The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-03-22
Five French Tourists x.ssarrei.

This doubtful story comes from Cheyenne
Wyoming. Five wealthy tourists from
France have met death in the Yellowston
Park as result of f,lefying the govcrnmen
regulation md venturing through the lnnt
OF gcysers, cataracts and natures wcirdcs
wonders in the winter when the Nationa
Park is officially closed. There were tire,
men and two women in the party, bcsidc.
Henry Ferry an old hunter and scout, who
acts as II professional. wns guide. Ferry wa.
wintering in Montana and picked the tour
ists up there. They came from the Pacif.
coatt had plenty OF money IND wanted t.
ace the park in winter. knowing the,
could not gain entrance in the orlinar,
way Terry was appealed to
They made him big offer and lie began t.
outfit them ut once. The French people
said they came from Lyons and gave thci
names as N. lie Claire, II silk merchant, ane
wife; M. J. Vincent, n broker. nnd his wife
ana faui Gerot. man OF nearly sixty, who
was an uncle of Mra. Vincent and u retired
wine merchant. All were willing to rough
IT. and they, started in two emigrnnl
abundance of provisions and liquors
Ferry shot considerable game fol
them and they iourneyed by
slow stages for three weeks, camping eyers
night and drinking around big fire unit
pretty late. When the party reached Rattle
snake canyon they caInped alongside a lit
tie creek and tied the mules half mile away
where the creek widcned into a shallow lake
The six people drank unusually late nnc
deeply thut night, and he two married mer
and Ferry tell asleep alongside the fire about
midnight. Ferry awOke Mt daylight ami
went to look after the mules. BEFORE M
reached them he heard II succession of yells
bullet ploughei through the calf of his leg
and couple of horsenien dashed by him
Que OF whom nearly Drained him with II CUR
as he passed. Ferry sank into unconscious.
ness Mt once and never recovered his senses
until evening. Then he was so weak that
after crawling to the creek he tainted again
~ wns the morning ofthc second day when
the guide came to his senses, and after bind
ing up his leg found he had strength
enough. to crawl to the camp. 1t was silent
nv death, and he guessed the truth before his
eyes rested on five bloody md manglnl
cc"irscs. The tourists had been murdered
IN their sleep and their holics thrown to,
g"ther in II heap after Icing mutilatrd. The
two women had been alTe,l. hut he savage
murders had been unable to lift the hair o.
tile men,. Clashes about the head showed
WIZ" VIZ n'.iNlnS kHie, IhfnarS IN
amateurs hands. had refused to do its
work. The wagons wcra overturned, the
liquors and most of the provisions gone, nnd
everything ot value in he outfit had been
taken, Including II considerable sum oi
gold com. Ferry WAS two weeks on his
journey to Canyon City, whence this story
CONE lie was nearly rrnzy when he arrived
at the mining town, and for several days
was in IL deirious fever. When hr recovered
lie told the story of the massacre, hut was
so incoheicnt that it took several rc,,ti.
tions 10 get at the complete narrative.
Ferry said that wolves wcIs, already in sight
OF the hodi"s when lc let. lIc believed tm,
Indians were the murdcrrs. hcc;l,Ise hc
heard their yells and saw the bodies, which
were inutilhtctl in inlinn fashion. He stuck
to his story. however. that only tho
two women had been erllprd The miners
believe that the murlcrcrs were Montana
outlaws who followed tho party through tic
park, knowing that they carried several
thousand dollars in gold with them and
that their mules and ontlit would I've u rich
prize in themselves When Ferry Heard this
he becnnie frightened apparently. aud twice
tired to escape from he miners The latter
kept close watch on him, but Ferry Mt last
rlndel them and has disappeared. He was
to accompany Il party who were going
through the park to hurry tho bodies. and il
possible to get some trace OF the murdercrs
His disappearance has led to n suspicion
that hr was in league with the nttuckin.
party mud led the tourists into Il trap II is
not probable that any ono will venture into
Itattl"snake canyon before spring now.
There will he only the wagons and the homes
that the wolves left to tell the tale then.