Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1877-07-26
A HORRIBLE OUTRAGE.
Massacre BY Indians of Three Persons
Near Crook City.

tDeadwood Champion, July 1871
About one month ago the Champion
through its varied underground and other
agencies learned that certain Indians from
the Spotted Tail and Red Clound agencies
were about to go out on the war path to at
tack the ranchmen and others in the foot
hills. We warned the people to be on their
guard for an attack, but unfortunately our
warning was partly unheeded and it was
only when poor McLaren had been muir
dered and several of the ranches near Crook
City had been attacked that the peoples
woke up to the actual condition of affairs.
A public meeting was held at Crook and we
IN conjunction with Senator Spencer and
Crook citizens notified the secretary of war
and Gen. Crook. The latter promptly sent
out a company of troops to Crook, who
remained there until a few days since, when
everything appearing perfectly quiet they
We're removed. Hardly had the government
train moved out of the country when the
Indian fiends renewed their i~ntuitive thirst
for white scalps and white mems blood. The
most diabolical outrage that has yet come to
light was perpetrated yesterday about 3 p.
m. at a point opposite Bare Butte, midway
between Crook City and Belle Fourche, on
the Bismarck road. A wagon drawn by a
yoke of oxen and carrying two men and a
woman, with their effects, left Deadwood
Monday morning destined for Bismarck.
They camped on Centennial prairie Monday
night and on yesterday morning passed
through Crook City. An eye witness
who was cutting hay within a quarter
OF a mile of the massacre tells how it oc-
CURED. He says that hearing a succession
of rapid shots fired a short distance from
where he was cutting hay, he got up on a
high timbered bluff and saw about twenty
Indians engaged in a fight with the two men
and woman occupying the OK train. He
thinks there We're about fifty shots exchan-
ged when the firing ceased. He, fearing
for his own safety, secreted himself in a
hiding place, and remained there until he
heard the welcoming rattle of the Bismarck
stage, when he hailed it, got aboard and
rode to where the train of Mr.. MAY was en-
camped. From one of the passengers on
the stage we gather the following facts as
to the massacre. The stage driver when
rising the top of a knoll on the road percei-
we'd a wagon about a quarter of a mile
ahead standing a short distance off
the road. Driving upto it, all on board were
Mortified on seeing three dead bodies scat.
tered about, the wagon partly upset, It's
contents scattered over the prairie, one Of
the oxen already dead from bullet wounds,
and its mate bleeding to death from the
same cause. The body Of the unfortunate
woman was lying on the ground about ten
feet from the wagon; her clothing had
been rolled up under her shoulder. leaving
the limbs and body exposed. An OK woke
had been placed between her limbs so that
the latter were spread out to their greatest
extremity, the CAD, a long stick with a
sharp iron prong used for driving oxen,
was driven up into her body, both her ears
were cut off, and her head scalped from cal
to ear. The body bore evidences of being
otherwise brutality and fiendishly INITIATED.
Part of the entrails protraded, and it
seemed as if she had received either bullet
or other wounds on her breast. The two
men were both scalped and their ears cut
oil. In addition to The driver, there were
only three passengers on the coach and it be.
came a serious question whether to turn the
stage and go back to a train they had passed
two miles back or proceed on their journey.
it was finally decided to 60 on. The pas
sengers fearing that the Indians might be
watching them and not desiring to inform
them as to the number of people on board
kept their seats, but let all their rifles pro-
trude out Of the windows. After remaining
at the scene of the massacre for a few min
utes the driver put the whip to his horses
and started for Crook City, the next stop
ping place, when about a quarter of a mile
from the massacre the haycutter heretofore
referred to emerged from his hiding place
and hailing the coach got aboard. Three
miles further on they came to Mr.. MAYS
mule ain of twenty wagons in camp.
From them they learned that about
half an hour previously seven In.
dams had attacked and tried TO
drive off the stock. A lively skirmish-
ing fight ensued when the Indians
seeing that they were o%utnumbered
retired without securing any of the mules or
injuring anyone. The men belonging to the
train refused to proceed further without adj
ditional arms or protection. Mr.. May yes
terday evening came to Deadwood and
secured additional arms and men. On
learning the facts about the massacre eight
heroic men belonging to the train volunteered
TO go forward to the scene of the massacre
and bring in The bodies of the murdered men
and woman. The bodies were brought into
Crook City last night, and will probably be
| buried there to-day. In an interview with