Unable to confirm the identity of a Seminole man "Billy Jumper" who died in 1892. When the Expedition party encounters the Seminole woman, Nancy, at Fort Shackleford, she tells them that she was the widow of Billy Jumper, who got drunk, fell out of his canoe and "... drowned in the Miami river some 10 days or 2 weeks since." The Fort Myers Press reported on Thursday, April 7 of that year that: "Charley Osceola, Billy Buster, Billy Ham, and Water-turkey, were in town the first of the week. They verified the report that John Jumper got drunk and fell in an alligator hole and was drowned some three or four weeks since." It is doubtful that this identification is correct, assuming this is the same Seminole known as Old John Jumper, because he was alive and well at this time. The Tropical Sun in Juno has an article on April 7, 1892, that reports: "A Seminole chief, Tommy Jimmy... fell out of his canoe and was drowned some time ago...." This article could refer to a completely different man or the name could be incorrect, but it seems to be a description of the same drowning.
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For other topics referenced in the Expedition texts, please refer to the Index to Subjects and Names.
1892 Everglades Exploration Expedition : Three Digital Texts, 2015