The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-06-08
BY DOGS.
Horrible Fate Of 4 Black Hills Miner
Eaten Alive by Praifie Dogs.


tells a horrible tale of the unparalleled
ferocity of the wild prairie dogs which
inhabit all portions of the great plains.
The story appears incredible, but Mr..
Farley seems both intelligent and hon
| est, and relates the incident in a plain,
straightforward manner, which carries
conviction to all who hear him.
The story goes that in March last
two young men living in Massillon,
Ohio, named respectively Jasper Lucas
and Mark Keeper, resolved to go to
the Black Hills, and at once began
making preparations. About the LIST
Of April Keeper was ready, but the
father of Lucas died about that time,
and he was compelled to stay at home
and settle up the estate. Fearful that
if they delayed starting until this was
accomplished all the good mines would
be taken up, and determined to keep
together, the two partners concluded
that it would be best for Keeper to go
at once to the land of gold, taking all
the ready money he could raise, while
Lucas was to finish the legal business
and come on, Quitting at Cheyenne
with team and u good supply of provis-
ions, and joining Keeper as speedily as
possible.
In accordance with this determine
ton Keeper came at once to Cheyenne
and took the first stage for the Hills.
When he reached Deadwood he bought
a pick, shovel and gold pan, studied
prospecting Il little, and then struck
out. lie had about 375 i'll cash at this
time. He wandered over the hills and
along the gulches until finally, late in
April, he struck n large deposit of rich
gold quartz on n small tributary to
Castle creek. Unused to the ways of
mining camps, and fearful that he
might lose his claim, Keeper obliterated
all traces of the work he had performed,
and returned to Deadwood, where he
purchased a Jurro, loaded it with pow
der, fuse, drills and provisions, and
started back to the mine. At Dead
wood he received a letter from his part
ner, in which the latter stated that he
would leave Massillon May 9th for the
Hills. Keeper replied, announcing his
discovery and urging Lucas to hurry.
On the road from Deadwood to the
mine Keeper was so unfortunate as to
lose his pack animal and entire outfit,
the burrO falling down a mountain from
a trail alongside of Little Rapid creek,
and was seriously injured himself in at
tempting to save the burro.
1t was just after the happening of
this accident that Mr.. Farley first met
Keeper. Farley CHANGED to pass along
the same trail shortly a%fterward, and
saw Keeper lying OF the bank Of the
creek, several hundred feet below. He
reached and rescued him with great
difficulty, and cared for him several
days. When Keeper recovered he was
penniless. He knew his partner was
on the road with a good outfit, and he
resolved to come out and meet him.
Farley gave him some provisions and
he started. Reaching Hat creek, after
a weary walk, he heard in some way
that his partner was at Red Cloud
Agency, on another road, and he of
course decided to go across the country
and join him. He started, following
the telegraph line, and was eve seen
again alive.
Lucas reached Custer City, heard of
his partner and began searching for
him. He found Farley, and the latter,
who had taken quite a liking to Keeper,
Joined him in the search. They traced
Keeper to Hat creek, and went across
to Red Cloud, but he had not been
there, and no further trace could be
found. Lucas was compelled to give
up the search, and it was but a few
days ago that the mystery was unrav-
eled.
Farley came down by way of Red
Cloud, stopping there q day or two, and
while lounging about Il freighter's
camp one evening, heard the men telling
n strange story which had been told
them by Indians. 1t was to the effect
that the skeleton of a man, from which
the flesh had been devoured by prairie
dogs, was bleaching on the plain along
side the telegraph line, about ten or
twelve miles from the Agency. The
Indians had further related h eastound-
ing fact that two young bucks, who
were riding around the country about
the time that Keeper left Hat creek,
had come in and told that they saw q
white man being eaten alive by the
dogs; that he had been attacked by a
regular army of them, and that when
the Indian boys saw him the man was
almost dead, and horribly mutilated. 1t
was fun for the young red devils, and
they gloated over the bloody spectacle
until tired of it, when they drove the
dogs away and, after securing all ar
ticles of any value upon the corpse, left
the spot.
Farley says his blood curdled as he
listened to the awful story, and he soon
left the camp. Early the next morning
he proceeded to the spot indicated by
the Indians, where he found the clean
picked skeleton of a white man, Of
about the anne heighth as Keeper, and
near by picked up some torn remnants,
which he recognized as precisely similar
to clothing worn by Keeper when he
last saw him. Whether the unfortu-
nate man was first killed by Indians,
whether he fell an easy prey to the
dogs through exhaustion and hunger,
or ubatha,. ba wac offanlad hu than