The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1867-09-03
THE INDIAN MASSACRE ON THE
PLAINS.
a Thrilling Narrative

a Thrilling Narrative.
correspondent of the Missouri Democrat,
writing from Omaha on the 9Th ult., says that
the remains of engineer Brookes Bowers and
fireman George Henshaw, have just arrived
On the same train was man named William
Thompson, native of England, who turned out
to be one of the telegraph repairers reported
killed. He attracted great deal of attention
from the extraordinary fact that the covering
for the head with which nature had so kindly
endowed him was absent. People focked from
all parts to view the CORY, CHASTITY badness,
which bad come upon him so suddenly, without
any premonitory symptoms. The poor fellow
suffered horribly, if We might judge by his facial
contortiops. He seemed weak from loss of
blood He bad received gaping wound 10 the
neck, and bullet in the muscle of his right
ARM He was taken to the Hamilton House,
and physician was sent for, who attended his
wounds. In pail of water was his scalp, about
nine inches in length and four in width, some
what resembling drowned rat, as it foated,
curled up on the water. His statement, which
we have been at some pains to get accurately, Is
as follows:
"About nine o'clock Tuesday night myself
and five others left Plum Creek station, and
started up the track on hand car to hunt up
where the break in the telegraph was. When
saw lot of ties piled on the track, but at the
same moment Indians jumped up from the grass
all around and fred We fired two or
three shots in return, and then, as the Indians
pressed on US, we ran away. An Indian on
pony singled me out and gaoped up to me.
After coming to within ten feet Of me he fired,
the bullet entering my right arm; seeing me
still run, he 'clubbed mis- rife and knocked me
down. He then took out his knife, stabbed me
in the neck, and then making twirf round his
fingers with my hair, he commenced saving and
hacking away at my scalp. Though the pain
was awful, and felt dizzy and sick, knew
enough to keep quiet After what seemed to
be half an hour, he gave the last finishing cut
to the scalp on my left temple, and as it still
hung little, he gave it jerk. | just thought
| then that | could have screamed my life out. l
can't describe it to you. 1t just felt as if the
whole head was taken right off The Indian
then mounted and galloped away, but as he went
| managed to get and hide The indians were
thick in the vicinity, or then might have made
my escape. While lying down could hear the
Indians moving around, whispering to each
other and then shortly after placing obstruc-
tons on the track After lying down about an
| hour and half, [ heard the low rumbng of
the train as it came tearing along, and might
have been able to flag it off had dared"
Drs. Peak and Moore, of this city, will en-
deavor to reset the scalp on his head, and they
are confident they can do it we'll. AS he is a
strong man, it is expected he will recover health
and strength.
| From Chas Radcliffe, supernumerary brake.
man, who in .he caboose of the freight train
when the attack took place, We had the following:
When the train ran off the track he was
asleep on the bench 10 the caboose, and was
suddenly thrown to the floor by the concussion
At the same time he heard the yells Of the In
dams, aad :hen voley was fired upon the peo
pie in the caboose In the cars with him were
VIM. Kinney, conductor; Fred Lewis, brake
man, and man Who had been fireman. The
locomotive was thrown off the track by ties
placed on it, and ran off about ten feet, when it
fell into hollow about four feet; the tender
and the FIVE first cars piled on top of one
another, as they had been running at the rate of
| twenty five miles an hour. Looking out of the
window of our car, they could see the Indians
in strong force the south side of the track,
shouting and yelling at something at the fore
most end-probably the engineer and fireman
| They closed the door, but in few minutes came
out, and the conductor told the brakeman to go
and flag off the train, which was coming about
three miles behind. The brakeman replied Il
dare not-the Indians are all around here"
To which the conductor replied, "D-n the H.
dians; go and flag off that train, or shell be into
u.s." Still the man hesitated, and the conductor
rushed down the track himself, and the brake
man, Lewis, and the fireman went after him.
Radcliffe hid himself on the track under the
car. He had laid there for five minutes, when
he saw an Indian cautiously approaching, drawn
ththcr by the light that hung in the caboose.
Radcliffe got down from bis hiding place and
struck for the sand bluffs with the speed of a
startled deer Hc heard some one rustlng after
him, the dry stalks of prairie grass crack ling
beneath his feet. Fear added wings, and he
almost flew, but still he could hear the footsteps
of the pursuer. He was still mile off from the
train, so be started directly toward it, and never
did Persian gaze upon the sun with more loving
look than Radcliffe, the pursued, looked upon
the welcome face of the reflector. 1t was to him
an omen of safety, the pledge of guidance, the
face of deliverer. Onward he few, faster
came the pursuer. Quicker throbbed the heart
OF the white man, az, looking back, he saw two
FORMS bounding after him, and high impetus
was given to his limbs Nearer came the en-
CINE, he could see the engineer; heard the
whistle of 'down Breaks" saw the forms of
three men hurrying up to the locomotive; few
more bounds and lie can hear their voices. He
now shouts out with all his power-a welcome
shout is returned One, two, three, and he is
saved-saved from the peris nameless and fear.
full, and from death of agony. He was nearly
wild with excitement, and as the engine slowly
started away, and then increased its speed till
the telegraph poles were flying past and the dis
/ tance between che wreck and them was increas-
ing, he laughed and cried by turns, shouted,
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