The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1870-08-18

cu except MN. Ills CUsC " uUlN ~
markablc. 1t will probably never be
accounted for The Gdlary.
An Unparalleled Crime.
During the past year, it has recently
been dcecloped, circumstances have
iranspired in the Yellowstone country
which will cieltc Indignation aud
alarm Throughout, the whole Union
A crimo has been committed which
excels in diabolism anything which
the history of the world has produced.
and which places Probst and his com.
peers in the light Of moderate offend
ers. a few men for the purpose Of
accumulatiug fortunes, have attempted
to scatter throughout the United States
robes which are known to be infected
with small pox. This has been done
prcmcditated aud knowingly, and with
the full knowledge that in doing SO
they have been the means Ut spread
Ing loathsome disease from one end
Of the country to the other, and sacri
flee human lives in unknown numbers.
During last summer, the steamboat
Utah piled, We believe, between Sioux
City aud Fort Benton. Daring one
Of her trips the small pox broke out
among the passengers aud crew, and
ouc death occurred OH thu trip; the
boat Landed short distance below
Milk river. aud there the corpse was
buried. The burial was witnessed by
number Of Indians, OF the Gros
Nentres tribe, ond Ms soon as the boat
resumed its course, the body was dis
Inferred, tho clothing stripped from
the remains, and distributed among the
party who had perpetratcd the
act Of desecration. The consequence
may be imagined. In the proper course
OF time, the dreadful contagion broke
out in its most virulcnt form among the
savages. The devastation was 50 ter.
rible that out Of 1000 members of tho
tribe, $50 died.
Ia removing the Indians it is n GUS
tom, without deviation, to lay the dead
upon the ground, 10 the robe which
encascd them while living, aud cover
up the body with brush. There are
spectators iu the Indian country,
whose sole object in life seems to be to
make money without the slightest re-
gard for the manner in which they do
it. The robes which enclosed Tic dead
bodies were valuable. The spccula-
tors, aware Of this, determined to profit
by it, and did not hesitate to roam the
country III quest OF infected robes, aud
convey them for storage TO II warehouse
in For, Benton. 1t was but II short
time before nearly every house in Fort
Benton was small poX hospital In
the face OF this terrible visitation, those
who engaged in the unholy traffic did
not desist. They asserted that the
place was alive with small pox, and
that, US it could be no worse, tho arri-
val and storage Of robes could make
no difference. And thus, in the very
midst Of death, desolation and despair,
these human vultures continued their
pestilence-breeding death -lealing cor
ruption!
One white fcnd added greatly Ia
the suffering. While suffering with
tho disease, he obtained two yeast
cans, and filled them both with scabs
As soon as he vas able to do so, hc
took an old shirt, rubbed it thoroughly y
with the contents Of the boxes, and
then placed ,the infected garment on
the trail of the Piesaus, on Ilishwood
creek, where tho Indians would be sure
to fiud il. They did so, aud in a short
time afterwards the most frightfu! ol
calamities was visited upon the tribe
1t spread with wonderful rapidi'y
among the Blackiect, Bloods, and
River Crows, until .hc whole country
within radius OF one hundred miles
from Fort Benton, aud extending along
the river a much greater distance, was
Infected with the disease, and deaths
occurred by the thousand
| In this irightful manner thousands
of buffalo robes, all infected with the
disease thai had killed their savage
owners, were collected, and the ship
mcnt of them down the Missouri river
for sale in the East began. The Gov
ernment becoming Informed Of the
matter, Gen. Hancock was ordered to
prevent the shipment Of any robes that
could not be proved free of infection
This diverted the business to the Pa
cifc Railroad, the authorities Of which
are using every exertiou to prevent
the carrying of any robes not known tc
bc all right. But, having gone thus
far in the nofaIious business, III
wretched authors will, II 10 the least
possible, get at some way 10 pay theil