The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1869-06-25
From the Leavenworth Conservative.
THE SALINE MASSACRE
THE ALpERDIoE FAMILY.
srArrnEsr rnan sInsr HANDS.

We received call yesterday from
Mr.. Thomas Alderdice, who resides
or did reside, before his family was
the Indians-oD the Saline river, about
one and half miles below the mouth of
SpilIman creek. His home was 30
miles from Salina and "a miles from
EllsW ortis-tle latter being the nearest
town to which he lived.
On Sunday, the Both day fast May, as
Mr.. Alderdice was returning from Sa-
lima, and when about three miles from
his home, he heard that band of In
diahs had been into the settlement and
murdered large number of people and
DESTROYED considerable property. On
arriving at his home he found it desert
ed, and was almost paralyZed with grief
at finding one of his children, six years
of age, dead on the ground with four
bullets in his body, and another of his
dead, shot with five arrows. A third
child had five arrow wounds in his
body, one entering his back 10 the depth
of five inches. The wounded one is
now lying at Mr.. ZeigIer's house on Sa-
line river, alive and doing well. Mrs.
Alderdice and her babe, aged eight
months, were carried away captives by
the Indians.
1t seems that the Indians-who are
supposed to have been members of the
Dog Soldier band of Cheyennes-came
upon the settlement about an hour be-
fore dark. The divided into bands
of from five to seven, and made stimuli
taneous attacks in different localities.
Mr.. eitzei, a farmer, who lived about
two miles from Mr.. Alderdice's house.
was murdered, together with a com
rade, and Mrs. w. was carried off by the
~. flNr. ~ rNf
our informant. The Weitzels were
from Hanover, and had only been in this
country about two months.
a Danish man and wife were murder
ed on Spillman creek, about seven miles
from the mouth.
n silversmith from Chicago. named
Peterson, had his head mashed with his
own axe, and was shot through the heart
with an arrow. They tried to burn his
house, but were frustrated iii all their
attempts to destroy it.
a young man named Harrison
Strange, about fifteen years old, was
shot through the head with an arrow,
and his head mashed with n war club,
which was found beside his body, brok-
ell III two.
A boy named Smoots, about thirteen
years old, was shot through the body,
and no hopes of his recovery are en-
tertained, as the dart of an arrow is
supposed 10 be still sticking in his
lungs.
The house of Thomas Noon was at
tackled and the assailants driven off by
three Swedes, two of the Indians being
wounded.
The house of William Hendrickson
was saved by the herOism of two wO-
men-Mrs. Hendrickson and Mrs. Green
and finally drove them away.
When the Indians were after young
Smotts, a boy aged twelve and another
aged nine, started to the rescue, the
elder carrying gun and the younger
the ammunition. They kept the MUIR
derers away and prevented them from
killing Shoots outright.
Thirteen persons in all were killed.
and all the movable property in the set
Element destroyed or carried away.
Mr.. Alderdice came to Kansas about
six years ago and has been living out
where his family was murdered, for
some time past. We wish some of the
philanthropists i'll the East who talk
about civilizing the Indians, could have
heard this unfortunate and almost heart
broken man tell his story. We think
they would at least have wavered lit
tie their opinion of the Lo family.
Mr.. Alderdice is here to make his
complaints in person to the military, and
see if any assistance can be rendered
him in looking for his wife and child.
He has secuted the country for con-
siderable distance around the scenes of
the outrages and gives it as his opinion
that the savages have not left this
section of the country. but are still
prOwling around in bands of from four
to eight.