Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-04-22
Massacre at a Court House.
slaughter of United States Officials by q
Gang of DespcradOes.

ated last Monday, the 10th inst, in Il fearful
deed of boodshed, falling tile short of whole
sale massacre of the agents of the government.
The following startling dispatch was received
Tuesday morning at the United States marShalS
office, by Captain James W. DOnnely of Whit
more's Barren Fork:
J. ". DORneity-Dedr Strive have had terri
bic fight aud lost seven on our side killed; three
OF the Indians were killed, and there are lots OF the
wounded We are in devil OF a strait send us
men and means instanter We are with the dead
and wounded, and expect to stay with them until
the last one Of us goes. Owens is wounded. For
Gods sake send help; send quickly come to Dutch
town and then down Barren Fork to Whitmore's.
Ward is killed; Vanney and are alone with Owens.
None of the rest here with We look for
help tomorrow night by dark and are looking to
be attacked every moment. The parties are close
together; some of the Cherokees are withus
Yours in haste,
Csigned) }. S. PRAvY
Cherokee Nation.
In order that the circumstances causing the
terrible fight above alluded to may be more fully
understood, we will state the following: On the
18th inst, a white man named RcstGrSou living
in the Cherokee nation near the Arkansas line,
about fifty miles from this city, came here and
tiled information before United States Commits
Sidher Churchill against one Proctor, also
white man married to Cherokee woman, for
assauting him with intent to kill. He stated
that While in his sawmill on the 18th OF Februd-
ry, Proctor came in, walked up without provo
cation and shot his wife dead. He then fircd his
revolver at him, the ball striking Just above the
left eye. Before he could fire again KestersOn
escaped. Proctor is undergoing trial now for
murder of his wife, at the court house in Snake
district, about ffty-nne miles northwest of here.
The writ has been served and the deputy mar
sal instructed TO go to the court house and re-
main until the trial is over and if he is not con-
yIcted, to arrest him on other charges. Proctor
is known to be Il Desperate; and, being in the
neighborhood where Deputy Marshal Bentz was
killed little over a month ago, where, in fact,
deputy marshal is shot at almost on sight, it
was necessary that strong posse should be
sent The party also had writS for the murder
ers of Deputy Marshal Bentz, who were sup
posed to be in the immediate vicinity, and they
intended to resist arrest
Last Saturday morning, deputy mars!as
Jacob g.. Owens, Joseph G. Peavy, with William
W God, Joseph G. Vanney, James Haskin s, Faul
Jones and Eugene Brocket, as posse, left here
for the scene of action, AT Evansville they
were Joined by Riley Woods and William j..
Morris, and at Dutchtown by man named
Reck, who is part Cherokee Indian. The court
house is about twelve miles west Of that place,
t le party proceeded, and when at about 8 p, m.
| A Jnday, they were within fifty yards of the
| courthouse, they dismOunted, hltched their
horses and quietly walked toward the east side
| of the house by twos. They stopped at the
| corner, and Beck stepped around to the front
| door and looked in. Seeing large number Of
| people inside armed to the teeth, he turned i'm
fred upon and dangerously wounded. AT the
| same time volley was poured from the court
| house upon the marShaPs force without, who
| then commenced return fire. They were at
| great disadvantage, as the attacking party was
under shelter inside the court house 1t APP
pears that Beck had some friends inside the
| court house who, when they saw him fall,
| opened fire on his Beck 81 enemies inside and
| presently the fighting was general. 1t was
brief, however, but terrible in results. OF the
marshas force, seven out of eleven lay dead,
and of the assaiants three. Some sixteen or
| seventeen are reported wounded, some MORALLY,
including marshal Owens. The messenger
knew the names of only two of the marshals
force who are killed-James Ward and Riley
Woods Three were missing, James Haskins,
Paul Jones and Eugene Brocket. Morris helped
to lay out the bodies about half mile from the
scene of deadly ARRAY, and thither the federal
wounded were also carried.
Proctor, the woman killer and desperate, was
| guarded by eleven Of his personal friends who
would not see him convicted. The sheriff was
killed, and the judge received three bucBshOt in
| one knee. Indeed, it appears from the sudden
and deadly assault upon the marshals force
| that the people inside the court house had
| been fully Informed of their approach, and were
| prepared for them. The officials had instruc-
lions to make a demand for Proctor only in case
| of his acqulttal, and expected some resistance
| should they attempt to arrest him after his ac-
| quittal; but for the murderous volley on their
| first approach they were not prepared; hence
| their slaughter. Immediately upon the receipt
| OF Deputy Marshal Peavy's letter. Kerens, chief
| deputy marshal, Capt. Donnelly chief clerk
| and Commissioner Brooks Churchill, raised and
mounted thirty men, under command of Mar
shall Robinson and Joe Tinker, deputy. Accom-
panying the expedition are Drs. Field and
Pierce.
A demand has been made upon the authori-
ties Of Cherokee nation to assist in taking the
murderers, dead or alive.
This is one of the most terrible affairs ever
known in this country, originating in distrust
and jealousy, with which the more intelligent
portion of the inhabitants of the Indian territory
are misled by white men. What protection can
be had may be surmised from the fact that
Proctor has committed eighteen murders, and is
still unhung.
1t is the stern determination of the United
States marshal of this district to bring to JUS
tce the murderous and rebelliOus crew in the ma
ton, at any sacrifice or expense.