The city was startled by the report
brought in about Monday noon, that near
Sperry's north of the city, the body of
George Adams had been found, dead,
and another person, a stranger, so
seriously injured as to be unable to tell
the cause of the tragedy. It seems that
Adams and a stranger had been around
together during the Sunday afternoon
and at dusk had started for the home of
Mr. Adams on the river north of Bis­marck.

The team evidently took fright
and ran away with the above results. A
TRIBUNE reporter left for the scene of
the disaster at 2 o'clock to obtain the
particulars.
BOTH DEAD.
George Adams of Painted Woods, well
known to everyone in the city, and H.
Bragg, a blacksmith by occupation who
came recently from Montana, and who
was employed by Adams, left the city at
about dark last evening, by the lower
road, passing Sperry's place, for Painted
Woods.
Both men had been drinking, and
were partially intoxicated when they left
the city. Had they not been, there
might have been no cause for an inquest
which is being held this afternoon.
At 11 o'clock this morning Chris John­
son, a herder, who is in the employ of
T. W. Griffin, while riding along the
road came upon a shocking sight.
Just where the road forks at Sherley's
place, was an overturned wagon. The
load was scattered about promiscuously,
the wheels torn from their fastenings,
and the box standing upon its side in
the road.
Just underneath the wagon box, was
Adams with his head and neck resting
in a rut in the road, his arms and legs
doubled up under him, and—dead.
At the bottom of an incline and
about twenty feet distant from Adams
lay Bragg—unconscious, covered with
blood, his head bruised and cut from
contact with some hard substance in the
fall, and his hands bloody where he had
scratched and cut them.
Johnson at once gave the alarm, and
help was summoned. Bragg, the ­
injured man, had laid wounded unto death
from 8 o'clock in the evening until 11
o'clock this morning. He was at once
taken to Sperry's, and efforts made to
revive him. But of no avail were these
attempts. He did not regain conscious­
ness, and died about 2 o'clock.
When the news was brought to the
city, Coroner Webb, Dr. Smyth, and
numerous citizens drove at once to the
scene of the accident. From all appear­ances,

it was not a run-a-way, but a
mere overturning of the wagon,
incident to carelessness in driving.
Just where the road forks at Shirley's,
is a cut bank, probably three feet in
height. Upon this and to the right is
the road leading to Shirley's place
to the left, and just at the bottom of
the bank, is the river road.
Adams and Bragg were not watchful,
and the horses took the upper road dis-
cerning the fact after they had gotten
up, that they were on the wrong
road, Adams turned them off to the left to
regain the right one. Over the bank
went the front wheels and over tipped
the wagon. The fall, from a high seat
was ten or twelve feet. Adams was
stunned, and from the position in which
he lay, and his general appearance, suf-­
focated.
The other man was internally injured,
probably, and this with the resultant ­
exposure, caused his death.
Young Adams was a popular fellow
and was in town last week with a load
of onions. When under the influence
of liquor, however, he was somewhat
quarrelsome and being a husky young
fellow delighted in a little display of
his muscle. Hunters and others always
found a welcome at the home of Adams
near Painted Woods and he was one of
the best known settlers along the river.
An older brother was shot in Montana
by a fellow companion about five years
ago.
Of course, there are rumors of foul
play, but it is probable the facts in the
case were about as above stated. An
inquest is being held.



** The Bismarck Weekly Tribune

Friday, November 3, 1893

Page 3





There is not much new in connection
with the death of Adams and Bragg, as
particularized in Monday's TRIBUNE.
There were rumors of all kinds on the
street Monday afternoon and last even­ing
as to foul play. It was stated that
Adams and Bragg had been met by
several persons between Ward's and
Sperry's Sunday night, and said that
there was a third man with them at the
time also, that Adams when he left
town, had quite a sum of money with
him, about $200, and these circumstan­ces,
it was held, looked like murder and robbery.
But it is probable this suspicion is
untenable. A quart bottle, about three
fourths empty, of tangle-foot whisky,
found alongside the body of Adams
does much to prove carelessness,
drunkenness and accidental death. It
is a matter of much doubt whether
either of the men had any money when
they started from town. When Adams
came to town about a week ago, he had
about $100, and a load of onions, which
he sold. But he has been knocking
about Mandan and Bismarck ever since,
seeing the sights, and that amount
of money would not last him long. It
is probable he spent it all, before he
started for home.
Adams' father, was notified of the
accident yesterday, and he came to the
city this morning. His opinion is that
the deaths were the result of an acci­dent,

and he has no suspicion of foul play.
Coroner Webb held an inquest out at
Sperry's Monday afternoon. Nothing
new was deduced thereby. Chris John­son,

who found the bodies, was ex­amined,

and he merely stated the facts
of discovering the wagon and men.
There were no suspicious circumstances,
as far as he knew. A herder for Sperry,
who attended the man Bragg until he
died, was examined, to discover if Bragg
had regained consciousness at any time,
and it was found he had not.
Dr. Smyth was examined as to the
condition of the men, and he stated that
there were no marks on either of them,
except such as would have been made by
the fall from the wagon. He did not
think the fall enough to kill either of the
men instantly, and had they been found
at once, their lives might have been
saved. But Adams, he thought, was
stunned, and, from his position on the
ground, died of suffocation Bragg, from
loss of blood and exposure.
As there were other witnesses whose
testimony might be of value, the stage
driver, who had seen the men, and
others, Coroner Webb adjourned the
inquest until November 2nd.
The bodies were brought in from
Sperry's this morning, and are now at
the coroner's.
The funeral services over the remains
of George Adams, who was accidentally
killed last Monday night, occurred at
the Episcopal church on Wednesday
afternoon. Though somewhat wild at
times, the deceased was of an open hearted
disposition, bad many friends on the
upper river, and his aged father, C. K.
Adams, is one of the old settlers and
universally popular. He will have the
sincere sympathy of everyone in his ­
bereavement. The remains were interred
in Fairview ceremony.



** The Bismarck Weekly Tribune

Friday, November 3, 1893

Page 5