The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-02-12

stated, with the rank, and the name
and number of the dge of which
they were members. It was a forlorn
hope, this letter-a sad, despairing cry
OF distress. It is the only expression
| that ever came from within that corral,
but it gives such thrilling picture of
their torture and mental anguish as
| nothing else could. Seventeen years
have elapsed since that signal of dis
tress was made. Yet it is not too late
! to answer. There is many q strong
heart in the world to-day that will feel
its pulses thrill faster when it hears that
these men, in their strong death-agony,
| appealed for aid to their brethren of
the mystic tie.
The paper also contained an itemized
| list of their property, such as-wagons,
oxen, horses, etc.
/ Who should attempt to break
through the line and bear this letter to
California It was desperate under,
taking, but twas the last hope. Vol
unteers were called for, and three of
the bravest That ever lived stepped for
ward and offered to attempt to dash
through the enemy and cross the will
derness and desert. Before they start
ed, all knelt in the corral, and the
white haired old Methodist pastor
prayed fervently for their safety. In
the dead of night they passed the be-
siegers, but Indian runners were lmme-
diately placed on their track.
FLEEING FOR THEIR LIVES.
They travelled until completely ex-
hausted. An Indian chief, named Jack
son, boasts of having killed the first,
having found him lying on his back
Virgin. The savage crept stealthily up
to the sleeping man, placed the finty
arrow-point just above the collar bone,
drew back the bow-string, and sent the
shaft down into the sleeper's throat.
Springing to his feet, he ran nearly
forty yards before he fell, faint and
dying. There is every reason for sup
posing that he lived long enough to be
tortured. In after years my informant
was taken by Jackson to the remains.
The skull aud larger bones were charred
and burned, and the smaller ones were
wholly reduced to ashes. Whether
; tortured or not, his body was burned
by his fendish murderers.
The letter was found on divide,
near the murdered man. Jackson dis
covered it, and gave it to my informant,
who kept it safely for months. Hap
pening to show it one day to man who
: was leader in the massacre, he prompt
~ destroyed it. The honest old Nor
with the nature of its contents, and has
no sympathy with the tragedy or its
perpetrators. In his simple, straight
forward style, lie said: st believe
that, if the Masons and Odd Fellows
, knew how many of their brethren were
in the train, they wouldn't let the ac-
/, cursed murderers go unpunished. He
is willing, at the proper time, to testify
to the contents of the letter.
: The two other emigrants travelled
forty mics further and came to the
Virgin Hills. Here the Indians overlook
! and surrounded them. The deadly
arrows wounded one, and both were cap.
!! tured. The Indians stripped them
stark naked, and gave them to under
stand that they must run for life Both
started, but the ore was SC badly
wounded that he could not run. The
other bounded away with the swiftness
of deer. The feetest runners were
r engaged in the pursuit, and to use the
} language of my informer, 'tHe ran
right away from them Even the
shower of arrows missed his flying
body, save one, which struck his arm,
? inhicting severe wound. Meantime,
2 savages had gathered about the faint
ing form of the man who coulo not run,
and had tied him to q stake. Faggots
J were soon blazing around his quiver.
ing body, and he died amid ali the ex-
crutiating agony known to savage tor
ture.
HUNTED TO THE DEATH.
The third and last-naked, wounded,
without weapons, food, fire, or drink,
without map, compass, or guide-made
his way across the desert, ffty-four
miles The Vagas Indians, another
band Of Piutes, discovered him in such
weak, exhausted state that they pitied
him. Yes, these hostile savages pitied
the condition of the white man who was
fleeing from the cruelty of white men.
They gave him pair OF pants and moe
casius, and let him have some mesquite
bread. The mesquite is thorny shrub,
one species of which has q pod con-
tanning a sort of bean. These beans
are ground by the Indians in stone
| mortarS. and from them is made an in
ferior kind of bread. He was able to
travel eighteen miles further to what
is known as the Cottonwood. Here he
met two young gentlemen from Cali
fornia, Henry T. Young and eau
Young. They gave him horse and
some clothing. and bade him godspeed
to California. He started off, but soon
came riding back and overlook them
He was SO weary and feverish. and his
arm panied SO dreadfuily, that he
| A0aI6Q u0 COu1Q uCG make Inc Lf1D. he
wanted to return with them to Salt
Lake, and would run the risk of being
known. They had gone but little
way when they met the Indians track
ing him. The cruel bloodhounds
seemed bound that not one of the
doomed emigrants should live to tell
see tale. Instantly recognizing him,
the Indians would have fired at once,
but for the efforts of the Young
brothers. These gentlemen drew
| down their rifles and kept the Indians
at bay. Hardly had they travelled two
miles before they met more Indians and
Ira Hatch, the interpreter. Ira told
the Young boys that they were :" all
right. but that the man Eust die. No
sooner had he said the word than the
Indians discharged a shower of arrows
at the poor fellow. Pierced by
shower of the snarp-barbed arrows, he
fell from his horse. The Young brothers
had all they could do to preserve their
own lives. The last they saw of the
fugitive. he was crawling away on his
hands and knees, and an old Indian
was stabbing at his throat with q
Il hnflh0P. knffo uan,,r1 that nnn nf