s.
le slough in an effort to prevent it
notification of the owner should t.
ley be found on Kings person.
In the boot-toe was a piece Of D
uckskin needle that fitted e1- ic
city another piece found during II
lie Sitting of the ashes. to
During the subsequent trip with to
ing to the Edmonton barracks, G,
lie prisoner volunteered the in III
,rmation that his companion, ef
hom he called Lyman, had
# him at the camp at Swan m
i'll and had taken the trail for VI
urgeon Lake. Chief Moostoos'
miliarity with the north was to tb
rther avail in discrediting this n
DRY by King, for he, with two tn