The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1880-07-18
THE DEAD BURIED.
Lr-t Mask Of Respect 20 ths Nkiis
~ River yIsliAs
ThsiE Bodies asi.isnrs4 0. Csm.s
aaa 1ks Gnssss Discarded
An re. Chain Fs1sd Ars1.a me
Neck % Age.s Msekerfs Re1aiasL

on yesterday. @. 7. Dresser. OF Greeley,
father Of the two Dresser boys who were
mastered at the White river agency
In the latter part Of September. 1879.
Mr.. Dresser was just returning home
after the sad duty OF reinterring the
remains Of his ons and Agent Meeker
and the other employees. and the writer
met him in Cheyenne.
Ever since the lamented massacre,
Mr.. Dresser has been harassed In mind
about the disposition Of the remains Of
the Ute victims, and, although assured
that they were properly buried. he de-
termined TO see for himself. declining
the offer Of friends TO 90 liz his stead.
In the latter part Of June Mr.. Dres-
ser started for White river. At Raw
Inns he procured nine board collins and
took them apart for convenience Of
transportation 10 White river. His
intention was to take the remains of
his sons home 10 Greeley and there
bury them in the family lot, but he
afterwards found this plan to be inn
practicable, rs the remains were too far
advanced in decomposition.
Arrived on the ground, Mr.. Dresser
applied to Major Bryant, Fourteenth
infantry. for assistance, and the major
placed the necessary teams at the dis
posal OF the heart-sad parent Mr..
Dresser then hired some Of the soldiers
In the camp to engage In the work Of
relnterring the bodies. They were
found Just where they had fallen about
the agency. four miles weet Of the
camp. When Gen. Merritt's command
arrived at the agency, the bodies had
lain exposed for two weeks. and graves
were dug where each one lay. and
headboards marking the same placed In
position. Mr.. Dresser says the troops
did as well rs they could under the cir
cumstances and hmented that they
could do no more.
There were eight graves at the site
Of the agency, namely: OF N. G. Meek
er, II. s. Dresser, Arthur Thompson,
Fred. sheppard, Geo. Eaton, s. Price
husband Of Mrs. PRICE,, and III. Es-
critch.
None Of the remains were recognized,
the headboards furnishing the only
means OF Identification. When the
men opened the grave Of Mr.. Meeker
they found that n piece Of barrel stave
was stuck in the mouth, and that an
iron chain, nearly four feet long, was
fastened about the neck. Here was
additional proof Of the barbarities prac-
ticed by the iends incarnate who a
riot In human blood on that fatal Sep
TENDER day. It has been stated, land
contradicted by Gen. Adams) that tho
Utes fastened n chain, used In hauling
logs, about the neck Of the dead agents
body. and attaching 1t to q lariat which
was wound around the horn OF n sad
die, dragged the body about the agency
amid their demoniacal howlings. The
truth Of the statement is now proved
by the appearance Of the chain. Again:
the neck of Mr.. Meeker's body was
~dislocated, 80 that while the men were
raising 1t out Of the grave, the head
dropped OF. On no other body did q
similar accident occur. Besides these
proofs, there Is n man at the agency
now who was present with Gen. Mer-
ritt's command when the bodies were
buried, and he says that the head and
body OF Mr.. Meeker's remains were
fearfully bruised, and the wounds were
filled with dirt, showing that the Utes
had dragged the body Of their dead
agent as stated. Gen. Adams denial,
therefore, doesn't count. 1t must be
placed In the category with the numer-
Gus other misstatements made by that
brilliant fraud who has SO successfully
fastened himself on that other illus
trious beat, the secretary Of the inte-
rior.
We have said there were nine bodies
~reinterred, and eight were found at the
late agency. The ninth was that Of
Frank G. Dresser. This was left where
Frank had died, in a coal bank about
sixteen miles northeast Of the agency.
Thither Mr.. Dresser repaired, and
found the body covered with coal dust.
The head reposed on the coat Of the
deceased, which had been carefully
folded. and the indications were that
he knew before his death that the end
was approaching and calmly prepared
for 1t. On an upright post in the coal
bank, and written with a piece of slate,
which abounds there, was found this
inscription: frank G. Dresser. All
killed at agency. Have been here %
hours. Have sl25. Finder will please
send to my mother at Greeley"
Nothing was ever heard OF the money
by his parents, and It was not on his
person when found by the. father.
Frank Dresser's death was caused by
o skull wound which extended from the
outer angle OF the right eye around to
the base Of the ear, cutting the skull In
its course. This wound was not re-
ceived ut the agency, for Frank
succeeded In escaping to the brush,
when the buildings were fred, after
telling Josie Meeker that he would run
up to meet Major T~hornburgh, not
- l.