Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1867-08-24
THE nNDEANS.

THE PLUM CREEK MASSACRE-THE DEAD
BROUGHT TO OMAHA FOR BURIAL-A MIS-
SING MAN TURNS UP, MINUS Ills SCALP
HIS STATEMENT OF THE AFFAIR.
Correspondence of the st. Louis Democrat]
OMAHo, Nebraska, August S.--Dcspatchcs
forwarded carly in the afternoon to the
Office of the superintendent of the Union
Pacific Railroad announced that the dead
bodies of the engineer, Drookes Bowers,
and tho fireman, Geo. Henshaw, would be
brought to this city, and would probably
arrive ut o'clock P. NJ. The news spread
like wildfre through the city, ard as the
hour of their arrival approached large
crowd of men and boys assembled, if posi-
bic, to catch glimpse of the remains of
the unfortunate men whe but few hours
previous left Omaha in the prime of their
manhood on their usual duties. Tho train
arrived punctual to its time.
On the same train was man named
William Thomson, native OF England,
who turned out to be one of the telegraph
repairers, reported killed. He attracted
great deal of attention from the very
extraordinary fact that the covering for the
head, which nature had SO kindly endowed
him with, was al sent. People flocked
from all parts to view the CORY, ghastly
denly, without any premoEitory symptoms.
The poor fellow suffered horribly, if we
might judge by his facial contortions. lie
seemed weak from loss of blood. He had
received gaping wound in the neck, and
bullet in his right arm. He was taken to
the Hamilton House and physician was
sent for, who attended to his wounds. In
o pail of water was his scalp, about nine
inches in length, and four in width, some
what resembling drowned rat, as it font
ed, curlcd up, on the water. Ills 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 a hand-car to hunt
up where the break in the telegraph was.
When we came to where the break proved
to be we saw lot of ties piled on the track,
but at the same moment Indians jumped up
from the grass all around and fired on US.
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 galloped up to me- After coming to
within ten feet of me he fired, the bullet en-
tering my right arm seeing me still run, he
dubbed his rifle and Knocked me down. lie
then took out his knife, stabbed me in the
fingers with my hair, he commenced saving
and hacking away at my scalp.
Though the pain was awful, and l felt
dizzy and sick, l knew enough to keep
quiet. After what seemed to be half an
hour he gave the last finishing cut 20 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.
! can't describe it to you. 1t just felt as if
the whole head was taken right of. The
Indian then mounted and galloped away,
but as he went he dropped my scalp within
q few feet of me, which l 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 OBJ
structions on the track. After lying down
about an hour and half heard the low
rumbling of the train Us it came tearing
along, and might have been able to flag it
of had dared.
The engineer and fireman were shot and
scalped, but before the Indians burnt the
train they plundered the box. cars of every
thing that might prove of the least value,
or what attracted their fckle fancy. They
decorated their persons by tho bonfire which
| they made Of the boxes already plundercd.
| their ponies were caparisoned with gaudy
pieces of muslin, and their tails were adorn-
ed with ribbons of varicgated colors. The
| scalplocks of the Indians were adorned in
the same manner, while banging over their
shoulders were rich pieces of velvet.
| Some of them came across barrel of old
Bourbon whisky. Quickly they stove the
head and quickly they quaffed huge draughts
of the tire-water, which set their brain on
fire and rendered them delirious A violent
war song was chanted while they were thus
inebriated with furious gesticulations, in
honor of the victory achieved over the pale
faces. At day-break they set fire to tho
throwing Il IL the box @ cars, So and % while the the
flames roared and crackled as the wind
came on, aud reared themselves into pyra.