Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-08-15
A WOMAN'S HEROIC FIGHT.
Three Persons Masss cred by Indians
in the Black Hills.

Three Persons MassRcrpd by Indi ans
I'm the Black HilIs.
Correspondence Milwaukee Sentinel.l
DEADwOoD, July 23.-A wagon
drawn by two yoke of oxen, and
carrying two men and a woman,
with their effects, left Deadwood on
Monday morning, destined for Bis
marck. They camped on CONT
mental prairie on Monday night,
and on Tuesday night passed
through Crook City. An eye-wit-
ness, who was cutting hay within a
quarter of a mile, tells how it
occurred. He says that hearing a
succession of rapid shots fred over
the bluff from where he was NOW
ing, he got up on a high timbered
elevation and saw about twenty
Indians engaged in a fight
with two men and a woman,
who occupied the OK train.
The men defended themselves
calamity against the great odds.
They were well armed, and
fought as only men fight for their
lives. The Indians, instead of COM
ing up in a body, broke in every
direction and surrounded the
wagon, keeping up constant hail
of bullets upon the poor unlortu-
mates. Three of the oxen were the
first to fall. Waggomen, the owner
Of the outfit and the husband of the
lady, next was shot through the
head. Mrs. Waggomen seized her
husbands revolver and discharged
the contents among the Indians,
who,were now close upon the wagon.
After she had emptied the weapon
she fug it full in the face of the
burly savage who was reaching over
the wagon to grasp her. He reeled
back, but Others took his place.
Mr.. Tyner, the other man, was
quickly finished, and there remained
but the lady to deal with. The
Indians had since the beginning OF
the conflict been careful not to in
lure her, and their bullets were di-
rected chiefly toward the two men.
The poor woman, knowing her
probable fate, fought like a tigress,
clutching an empty gun and strik-
ing right and left, but to no avail.
She was finally overpowered and
brought to the ground, but the wo-
man fought SO hard that they pro.
cured some tent-stakes which were
in the wagon and staked the limbs
and body Of the poor woman firmly
to the ground. After they had
accomplished their horrible deed,
they took her scalp and horribly
mutilated her around the breast,
and dispatched her. The shrieks
Of the woman could be heard dis
tinctly where my informant was
lodged, powerless to help, and
almost dead with fear. When the
sayages began sacking the wagon
they observed the witness of their
cruelty standing on the bluff, and
two Of them started in pursuit.
He, however, made good time, and
succeeded in reaching Crook, about
nine miles off, without falling into
their clutches. Soon after the
massacre the Bismarck stage rolled
by the fatal spot. There were no
Indians in sight, and the passen.
gers were Mortified at seeing the
sight before them. Both of the
two men had been scalped and
their ears and noses cut off. The
woman was horribly mutilated, her
brains and entrails being scattered
over the ground. The bodies of
the poor unfortunates were taken
to Crook and there inferred. They
belonged to Brainerd, Minnesota,
and had come into the hills early
this spring, made their little stake,
and were on their way home when
the fatal accident befell them.