Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-05-04

Thrilling Adventures of N Prospect
ing Party

From the Prescott tArizona) Miner, April %.
When the Richardson party divided
near Mount Floyd, 80 or 90 miles north
west from Prescott 81 of the party
turned their faces this way, and the re-
mainder started for Cataract creek, tolook
at patch of country which they had,
on former trip, seen from distance,
and in which they supposed gold existed.
The first party had travelled about six
miles toward Prescott, when three of their
number-Edward Pearl, - Mcdonald,
and Ferdinand Wonder-seceded, and
with burTo, On which they
packed their blankets and provisions,
started for the Little Colorado. Two
of this latter party got back here Satur-
day last, and related a fearful tale of In
dian duplicity, treachery and murder. We
give it as related to us: Shortly after
leaving their companions, the little party
of three struck an Indian trail and fol-
lowed it northward. They soon reached
creek which they supposed to be Dia-
mond creek. Here they met q party of
Wallapais Indians, who acted very friend
ly, and showed ''peace papers" from some
army officer. This satisfied the whites,
who then turned east. they travelled
two days, and the night Of the second
reached country that looked exceeding
ly well for gold, the beds of the streams
streams being filed with the granite and
quartz boulders and gravel Timber and
game abounded. The party unpacked the
burro, cooked and ate supper, and
retired to dream of what they
might find next day. During the latter
part of that night their faithful
burro awoke the party by certain antics
which all burros cut up upon seeing any
thing unusual. But, alas for the men,
they paid no attention to the snOrting of
the donkey, and fell back again into sound
sleep, from which they were aroused,
about daylight, by party of four saVa-
ges, who had crawled to their beds and
opened murderous fire upon them, with
bows and arrows. Upon seeing how mat
tiers stood, the whites grasped their weap-
ons, turned loose upon the savages and
drove them away. The result of the
fight was as follows: Ferdinand Won
der was MORALLY wounded, and Mcdonald
and Pearl were wounded inseveral places,
not seriously enough, however, to prevent
them from travelling. They looked
around for the burro, and not
seeing him, concluded the Indians had
gobbled him. They then packed their
blankets on their backs, took hold of
Wonder, and assisted his lettering foot
steps. They had proceeded scarce 100
yards, when Wonder, from whose wounds
the blood spurted, informed his comrades
that it was impossible for him to travel
any further, even with their assistance,
and begged them to shoot him. This
they would not do, so he Immediately
shot himself in the head with his six
shooter. Mcdonald and Pearl remained
by his side until satisfied that he was
dead, when they took up his arms and
proceeded on their way. They travelled
two days and nights without water, pre-
ferring to suffer for want of it rather
than risk their lives by hunting for it
in cannons and brushy places, where,
had they entered, the savages, who dog
ged their steps all the while, would most
assuredly have surrounded and murdered
them. From Anvil Rock, they followed
the road to Camp Toll-Gate, where, after
relating the desperate trials and sufferings
they had gone through. everything posi-
BILE was done for them. The men think
they killed and wounded some Indians.
They think there were some 20 of 80 In
dians on hand the morning of the fight.
They feel pretty certain that the attack
was made, and the murder committed by
Wallapais, with pc-h~Ps, few Pal-
I-tes Ferdinand Wonder the man who
lost his life on this trip, was from Iowa,
where we are told his relatives reside.
Thus endeth another bloody chapter in
the remarkable, bloody history of this
territory. L. -