Why Doubt Persists

CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIVE OBSERVATION: WHY DOUBTS PERSIST

AN ACCOUNT OF THOMAS T. DORAN, THE LAST MAN TO SEE THOMAS FRANCIS MEAGHER ALIVE, WRITTEN TWO AND ONE HALF YEARS AFTER MEAGHER'S DISAPPEARNACE, DICTATED TO A THIRD PARTY, IS AN OBVIOUS RED HERRING MEANT TO THROW INVESTIGATORS OFF THE TRAIL OF THE CASE. THE CRITICAL PARTS OF THE NARRATIVE LACK BELIEVABILITY. CONTRARY TO DORAN'S ACCOUNT, MEAGHER HAD NUMEROUS MORTAL ENEMIES WHO HAD CLEARLY EXPRESSED AN INTENTION TO LYNCH HIM, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, DORAN'S NARRATIVE PROVIDES NO EXPLANATION ON WHAT HAPPENED TO MEAGHER'S ELEVEN BODYGUARDS, WHO DORAN REPORTS TO HAVE SEEN THE DAY PRIOR TO MEAGHER'S DISAPPEARANCE, NOR DOES DORAN ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN HOW MEAGHER ENDED UP IN FORT BENTON WITHOU ANY PERSONAL WEAPONS. DISARMED, ALONE, STONE SOBER, AND BELIEVING HIMSELF IN MORTAL DANGER, MEAGHER TURNED TO DORAN FOR PROTECTION. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT IS A MATTER OF CONJECTURE.

[To] Captain W.F. Lyons [Meagher's biographer dated DEC. 16, 1869]

Dear Sir,

[A] very severe illness compelled me to defer to an answer to your letter, but realizing the importance of your request, I reply at my earliest convenience, though my health compels me to call the pen of a friend to my assistance. I will endeavor to communicate without elaborations, the circumstances of General Meagher's death, believing that I am conversant with all of the facts, as I was with him constantly on the day of the sad occurrence, and was the last man that spoke to him on earth. In the Spring of 1866, I was pilot on the steamer Ontario bound for Fort Benton. Among the passengers was Mrs. General Meagher on the way to join her husband in the mountain country. My position on the boat placed in my power many opportunities of extending trifling courtesies to her; and knowing the high esteem to which her husband was held by the country, and being acquainted with his previous history, I endeavored, as far as lay in my power, to obviate the weariness of the long and tedious voyage. General Meagher attached undue importance to this, and ever after, though it would be presumption of me to say we were friends, yet I had much reason to believe that he ever entertained the kindest feelings towards me. So much by way of preface, which is not altogether unnecessary, as it partially explains the subsequent events.

The following year [1867], I became pilot of the Steamer, G.A. Thompson, which left St. Louis in the early part of April, and arrived at Fort Benton June 29th, 1867. On our arrival in port we found there the steamers Gordon and Amelia Ppe, about one hundred yards apart from each other, and we anchored between the two, about equal distance from each. Shortly after landing I went up to the upper boat, (Amelia Poo), and while fishing from her lower deck I saw a troop of about twelve horsemen riding into town. I afterwards discovered that they were General Meagher and staff. Wearying soon of the piscatorial sport, I went to the provision store of J. G. Baker, and in a back room of the establishment I discovered General Meagher reading a paper. Looking up and immediately recognizing me, he greeted me most warmly, and both seating ourselves, we engaged in a long conversation. He informed me that on his road into Benton he was very sick, at Sun River, for six days that the object of his present visit was to procure arms and equipments for a regiment he had already raised to fight against the Indians and learning that the required articles were not there, but at Camp Cook, 120 miles below, he expressed his determination to proceed to the aforesaid place the next day. He also spoke in the most tender and affectionate terms of his wife, residing at Helena, saying that in their mountain home they were " as happy as two thrushes in a bush." Finally, dinner-time coming on, and learning that he was stopping at no particular place, I invited him down to the boat te dine-an invitation which he accepted. After dinner we walked through the town, and meeting numerous friends, we were invited on several occasions to partake of the hospitalities always urgently extended to strangers in this section of the country; and on each instance the General politely but firmly refused to accede to their request, saying that his experience at Sun River had given him a distaste for such amusement. Thus, in walking and talking, we spent the afternoon, and towards evening wended our way to the boat (Thompson) to take tea. The sun had just begun to go down as we took our chairs out on the guards of the boat, and as the weather was very pleasant, we lit our cigars and commenced reading. I lent the General a book I had brought from the States ; it was the States ; it was the Collegians," by Gerald Griffin, He seemed to peruse it with great attention for about half an hour, when, suddenly closing it, he turned to me and said very excitedly, " Johnny, they threaten my life in that town ! As I passed I heard some men say, There he goes. ' I endeavoured to persuade him that his fears were utterly groundless, as indeed they were, for there was not one man in the Territory who did not love him. He then asked me if I was armed, and on my assur- ing him that I was, he desired to see my pistols. I immediately produced two navy revolvers (every one is armed in that country and he, seeing that they were loaded and capped, handed them back to me.

Perceiving he was wearied and nervous, I persuaded him to retire to his berth. By this time it was pitch- dark, the hour being about half-past nine, He begged me not to leave him but on my assuring him that it would be only for a few moments, and I would return and occupy the upper berth, he retired. I fixed the clothes about him, locked the door of the state-room, and went down on the lower deck. Noir the lock on the door leading into the cabin was very defective, but I did not mind it much as I intended to return without delay I had been on the lower deck but a short time when I heard a splash in the dark waters below, immediately followed by the cry of " Man over-board." I rushed towards the water, and the engineer saluted me with "Johnny, it's your friend. " To have jumped in would not only have been useless, but almost certain death, as the river there was about twelve feet deep, and with a current rushing at the rate of nine miles an hour and furthermore, it was so dark that no object could be discerned. Accompanied by several others, I ran down on the shore towards the Gordon, which lay fifty yards below; in the meantime hearing two agonizing cries from a man, the first one very short, the last prolonged, and of the most heartrending description. We rushed into the wheel of the steamer and lowered ourselves hip-deep in the water, clinging with our hands to the wheel, while others threw out ropes and boards, but all of no avail The next day cannons were fired, the river dragged, and the shores and islands searched, but all to no purpose. The river below is dotted with innumerable small islands, of different and various areas, the activity of hostile Indians preventing us from exploring-the one furthest down and no doubt the body of the gallant but unfortunate general was washed ashore on one of them, for though I wrote descriptive letters to all the forts below, I never heard any tidings of it. Those, Captain, are the particulars of General Meagher's death, of which I know more probably than any one else. Hoping that they may I be of some little service to you,

I am, yours respectfully

JOHN T. DORAN.

408 N. Fourth-street, St. Louis