River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-10-21
THE READY RIFLE.
How the Ute Chief johnson Met His
Death at the Hands OF Young
Freighter-- Fears for the safety OF
the slayer and Two Friends.
Chicago Times.

A man who arrived here from Los
Pinos at late hour last night gives the
| following details of the Indian troubles
He brings information that the Ute
chief, Johnson, the son of Stevans, the
| war chief of the utes, has been killed,
and the greatest excitement prevails
among the Indians. On the night of
the Goth ult., four freighters, two of
whom were named j. +. Jackson and
his nephew, L. d. Jackson, were en-
camped near Capt. Clines rancho,
and about twenty-five miles north of
Ouray, on the Unccopahgre, where they
intended to pass the night. About s
o'clock in the evening while the men
were gathered about their campfire,
johnson and another Indian rode
| up to the four freighters in Il drunken
condition and began to abuse them
vilely, commanding them to bring wa
ter, which they repeated several times.
Preferring not to provoke a quarrel,
the white men brought water to the In
| dians; but this did not satisfy the In
dams, for they Immediately command
ed the men in the same manner as be
| fore to cook and prepare meal for
about time to resent the foul language,
and during the quarrel which ensued
young Jackson went to the wagon and
secured his rifle, and then sat down up
| on the wagon tongue with his gun
across his knees, i'll order to be ready
for any emergency. 1t was well he did
so for he had sat but a few moments
when Johnson was seen to throw out
an empty cartridge from his Winches-
| ter rifle and place fresh one in. He
then took careful aim at the elder
| jackson but he was not quick enough,
| for the nephew realizing the danger
which his uncle was placed in, threw
up his gun and fired instantly killing the
would-be murderer. Another of the
| freighters whose name is unknown, al
so fired moment afterward. The other
Indian escaped, however by instantly
| turning his horse and riding away i'll
| the direction of Los Pinos agency. The
! freighters Immediately went to Cline'S
rancho where they found detachment
| of soldiers, and there surrendered them
| selves, at the same time requesting to
| be taken to GunnisOn City under the
prOtectio ion of the military, where they
could be turned over to the civil au-
| thorities. Before start could be made
Stanley, agent at Los Pinos, who was
close by at the time of the shooting
| arrived ut the rancho and gave orders
that young Jackson and the other
! freighter who fired without effect should
be taken to Gunnison under the escort
of only three men. ICline, the owner
of the rancho, and two others named
| Capt. Hoyt and Holmes, objected to
this proposition. The military officers
protested but in vain, for the agent was
| memorable The three men mentioned
and their prisoners left the rancho on
the morning of the first day of this
| month, presumably on their way to
Gunnison City, but ut noon the next
day, Cline's buggy, and Cline, Hoyt and
| Holmes were seen at Los Pinos, but OF
| the prisoners nothing was known, nor
would the three men have anything to
say on the subject 1t is generally sup
| pOsed-and in fact there can I've no
| other solution to the enigma-that the
/ party were overtaken by the Indians,
who took the prisoners and i'll accord :
ance with their fiendish customs, tor
| tured hem till they died. If this is so,
| and there can be no doubt of it, tie
fault lies with Cline and his two COM
panions, who had at least ten hours
start of the Indians. Young Jackson
was but Il beardless boy, 19 years of
| age, but brave as lion, and it was his
bravery that brought him to an I'M
| timely and terrible death at the hands
of savages who delight to torture their
victims. The excitement among the
settlers and the miners in the vicinity
of the reservation is great and an out
break is hourly expected.