Arizona citizen., 1872-09-28
THE LORING MASSACRE.

Evidence that Government fed Apa-
 ches Mastered the Loring Party
 General Crooks Work ill Trying to
 Bring Them to Punishment.
 From The Prescott Miner, Sept. A
 The stage for California left Pres
 colt on the morning oI Saturday.
 November 4, 1871, carrying the U. $.
 Mail and the following named pas
 sengers: Frederick w. Loring, Fred
 erick Shoholm, P. M. Hamel, w. G..
 Salmon, c. $. Adams, Wm. Kruger and MolIie Shepard; driver, John Lentz. The journey to Wickenburg
 was almost pleasure trip for the
 passengers, some of whom looked for
 ward, with pleasure, to the time not far distant, they then thought when parents, wives, children, sisters, broth CTS and friends would be met and en- braced, in far off homes ill their native or adopted States.
 With this white, civilized feeling uppermost in their hearts, coupled with the belief that they had turned their backs forever upon the danger ous Indian country, those whom we have named rolled out of Wickenburg on the morning of the 9th, and had not proceeded more than 6 miles, be- fore they were assailed, from every side, by showers of bullets fired from guns in the hands of murderous Apa- ches, who lay concealed, behind low brush, on either side of, and close to, the road. Unprepared as the whites were for an attack of this kind, which like most attacks by Apaches was made at 8 time when least expected, little if any resistance was mace, and Kruger and Miss Shepard fled west for their lives, followed by the Apa- ches, who, for some reason, soon gave up the chase. and ceased firing upon the affrighted pair, who, as luck would have 1t, were soon met by the mail wagon from the west, the driver of which carried them back to Cullen's station, and, mounting horse, struck out for Wickenburg, which point he made in due course ot time. On11ing made acquainted with the dread full massacre, a party of citizens started, in the night, fer the scene of and when daylight came the bodies of the slain were ex- amined and taken to Wickenburg for burial.
 The trail of the murderers was fol- lowed until the party satisfied them selves that Indians from Date Creek | lad committed the horrid crimes. The party then returned to Wickenburg, where Capt. Meinhold, U. $. A., and some soldiers were met. Our little oand of citizens joined Capt. Mein- lOld and party, went out, found the rail of the murderers and followed 1t. lntil all, citizens and soldiers, ex- pressed themselves we'll satisfied that he authors of the deed had gone on he Camp Date Creek Reservation.
 Soon after this, MT. Kruger and Hiss Shepard returned to Wickenburg,
 Coroner's jury was summoned, and he following is copy of the verdict endered:
 We the undersigned, summoned as Try to hold an inquest on the bodies of ne following named persons found mur- cred in the stage coach, about six miles om the town of Wickenburg, on the La az road, on the morning of the 5th of ovember, 1871, from all the evidence btained from the two surviving pas ,ngers, do find that c. s. Adams, John entz, Fred.W. Loring, Fred. W. Shoholm, /. G. Salmon, and F. NJ. Hamel (found { ,alped), came to death by gunshot ( ounds, received at the hand of Indians on. F. Purcella, David Morgan, Aaron arnett, Chas. H. Richardson, Julius M. W. Webber, Dennis May, has. Barbour, Mack Morris, Foreman. While this tragedy was being en- 6 ,ted, we were on the Gila river, and I le person who had charge of The l liner happening to learn of sus- c cion that had been expressed that t le crime had been committed by | -e1ican bandits, gave currency to | lat rumor in his account of the affair. I lterested so-called friends of the h. I ans here and elsewhere seized upon S is flaw in some peoples judgment, c i'd attempted to make capital out of t
 but George Monroe and the other ' tizens who had examined and buried b @ bodies, and followed the trail of il e murderers, published, over their 8 gnatures, @ letter containing the u st of proofs and reasons for assert D