The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1879-10-14
FRIGHTFUL FATE
OF MEEKER 8 HIS EMPLOYEES.
The List, of Dead Men-All Bodies
Found Naked and Mutilated-
Women Not Seen-Build-
ings Burned. n

Rawlins, Oct. 13.-Mr. Emil Webber
and George Euhr, two conriers, have
Just arrived from what was few days
ago the White River agency. From
them l learn the following particulars:
Gen. Merritt advanced to the agency
on the 11th instant. On the way he
found many dead bodies, among others
he found the body of Carl Goldstein, an
Israelite, who left here with govern
ment supplies for the Utes at White
River agency. He was found in a
gulch six miles this side of the agency
lie was shot twice through the shoul-
der, and was about two miles from his
wagons. A teamster named Julius
Moore, formerly from cambridge,
Mass, who was with him when he left
here, was found about one hundred
yards from Goldstein, with two bullet
holes in his breast and his body hacked
and mutilated with knife or hatchet.
As the command advanced through the
canon they came to an old coal mine,
and in it was found the dead body of
an agency employe named Dresser, who
had evidently been wounded and then
crawled into the mine to die. His coat
was folded up and placed under his
head for pillow;r beside him ley
Winchester rifle containing eight cart
ridges. In one of his pockets a letter
was found, which as near as the courier
can remember, was as follows:
White RiVQr Sant 81 IN o,alocH
m.-Major Th0rnburgh: / will come
with Chief Douglas and another chief
and meet you tomorrow. Everything
is quiet here, and Douglas is flying the
United States flag. We have been on
guard three nights and will be tonight;
not that we expect any trouble, but be-
cause there might be. Did you have
any trouble coming through the cafion.
(Signed) n. 9. MEEKER,
U. S. Indian Agent.
On entering the agency a scene of
quiet desolation presented itself; all the
buildings except one were burned to
the ground, and not living thing was
in sight except the command. The In
dians had taken everything, except
-four, and decamped. The women and
children were missing and nothing
whatever could be found to indicate
what had become of them. They have
either been murdered and buried or
else taken away as hostages. Their
dreadful and unmentionable fate calls
forth the most profound sympathy.
The dead body of Father Meeker was
found absut one hundred yards fro m
his house, lying on his back: He had
been shot through the head, the left
side of his head mashed in with some
blunt instrument, a piece of barrel
stave driven into his mouth, and one
of his hands and his arm badly burned.
The dead body of Mr.. w. w. Post,
Father Meeker's assistant, was found
between the building and the river, a
bullet hole through the left ear and one
under the ear. He, as we'll as Father
Meeker, were stripped entirely naked.
Another employe named Eaton, was
found dead, stripped naked, with bun
die OF paper bags in his arms; his face
was badly eaten by wolves; he had
bullet hole in the left breast. Frank
Dresser, brother to the one found in
the coal mine, was fonnd badly burned;
he had without doubt been killed in
stantly, as bullet had passed through
his heart. The bodies of Eaton, Price,
Thompson, Eskridge and all other en-
ployes not named, were also found.
Eskridge was found two miles this side
Of the agency, naked, and a bullet hole
through his head. s
In the position occupied by the Indi-
ans during Thornburgh's battle, in a
breastwork made cf stone, was found
the dead body of an unknown white
man dressed in buckskin. He was sit
ting on his knees, and had his gun in
position to fire. He was shot through
the forehead. From this it appear that
the Indians are not alone in their hell
ish work. The supposition is that the
Indians have gone south to join the
southern Utes, and the impression
among the officers of Merritt's COM
mand is that the Indians who fought
Thornburgh numbered at least seven
hundred.