The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1885-01-15
A LIVER-EATING SCOUT.
An Interesting Tale OF Frontier
Life.
Some OF the vlyaolous Stories which Em.
phaaize tho Career ofLiver-Eatlng John
son, Whose Name Ia tho Most Ter
rlbie Thing About Him.
Ist, Paul Pioneer, Pross,l

tst, Paul Pioneer Press,l
"The first time met Liver Eating john
son, the scout" said an officer OF the
Seventh horse, twas In ~, when we were
out after the NeE Perces. II was pretty
lively campaigning that summer, and
what with Howard, Miles and Sturgls In
the field, all trying TO capture Chief
Joseph, good scouts were In demand; for
every small party detached from either Of
the three columns operating against the
Indians must have n guide; and he must
be ono who knew his business, able TO do
tect tho falntest signs Of Indians, and
quick and sure on the trail. Johnson came
TO us from the Crow Agency at Saltwater
whore hospent most OF his time, when moi
engaged In trapping IIo was what II
called squaw mans that Ia, one who has
one or more squaws TO wife, and who prac'
tlcally lives with tho Indians. A tall
burly fellow, standing more than six feo
In his moccasins and weighing over tive
hundred pounds his strong, woll-knit
muscular frame and his face, framed In az
amplitude Of flowing beard and curly
locks, would have made him conspicuous
In a crowd anywhere He was frst-cl
scout, bold and quick TO scent danger
You SEQ no had lived 30 long among the In.
dlans that he was up TO all their tricks, Bui
Liver Eatlng's forte was telling storlei
of frontier life, and no had good stock Of
them at his tongues end, There was hard.
ly a night during that campaign that
group Of officers did not gather at tho
camp fire 10 listen TO him. 80 admirable
roconteur was he that the thought oftor
occurred 10 me-and, presume, TO otheri
that, with proper education, ho might
have made his mark In tho world. 0i
course, like many q frontIersman, os.
pecIally whom speaking OF his own OK
ploits, no was greatly given 10 oxaggora-
tion-lying, we call II In Montana-but hli
stories, whether truthful or lying, were
as have said, always entertaining, and
never failed 10 draw full house. II TO.
member rightly, ho said ho had spont tho
summer OF 10 Qho year OF tho Custer Aght)
In Whoop-Up country. That's tho coun.
try north OF Benton and near the lntcrna.
tonal boundary line. II is tho paradise Of
smugglors and horso-thlovos, wharo the
traders have their houses built right on
tho limo, half ON American and half on
British soil. Thoy have revolving or ro.
versiblo bars, 80 that when thoy seo the
mounted police coming TO hunt for contra.
band whisky they transfer tho stock 10 the
American side Of tho shanty and keep on
dealing out their villainous "rotgut."
TOOK CARE OF JOHNSON
"But with all his koennesa whllo scout.
Ing, noticed johnson generally took
mighty few chances himself, and ran no
risks that could DO avoided. Coming
across somo very fresh signs Of boar while
huntln &, asked him 10 go In tho brake
with mo and see II we could find tho game.
With perfectly sober face, ho said,
'Woll, LIouto nant, you and your man 60
In and stir him up, and III shoot him whom
no comos out on the other sido,' Ono day,
while scouting nonr tho Mussolsholl, he
pointed TO bolt of timber near at hand,
aud romnrkod 'Thcro Is whoro l got tho
namo OF Livor-Eating, You soo, said ho,
'thcro was party OF twenty OF US hunters
and happers campcd hero In 'Os Tho
country was just full OF game and In
dlans, and beaver was almost ~ thick as
buffalo We was having splendid luck,
and our camp was just piled with poltry.
But ono morning we was jumped by a
band Of about fifty Sioux, who circlod to-
wards us, whooping and yelling like dow
| lis, and firing under tho nocks Of tholr
ponies, We gave them vollcy, and tho
Indians, thinking wo woro armed
with tho common rifle, rushed IN.
But most OF us had repeating rInos
Qt was tho first season wo had
them In tho territory, and as they camo
ON we gayo thom another round which
fairly staggered thcm, but whom wo pulled
on thom again moro surprised lot OF
bucks you novor saw. They skinned out
quick, but We gavo II 10 thom on tho run
and dropped noorly ovory last ono OF thom.
| saw ono buck tumble from his pony aud
crawl Into tho brush, 30 l won't In after
him. Putting my knifo into him, gavo II
turn, and whom pulled II out thoro was
n pioco Of his livor sticking 10 tho knife. SO
| held II up and yelled TO tho follow noxt
TO mo. "Say, Jim, won't you tako u bitoP'
That's all there IL 10 the story. Somo say
| ato IT, but it's--lcp "ThOy do say,'
continued Captain -, "that johnson
really ato u ploco of tho liver, ~ Indians
sometimes do, believing they acquire The
bravo qualities of tho man they have
killed. remember ono day whilo scout'
Ing with n detachment wo cumo upon jos
gcphs trail, II was near tho foot Of the
Heart mou ntains, and miles away from
tho column of Sturgis, Tho trail was worry
fresh, aud no little distance ahead Of N
could DO soon tho bodies Of two whit,
mon. As soon Gs Liver Eating, wht
was In tho lead, struck tho trail, and saw
Tho bodies lying there, ho camo gnllopinl
baclt, and yelled outs There have booi
moro than million Indians hero inside o
ton miuutos.' Well, sir, you could hav,
knocked mo down with q feather, for wa
scared; and whom looked around ont
saw tho white faces of my mon, moro thai
half of whom woro groom recruits, l wa
afraid Of stampede But instantly CAV
tho word 10 dismount, leaving oyory fourt
man 10 hold tho horses of tho others. This
of course, prevented the mon from STAN
poding, and thon | ordered tho scout I
ascend tho hill In 'front.' and look for In
dians. Ho refused ~ first, but | told hir
ho was a dead man II he disoboyod; an
, seeing meant business (and would hav
shot him, sure,) ho rodo on. Coutiousl
ascending tho hill ho took ono look an
found no Indians.
"That Joseph was the slipporlost Gus
tomor ever saw, and led US all prett
dance that summer before no was cal
turod On examining tho bodies, we foun
: them 70 bc two prospoctors that Sturg
! had hired ns scouts. Ono WI
> dead, tho other was shot TO picco
having ilvo bullets In him, two Of tho
through the body but bo was still aliv
and told US 10 was The Ncs pcrces uat d
, 10. woll, We nxcd tho poor fellow out
c..,farla ahiv nm wn pould With blnnkol