John Kerley
Yuma Co. Az
Arizona Republican Newspaper
September 4, 1895

Ross Jordan, now in the city, is in receipt of a letter from his 
mother at Agua Caliente, giving the distressing information of 
the loss of her nephew, John Kerley, on the Yuma desert east of 
Ehrenberg.  The Adams brothers, who have been prospecting in the 
vicinity of Ehrenberg brought the news and there can now be no 
doubt that the young man had miserably perished of thirst.

Kerley, who is well nown in Phoenix, was a native of Mexia, 
Texas and was 37 years of age. He has for years been a miner 
and prospector and when he last left Agua Caliente about a 
month ago, he spoke hopefully of the future of a prospect he 
had discovered on the California side of the Colorado River, 
near Ehrenberg, and assured his aunt that from he mine he 
expected enough wealth to make him indepepdnet for the rest 
of his life.

He went to his claim by way of Yuma and the Colorado, but in 
returning preferred the shorter way across the terribly, dry 
desert that fills almost the whole of the interior of Yuma 
County.  The distance to Agua Caliente would thus be much 
shortened and he expected to do some prospecting on the way 
through an almost unexplored region.  His horse had bene 
tired out by his long ride, so was exchanged at Ehrenberg 
for a mule.

On the third day after his departure, the mule came back to the 
Adams brothers camp at Ehrenberg, riderless and without saddle 
or even a rope.  The Adams brothres immeditaly took up Kerley's 
trail and followed it closely for more than 20 miles.  They 
found where he had turned off and made camp at a water hole 
near adesert butte. It was here that the mule escaped. Kerley 
had taken up the pursuit of the mule on foot and the double 
trail was followed till a sand storm arose and obliterated all 
evidence of either. The water and provisions of the trailers 
failing, they returned to Ehrenberg but not till they had 
demonstrated beyond doubt htat thier friednd had perished.  
The Adams brohters will again take up the search from 
Ehrenberg in a few days but will go only to find the body 
of the unfortunate.

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