The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-09
THE KANSAS INDIAN SCARE.
investigation Shows that there Is Not
a Hostile Red Man i'll the State.
The CherOkeeS Little Restless, and Few
of the Younger Braves Off the Reserya-
tiOn-Uneasiness Among the Settlers

there that Vescatunga, little town of $50 peo-
pie, is in possession Of the Indians and that
Coldwater, some miles further west, is surround
ed by them. The sheriff says these reports may
be sensational, but he requests Governor Martin
to send arms, so that they may be prepared.
The Governor has ordered the military COM
panies at Larned, Winfield. Wellington and
Sterling to be ready to move at moments
notice, and has directed the sheriff of Finney
county and the mayor of Dodge City to organize
forces and send out runners to notify settlers.
General Augur telegraphs Governor Martin
that he has no information from Fort Reno, of
an outbreak there, but he has ordered three
companies Of cavalry to Bourbon county. The
general superintendent of the Topeka & Santa
Fe railroad has been directed by Quartermaster-
general ellis, at Fort Leavenworth, to send cars
to Fort Riley at once to transport troops south.
A force of men was at work at the arsenal here
most of last night getting State arms ready for
shipment.
report comes from Pratt Center that a large
number of settlers had arrived there, fleeing
from the Indians, who were reported moving
north. They also report the massacre of fam-
ly named Scho6eld on Spring creek Great ex-
element prevails.
The following dispatch was received this
morning By the government, from H. r. Nick
erson, division superintendent of the Topeka &
Santa Fe railroad 1t sent to Mr. Nicker
Son by the station agent at Klngman:
NEWTON, July g.
'"The agent at Kingman sends the following
dispatch: THE Indian scare assumed gigantic
proportions here yesterday and last night hun
a. e. sa%o
as far west as forty miles, for protection Sew
eral scouting parties have been out as far as
thirty miles, and the farther out they go the
farther off the Indians are There is not trace
of an Indian or evidence of their having been
nearer Kingman county than the Territory line
and no damage was done there There is gen
eral scare, but its origin cannot be located A
man named Jones down to the Territory
line aud heard that the Indians were on the
move and on his way back to Pratt county he
met a neighbor named Smith. who told him that
the Indians were coming. Smith saw Brown
and Brown saw his frend-thus the story grew
and the excitement increased. The settlers have
all started back for their homes
The Governor has ordered $50 stands of arms
to be sent to Kingman, Larned, Dodge City and
Garden City at once, thence they will be dis
tributed to various points in the Southwest, n
case of an invasion.
The Wichita Eagles special from Kingman,
dated p. NJ, says "A reliable man who was
sent out last night has just returned. He had
ridden over the entire southern and western
portions Of Pratt and kingman counties, and
reports no Indians and nobody hurt, and the
further he went, the farther away the Indians
were reported to be. The usual number of Chey-
enne and Arapahoe Indians were hanging about
Medicine Lodge and other smaller towns, trad
ing. Some of these small bands had no doubt
been seen crossing the prairies, which gave rise
to the terrible scare of yesterday"
An Eagle special from Fcrt Reno says the
situation there is unchanged, and that many of
the head men say they are willing to await
action on the report Of the commissioners sent
from Washington. About 600 or 700 young
bucks say, however. that they will fight if their
arms are demanded These young Cheyennes
have been canvassing among the Arapahoe and
Comanches for assistance. They admit that the
accidental killing of the young brave in the
late sham battle was bad medicine
Their medicine men are working like
beavers to keep up the war spirit
will try their luck at more medicine making
within few days General Armstrong, of Lou
isiana, appointed to look into the Cheyenne
troubles, arrived yesterday at Darlington. the
Cheyenne agency 1t is believed at the fort that
a large number of Cheyennes are in rendezvous
on the extreme western part of the reservation,
in the direction of the Texas Panhandle. The
medicine camp on the South fork, twelve miles
above the agency, has been almost deserted for
two or three days.
During the past twenty -four hours Governor
Martin has sent and received more than one
hundred kilograms. 1t turns out that the scare
of yesterday had very little foundation. There
have been no murders by Indians, and not an
) Indian has come into the State, but dispatches
from Major Sumner, at Fort Reno, say that
= about one hundred young braves. with Chief
Magple, have LETT the Cheyenne reservation and
are now on the headwaters of the Cimarron river
: southwest of Kansas. 1t is we'll known that
y for long time the Cheyennes have been guard
ing the soldiers and not the soldiers the Chey-
ennes. Governor Martin has received the fol-
lowing from Adjutant- general Drum, at Wash
ington
I'm reply to your telegram relative to the ex-
posed and defenseless condition of the Southern
border of your State, on which you base an APP
piication for improved arms for the Kansas
militia, the Secretary of War regrets that under
the law, he cannot make the exchange desired
He instructs me to inform you that he has in
view of the disturbed condition OF Indian affairs
on your borders given such directions as will
concentrate in Kansas and elsewhere south of it
such military forces as may be required to give
all needful protection to your people"
Major Summers dispatch to General Augur is
as follows:
From all can lean, some of the younger Chey-
ennes, fearing to be dismounted and dsarmed,
left this vicinity, some days since and are now
supposed TO be on the headwaters of Cimarron
river, hiding their arms and ponies There arc
several parties out mum boring perhaps 100 in ALL y
Another dispatch says Chief Maybe is in com
mand Of one Of these bands. Four companies
OF cavalry passed through Topeka this afternoon
for Klngman They are from Leavenworth, and
will reach Kingman to morrow. Four companies
have left Riley for Kiowa. General Augur SAYS
these troops will scout the country south and
west These movements, with the assurances
from Washington, will restore confidence among
the settlers in the Southwest Arms have been
sent today to Dodge City, KIneman, Garden
City and Larned. The arms are Sharps rifles
Demands for arms come to the Governor from
every part of the Southwest, but there are no
arms here That part of the State has several
good militia companies and thousands of veteran
soldiers but they destitute of arms
Adiutant general Campbell is at Dodge City
He says parties are there who have
seen Maggie and forty braves on
the Cimarron. Dispatches have been
received by the Governor from all leading
stations in southwest Kansas. There is a uni.
g. &c =