Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1871-08-09
A FRONTIER TRAGEDY.
A ThrIlIing StOry from Texas.

4 u. Blackburn, a government cOntrac
4 tor, to drive a team to Fort Sill
: Blackburn's train consisted of dour
] teen wagons, with fourteen persons a,
drivers, and started from Smith Paw
/ Valley for the fort. On Sunday eve,
] ming, June D, the party had reached
: a small stream which was skirted
with strip of timber, about thirty
: miles east of the fort, when they were
suddenly attacked by $50 Cheyenne
2 Indians.
: Part of the teams had crossed the
stream; two Zone of them the team
; driven by Mr.. MacMoore) had not
yet come up, and one had stuck fast
In gully or ditch. A number of the
, drivers had dismounted from their
, wagons, leaving their arms in them,
to assist in extrieating the latter. No
one for a moment dreamed that a foe
was near. The Indians had posted
} themselves in the timber on both sides
|, of the stream, and kept carefully con-
cealed until the party were complete
ly in their power. Then they came
dashing out, with horrid yells, and in
a moments time the unfortunate
teamsters found themselves complete
ly surrounded. Resistance seemed
hopeless, and yet to yield was almost
certain death. A few of those who
were in their wagons fired dozen or
so shots, but apparently without
effect.
KILLED, WOUNDED AND scALPED.
The contest was speedily over.
Seven of the party were shot dead on
the spot, another was badly wounded
/ 4
and six, including MaeMore, taken
prisoners.
MacMoore is unable to tell what
was done with the train and stock, as
! Immediately after his capture he and
his companions were securely bound
and removed from the spot. The
savages moved in nOrthwesterly di-
reetiOn. and after going some distance,
camped for the night. The next day
after the capture, one of the party;
attempting to escape, was shot and
killed.
BURNED AT THE STAKE.
On the following Friday the savages
came to the conclusion to torture two
of the teamsters, Jack Jones and
Thos Hayward, and about five O'Clock
in the evening proceeded to carry out
their purpose. The unfortunate men
were brought out and securely bound
hand and foot to O stake. Their !
tongues were then cut lit IS supposed !
to prevent them from screaming, |
while burning,) and their ears cut of. /
A pile of fagots foot or so high was |
then placed around the stake, and so /
arranged as to burn very slowly. The |
entire band then formed in a circle, /
and INDUCED in the luxury of tor /
menting their victims before the work |
Of torture commenced. The other
prisoners were then brought out and
forced to witness the horrid spectacle.
The fagots around Jones were dry,
and burned more rapidly that had
been intended, and his sufferings were
speedily terminated, the stomach and
lower part of the body being first con-
sumed. Henderson died in about
half an hour, and his agony was ter
rible. MaeMoore says the remem-
brance of that fearful scene will never
be effaced from his memory.
DETERMINED TO ESCAPE. II
Satisfied that they would soon be
called upon to share the fearful fate of /
their companions, the remaining pris-
oners-MaeMOore, Henry Brown and ,
Harvey Jockson-determine to make
an effort to escape at all hazards. They I
were closely guarded, however, and {
for some days no opportunity present |
ed itself. On the night of the 9Th of ,
July heavy rain set in, and the anx- I
lously looked for chance came. The
Indians had INDUCED pretty freely in {
fire water" during the afternoon and Z
evening, and slept very sound. About i
IL O'Clock MaeMoOre discovered that I
the buckskin thongs, with which he I
was tied, dampened by the rain, be- 1
gan to give" considerably. With [
little exertion he succeeded in getting i
his hands loose, but was unable to re- i
lease his feet. Henry Brown also dis /
covered his bonds giving" and final
~ succeeded in releasing himself en- '
-irely. He then quietly approached Z
sleeping savage, drew a knife from {
his belt, cut the bonds of his COM
rades, and the three quietly FASTENED S
away. After travelling some two Z
miles together the three separated
or safety and started for the Fort Z
Riley. MacMoOre reached the latter d
place on Wednesday, having walked {
)ne hundred and twenty-five miles in u
.wo days and a half. His feet were q
erribly lacerated, and he had no n
on except two shirts and q il
pair of drawers. Brown reached the b
Fort four hours later in the day, and i
Jackson came in next day. Ali the v
parties were greatly exhausted, and e
would have perished had it 8
lot been for the assistance of some Ii
riendly Pottawatomie Indians with o
whom they fell in on Tuesday. Jack h
on remained at Fort Riley, his feet Z
icing so sore that he could not travel. il
Brown started to Denver. On We'd o
lesday, the 18th of July, MacMoore
tarted on foot for Leavenworth and u
walked the entire distance, reaching ~
he place on Saturday last. The same
ivening he took the cars on the Kan b
as City, st. Joseph & Council Bluffs ii
railroad and came to St. Joseph. Y
That night he stopped at the residence d
# e. ii. Buekman, Esq, whose wife "
s relative of his. On Sunday he u
vent to the house of Mrs. Bush, ON n
Bush street, who is hisrelative, where 81
lie is now stopping. {,
WHITE MEN WITH THE INDIANS. . .
MI 1dchlOOI6 says IQaIQearly one K
Ourth of the party of Cheyennes was b
ompOsed of white men, and many of 81
be Indians themselves spoke Eng fl
sh, Among them was man named v
stanley, from Western Texas, who b.
aid that he had killed thirteen men, et
nd intended to kill five times many CT
lore. The whites dressed like the 81
indians, were fully as barbarogs, and ia
eemed to enjoy the terrible torture le
( Jones and Hayward with as much in
est as the Indians. IL
WHITE WOMEN CAPTIvEs. -
The Cheyennes had two white wo- ol
Zen with them as prisOners-one a al
irs. Bowman, aged about thirty-five W
ears, from about Guadalupe Noun
aims, in Texas. He was unable to q
scertain the circumstances attending al
er capture. The other was a good ell
)Oking woman, aged about eighteen, in
AIMED Miss Emma Bailey. She was al
lsO from Texas These eaptives were W
~ -. 4 n IN