St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-08-30
The Sunrise Expedition and its Tragic
and Somewhat Humorous
Ending.
The Military VS.. the Civil Law--Capt.
James Starkey and His
Exploits.
Matters of Interest in the Year 1857
and Pictures of Old
Settlers.
copyrighted by 7. NJ. Newson.l
THE SUNRISE EXPEDITION.


county, and other places, and as an oppor-
tuhity occurred to steal and annoy the peo-
PIE complaints coming to Gov. Medary,
ne ordered Capt. Starkey, who but recently
hdu organized volunteer cavalry company,
10 take part of his command and to arrest at
once ali Indians known to have committed
any depredations. On the oath of August the
captain, booted and strapped, and spurred,
and mounted on his spirited war-charger.
drew up his men in line, and amid the
plaudits of the people, dashed forward in
the defense of the frontier. On the
2Sth he overlook six lone Indians. who
submitted to a pOw-wOw, but the Door
devils, frightened half to death by the gilt
ter and pOmp of war, and especially by the
commanding and Overpowering presence of
the gallant captain, broke away and ran for
their lives into the bushes. The commander
Immediately ordered one of his men by the
name of Frank Donnelly to put
his horse on the gallop, head off
the fleeing enemy, and in the name OF the
Continental congress and the territory of
Minnesota order them to stop. DOnnelly
did so, when an Indian by the name of Sha-
go-ba, probably not understanding Dom
nelly's meaning and sUppOsing his last hour
had come, fired, and DOnnelly fell dead.
Then the gallant cavalTymen charged and
killed one Indian and wounded another and
of course the remaining four were made
prisoners. The grand cortege, with the
dead bodies of DOnnelly and the Indian,
the Indian prisoners and the triumphant
captain, arrived at st. Paul on the Goth. and
OF course there was great excitement as the
eonquering hero entered the gates of the
sanity city. Young DOnneliy was a car
penter by trade and worked with his father,
and volunteered to go on the expedition in
the place OF a regular cavalryman who was
prevented by sickness, and when he re-
turned corpse there was mourning at his
own home and great Indignation among the
people. a funeral sermon was preached
over the body in the jackson Street
Methodist church by Rev. John Penman,
ana the military buried him with their ac-
cuStomed impressive honors. Mai.
Cullen, then superintendent of In
dian affairs, brought the matter
before Judge Nelson of the
United States court on writ of habeas
corpus, and the judge ordered the prisoners
to be brought into his presence, and the
next day Capt. Starkey, with his sword and
sashes and guards and Indians and military
accoutrements, and impressed with the be-
lief that he was the rising great military
eyes were turned, entered the court room
with his retinue, and in his dignified man
ner saluted the judge with
military bow, when his honor adj
dressed him as follows: Captain.
II Is not in accordance with the genius of
our institutions to have armed soldiers in
court of justice; remove the guardsr' The
captain wilted; for moment he looked for
mouse hole into which to crawl, but re-
covering his equanimity he realized the fact
that after all he was only the
captains OF military company,
and not the dictator of an empire
or the dispenser of justice among the peO-
pie; but he says that in all his life his pride
never had such fall, for he really thought
he had command over his own guards until
the judge pricked the bubble and left him
without any wind. The four Indians were re-
leased. but Sha-gO-ba was sent to the Chi
sage Jail and IN a few days cut his way out
with a penknife and escaped, and thus
ended what was known as the Sunrise In
dian expedition.
MATHEW CROFT.
Mr.. Croft was painter by trade, and in
early days was very ardent Republican,
and on the subject of politics he
was most decided. At one time he
had property in this city which is
now quite valuable. Fate turned
against him and his health failing. he
struggled ON manfully; was at one time
engaged in the drug firm of Ween. Croft
IL Regally, finally began the manufacture
of what is now known as the Snow Flake
baking powder. and when fully perfected.
he died. The receipt for making the same
passed into the hands of his son Charles.
and MI. Groffs name is found in many a
household. He was a man of ordinary
siZe-SOmewhat irritable over the mishaps
of life, yet generous and goOd-hearted.
He was BON near Troy, n. Y, in 1921;
educated there. and taught school in Ken
lucky and Virginia; came to st. Paul in
1s49; ran the old Mississippi house for a
time; dealt in real estate; in company with
others laid out and was an owner in the
town sites of Carver, Belle Plaine and other
places; was landlord of tine Smelling house;
aided in issuing directory; was a broker
for year or so on Jackson street; started
the Snow Flake baking powder in 1862;
died in 1876, aged 55 years. His son,
Charles r. Croft, now carries on the bust
ness on a large scale.
RUMBLING OF THE CARS.
In the fall of 1857, the cars of the Mil
waukee d Chicago railroad reached Prai-
RE du Chen, on their way up toward our
city. The connection had formerly been
made at Dunleith, many miles below, so
we were all happy with the hope at
some time in the future of seeing q railroad
train enter Minnesota.
EDWARD KEENAN,.
Heenan was a character. He was of
Irish descent, born about 1897; came to st.
Paul in 1856; was engaged for a time in
the dry goods business, and then bloOmed
out into full-blOwn politician and became
the register of deeds of Ramsey county.
When Heenan was register of deeds the
Democratic county board advertised for bids
to publish the tax list, and the writer. then
editor of the Times, was awarded the con-
tract as the lowest bidder, but Goodrich of
the Pioneer claimed that he was entitled to
the list on the ground of being the Dem
Ocratic organ, and also that his con-
tract covered the list, so he and
his friends conspired to secure it. and to
this end the officer who had sthe making
out of the tax list turned the COPY over to
the Pioneer, and left the Times out in the
cold. The law said that in case the list
was not published at given time, the con-
tract would be violated. Goodrich had the
tax list in his possession, had it set nm
would have it printed in his paper under
the law in the morning. 1 had the con-
tract. but had no copy. What to do did
not know, so 1 called on Heenan and laid
the case before him. The list must be SET
up that night, or L was gone up on nv con-
tract. go to your Office" said Heenan.
have twenty or thirty printers ready and /
will take care of the copy" 81 did as he
suggested, and at z o'clock in the evening
in walked Heenan with copy of the Pioneer
with the printed tax list, and before morn
ing the names were set up and published