The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1879-01-18


San Francisco, and to whose care the
remains are being shipped.
RETURNED HOME.
A. !. crookham and Party Arrive From New
Fort Mckinney-some Interesting Facts.
Yesterday Mr.. A. ]. Crookham re-
turned to Cheyenne from New Fort
Mckinney, whittier he went last fall to
work on the buildings in process of
erection at that new military post. Mr..
Crookham was accompanied to Chey-
enne by the following named gentle
men, who have also been at work there
several months past: Henry S. Martin,
Richard Warren, John NJ. Davis, U. A.
Day, W. L. Day, J. L. Murphy, II. c.
Benson, VIM. Bechman, F. Odell, Geo.
W. Bechman, J. Barnle and Henry
Watson.
Mr.. Crookham, with whom a LEADER
representative had some conversation,
says that owing to severe weather
work has been suspended on the new
military post, and it is not probable
that it win be resumed prior to the LIST
Of May next. He says a year will
elapse before the completion of the
buildings necessary for use; only five
buildings for officers quarters have
thus for been erected, and they are not
yet plastered. Owing to the inacessi-
bility of the post and long. wearisome
and rough roads, over which some Of
the material used has to be transported,
the completion Of the buildings will
necessarily progress slowly.
The new post-or rather what there
is of its commanded by Mai. Verling
X. Hart, who has under his guidance
seven companies. Some of these are
from the Ninth infantry, others from
the Third cavalry and the remainder
from the Fifth cavalry.
MI. Crookham and party left New
Fort Mckinney on the 4th instant, and
therefore were nearly two weeks on the
road. During the trip they experienced
no small amount Of suffering from the
inclemency of the weather, and on two
occasions narrowly escaped being taken
into the remorseless grasp of road
agents.
On the second day Of their long and
tiresome journey, the party who con-
tracted to bring them safely to Chey-
enne, announced the unwelcome news
that owing to the bad roads his teams
could not muster strength sufficiently
to haul more than their baggage. In
brief, they would have either to walk
the remainder Of the journey or go back
to the post. The entire outfit decided
to walk the remainder of the way to
Cheyenne-a distance of 297 miles
rather than return TO the post and re-
main there on expenses without en-
ployment a couple of months. The
party accomplished the feat, but a more
tired looking crowd never struck
Cheyenne.
On the third day of their journey
they were overtaken by a couple of sus-
picious looking men, who insisted upon
keeping them company for nearly a
week. Odell, one of the party, is con-
ident that the men were road agents,
as well as criminals of less rank. One
Of them he had seen frequently at the
post, and was generally regarded a bad
character. He had in his possession a
Sharp's rifle, which was stolen from one
of A. II. Reels men last summer. 1t
was concluded by Crookham and his
party that the suspicious looking indi-
viduals were keeping up with them,
expecting to be reinforced by other des-
perate characters and rob them. TAX
ing this view of the matter, it was re-
solved to drive them back, and one
evening they were accordingly notified
to that effect. 1t was, in the mean
time, resolved to take from one of the
men the rifle he had stolen, but upon
being taken into custody and examined,
the gun was missing. He accounted
for its absence by saying he had lost 1t
On the way. The men, when released,
dropped behind, and Crookham's party
saw them no more.
A few days later Crookham and his
crowd Of pilgrims saw at least a half
dozen armed men near the roadside,
lying in wait, as they supposed, for a
coach. All were masked and thorough
ly armed. Crookham and his party
had, perhaps four or five revolvers
along, but some Of them were not load
ed. 1t wal therefore deemed best not
IN mako war uuon the Outlov W. .gDis.