Stick Sam (d. 1903)
Stick Sam signed on to the North-West Mounted Police as a Special Constable in September 1899. The first Yukon Special Constables in the Yukon were hired for the Dalton Trail detachment. Special constables were highly regarded as guides and for their skills in handling dog teams and living on the land.1)
In 1903, Skookum Jim, Dawson Charlie, and Jim Boss discovered gold on Ruby Creek in the Kluane District. There was a stampede and 500 men were reported to be on their way to the area. The Dalton Post detachment was the nearest, so Inspector A.E. McDonell, Constable Povas, and Special Constable Sam were called to patrol the area. In July 1903, they were returning from a patrol to their base at Pleasant Camp at the Canada/United States border. They camped for the night in the Kuskawulsh Pass, and in the morning started to ford the river. McDonell went ahead and signalled the rest to follow. Sam got into deep water and pulled his horse over. The horse survived, coming ashore about a mile downstream and on the same side of the river. Sam took a few strokes and disappeared under the water. He died leaving a wife and children that McDonnell supported until he received further orders.2)
Stick Sam’s name is inscribed on the RCMP honour roll.3) He was the first Yukon Mounted Police officer to die in the line of duty.4)