The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1936-06-26

A4oAAA GAACAC W 4AA4dNC4H41Ao Wy ol41H uA4A
thence to Washington. When just a
short way down the river Lewis heard
rumors of trouble between the United
States and England, the trouble which
eliminated in the Wal of 1872. He
heard rumor of pirated ships on the
Atlantic and he decided it would be
Leaving the river boat at Memphis he
borrowed army horses and pack mules
and started the grueling journey
through the wilderness toward WASH
ington, the Washington that he was
never to see again. Lewis was sick at
the the time nssn and l. Major ths c Sohn Nicely YIN; In
Travelled with him to see that he
reached his destination safely. One
afternoon after the party had been
travelling overland for a week a ter
rifle thunderstorm struck. In the storm
the pack mules escaped: Governor
wants to round them up while he
pushed ahead to the nearest house.
There he would await them.
Meriwether Lewis rode for several
hours through the Tennessee hills. FL
na]lv he saw a house before him in the
gathering dusk. It was the home of a
family named Grinder or Grinner, q
house many miles from any habitation,
where travellers along the famous old
to spend the night. Lewis procured
lodging from Mrs. Grinder. The facts
as to what happened after he entered
the door of that house deep in the
forest are jumbled. For him it wa
the door of eternity. The following
morning he was found dead on his bed
with several bullet wounds in his body.
that stormy night have been given, and
in nearly every account the Important
facts differ. Some writer's have pic
tured the Grinders as kindly country
folk who gave up their house that the
ailing governor might have a good
nights rest; others have pictured the
Grinders as characters Of i'll repute
travellers who passed their way.
A number of historians have drawn
conclusion that Meriwether Lewis was
a suicide from the fact that Thomas
Jefferson said he was. Yet Thomas
Jefferson's word In this case a really
carry very little weight, for jefferson
was retired to Monticello, his Virginia
word he had of Meriwether Lewis
death was hearsay. The evidence gath
cred at the scene of the tragedy points
quite definitely toward a murder
theory. Several NOR recent writer's on
the case have concluded that Lewis
q murder victim.
Thomas Jefferson's memoir Of Meri-
wether Lewis is given in DIN d.
iWheelsr,s account Of Lewis, death in
CLARK" Jefferson wrote: Governor
LegRis had, from early life, been subject
to hypochondriac affections. It was al
constitutional disposition in all the
nearer branches of the family of his
name, and was more Immediately in
herited by him from his father. While
times sensible depressions Of the, mind;
source. I estimated their 'cotrss by1
what I had seen in the family. He was
IN a. paroxym of one of these afflic-l
lions when his affairs rendered it nee
essary for him to go to Washington.
where he arrived Sept. 16. 1909, with al
view to- continuing his journey thence
by water. The rumors of wa with Eng
land and app~rehensions that he might
lose the papers he was bringing with
among which were vouchers of his
public accounts and the papers of his
western expedition, induced him there
by land through the Chicasaw coun-
try. Although he appeared somewhat
relieved, Mr.. Nicely kindly determined
to accompany him and watch over him.
Unfortunately, at their encampment,
having passed the Tennessee one days
journey, they lost two horses, which
obliged Mr.. Nicely to halt for their
recovery, the governor proceeding, un-
der a promise to wait for him at the
house of the first white settler on the
road. He stopped at the house of Mr..
Grinder Tor Grinner), who not being
home, his wife, alarmed at symptoms
of arrangement she discovered, gave
up the house to him and retired to;
rest herself in an clubhouse, the gov
ernor's and Neely's servants lodging in
another. About three o'clock in the
night he did the deed which plunged
his friends into aff1iction, and deprived
citizens. It lost, too, to the nation, the
benefit of receiving from his own handi
the narrative now offered them Of his
sufferings and successes in endeavor-
ing to extend for them the boundaries
|