The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-06-30
A SCALPED MANS STORY.
How It Feels To Have Your Top-knot Torn
on by the Aid of an Indians Knife.


on by the Aid of an Indians Knife.
[From the Kansas City Times.l
There arrived here on Friday even
three persons, direct from Deadwood
City, the new mining town In the Black
Hills. Learning that one Of the party
had been shot and scalped by Indians,
a reporter sought them out, and from
Mr.. A. p. Woodward, formerly of Bos-
ton, but latterly of Custer, obtained the
following interesting facts relating to a
recent massacre about seventy miles
north of Fort Laramie. Mr.. Woodward
was accompanied by L. S. Gates, of ST.
Louis, and Herman Ganzio, of Milwau-
kee, the latter wounded and suffering
from wound in the scalp. The scalp
is, in fact, half gone.
1t has often been said that q man can
live after being scalped but until last
Friday evening no ocular proof had been
produced in this city substantiating that
fact. Herman Ganzio's head, from the
center of the forehead back to the
crown of the head, is at present one
mass of sores. The hair has been cut
away by the surgeons in charge at Fort
Laramie, but the pear-shaped patch
made by the scalping knife is thus made
all the more distinct. The poor fellow
has been in hospital since the 18th of
April, but his companions have stood
manfully by him, and reiterated their
intention to see him through to his
home. In conversation with the re-
porter, with whom he had been previ-
ously acquainted, Ganzio said, describ-
ing his mishap:
" You see we were coming down into
the valley of Hut creek, on our way to
Fort Laramie, when we thought we saw
Indians coming down the creek to the
right. Instead of camping there, we
thought it safer to water our stock and
go on into the hills and make dry
camp in the bushes, if we could not
make Running Water creek, where a
large camp of freighters was reported.
81 had been sent on ahead up the hill,
just where the big stone hut stands by
the road, and with boy named Kountze
from Omaha, sat down to wait for
the wagons, which were slowly coming
up out of the valley. When the wagons
reached us / started on alone through
the rocks and pine bushes to seek good
camp. A few hundred yards further on
1 looked down a ravine to the right and
saw five mounted Indians ride across the
valley. 1 started to go back to the
train, when at least dozen Indians ran
at me out of the brush, and you bet l
ran and hollered for help. In minute
more two or three of them shot at me.
1 felt sharp, stinging pain in my left
leg, and another in my left shoulder, and
fell. Then they were upon me in a
minute, and one OF them put his knee
on my back, while another hit me a clip
with a club or butt of gun, don't
know which. / had no time to think.
All / knew was / was being scalped my
hair was held tight. felt hot, red
hot, stinging sort of pain all around the
top of my head-being torn out by the
roots it was too much couldn't stand
it; died-at least thought did. But
my scalp was saved just as it was being
torn off. The boys at the wagons had
seen me running saw the Indians and
came on-thirteen of them-and got up
Just in time to prevent the red devils fin
ishing their work. The Indians, as well
as my friends, thought / was dead.
But came to again, and my scalp was
laid back. 1t was only half torn off, as
you will see, and is growing again nicely"
The poor fellow was taken to Fort
Laramie, and received every attention,
and as soon as he was able started for his
parents home in Milwaukee. He is the
first white man who has felt the
"Injun's hand in his hair this year who
has lived to come home and tell how it
feels. The Black Killers spent yester-
day in the city, and last evening con-
timed their Journey eastward