Yukon-Koyukuk Alaska
Obituaries and Death Notices

Daily Alaska Dispatch November 20, 1900
Man Frozen to Death
Dawson, Nov. 15 – Thomas Parker, a wood chopper on White river, froze to death a few days ago. He fell into the river, but was rescued after spending some time in the icy waters. He died soon after at the camp near the scene of the accident. [submitted by Dena Whitesell]


Watson is Dead
Daily Alaska Dispatch April --, 1900
Dawson, April 4 – N. W. Watson, the soldier who shot himself Monday Morning after protracted absence from barracks without leave, died at the N.W.M.P. Hospital last evening. A coroner's jury was empanelled and after an inquest rendered a verdict to the effect that he died from a gunshot wound inflicted by himself and that from the evidence adducted the shot was accidental. The foreman of the jury for the jury desired notice taken, namely, that newspapers should not publish cases of alleged suicides before a jury has passed on them, as they in too many cases result in causing sorrow to relatives and to the lasting injury of a man's character. [submitted by Dena Whitesell]


Daily Alaska Dispatch June 5, 1900
James Moody, aged 39, died at St. Ann's hospital yesterday of pneumonia, and was buried at 2 o'clock today from the undertaking parlors of C. W. Young. [submitted by Dena Whitesell]


Daily Alaska Dispatch August 3, 1900
Story of Sad Dispair
Told on Flyleaf of a Small Bible
Belated Survivor
Of the Edmonton Trails on His Way south – Partner Starved
The terrible Edmonton trail has claimed another victim. Henry Weywich of Los Angeles, where his family are said to reside at present, starved to death while wintering near McPherson lake, on the Yssezoo (sic) river. His partner, Al Dominy, also of Los Angeles, was only saved from similar fate by shooting a moose. He lived upon the meat for four months, without even a bite of bread during that time.
The story of Weywich's terrible death by starvation is recorded in a little Spanish-American bible, in which he kept a diary as his note paper ran out. Dominy, who came down from the North on a late steamer on his way to Los Angeles, is taking the book to the family of the dead man, as the last words he ever wrote are inscribed therein.
Weywich and Dominy were members of the “Sunny South” party which passed through Seattle from Los Angeles to the Klondike in 1898. They took the Edmonton trail and before winter had set in had all given out but the two mentioned, and had turned back for civilization. Dominy and Weywich, however, struggled on and succeeded in reaching McPherson lake, where they built a cabin and prepared to spend the winter.
The men's provisions were terribly short, but they had no idea but that they would kill enough game to keep them going. No game appeared, though, and by January they were on short rations. The rest of the pitiful tale is best told in entries made in the diary by the dead man.
“January 6 – Too weak to go hunting. Cooked a spoonful of rice, one of flour and one of vegetables. Al gave me the leg of a squirrel.”
At this time the two men were living on two meals a day. Both meals consisted of a thin watery soup, as in that way they could get all the strength out of their slender stock of provisions.
“January 8 – Am eating the buds of willows. We had a little white weazel today. We are getting weaker and thinner every day.
“January 9 – Am starving to death. We had one spoonful of rice, one of evaporated vegetables and one of flour. It is cold and the theremometer (sic) is down to 40 below. How dreary everything looks.
“January 11 – Flour is all gone. No sign of game. Is still snowing. We are living on one spoonful of vegetables and the tips of willows.”
For five days after the entry on January 11 Weywich only signed his name and put the date down. He was evidently too weak to write.
The unfortunate man died on January 18. They had nothing to eat for the few days previous at all. Practically they had had nothing for weeks. Dominy and Weywich sang hymns and familiar tunes all the morning. The dying man gradually relapsed into unconsciousness and at 2 o'clock all was over. His partner Dominy buried the body a few rods away.
As luck would have it, Dominy managed to shot a moose, the first one they had seen, the same day Weywich died, and for four months he lived upon this meat, without a bite of anything else.
The last words that Weywich wrote in the diary, or Bible, were penned across the following verse in Acts of the Apostles:
“And now behold I go in spirit into Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there.”

The winter camp of the two men was on the lower end of McPherson Lake, on the Yessezoo river, about 500 miles from Dawson and 240 miles from Fort Laird. It is said that Weywich worked previous to going to the Klondike for the Los Angeles street railways.
[Submitted by Dena Whitesell]