Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1889-03-12
OF RED FIBNDS.
Bloodt'urdling Yarn from the
Will and Wicked West.
rHHsTORY OF GUIDE FERRY
How a Small Party of French Tourists
in His Charge Were BrutaIly slaugh-
tered in Yellowstone Park by
BIoodtlirsty savnges.

CHEYENNE, Wyo., March IA half
breed hunter and trapper from the ex-
treme northwestern quarter. OF the terri
tory brings tidings of the atrocious mas
sacre of a party of five French tourists
in Yellowstone National park. The
bearer of the news heard the story at
Canyon City. a new mining town near
the park, when Hank Ferry, tie guide
and sole survivor, reported the slaughter.
Ferry says his charge included NJ. Lee
Claire and wife, J. Vincent and wife,
Paul Gerot, father of Mime. Vincent.
He entered the service of the sigh Aseers
at Virginia City, Mont, contract
ing to show them through the park
in violation of United States statutes.
The strangers were very wealthy and
said they had journeyed overland from
San Francisco for the express purpose
OF taking in tie rark during the absence
of the horde of summer excursIonists.
The party enjoyed themselves hugely in
the park, afiliating with the poachers,
who were slaughtering game for hides.
Their camp was always headquarters
for professional hunters, whom they
supplied with luxuries. The guides
story Of the murder, which he says was
committed by Indians, is a most graphic
recital. Just before dawn on the day of
the murder, blood curd]ing yells
and a fusilade of shots were
heard, in and around the ferry. He
realized the situation, and crawling
through the brush took refuge in the
mouth Of a sleeping .geyser. He heard the
piteous groans and begging of the for
eigners, mingled with the yelling of the
red skins. The latter proceeded with tho
murders and killed old Gerot just as the
sun was rising. The slaughter was most
brutal Wound after wound was in
flicted before the death-shot was given.
No body contained less than ten bullets,
and the remains of Vincent, who made
a desperate struggle for life, were rid
died. The savages passed the morning
in further mutllating the bodies and
pillaging their outfit. The women were
neatly scalped, and their long t~esses
matted with blood, dangleG from
the belts Of the chief of the In
dams, The heads OF the men were
hacked anu their bodies frightfuiIy dis
figured. The Indians found a store of
liquors carried by the Frenchmen, but
the quantity was not sufficient to intox-
icate them all, else they would doubtless
have fought among themselves. The
clothes of the victims were donned by
the tiends, who, as they ran from one
wagon to the, other, would halt an in
slant to give, one of the bodies a kick or
a cash with q knife. Finally the
marauders. weared of the bloody feast,
and packing the effects of the dead peo-
pie ON their ponies, set fire
to the wagons and left. Ferry,
who was nearly dead with fright,
emerged from his hiding place when the
Indians had departed, aud at once
started for Canyon City, the nearest
settlement. he avoided the hunters in
the park and must have suffered from
hunger and exposure, AZ he was weak.
~emaciated and seemed slightly de-
mented when relating his terrible story.
This guide was placed in the care of a
physician, but he disappeared the sec
ond night after his arrival and has not
been seen since. 1t is presumed he is
crazy, as he started to the scene Of the
massacre. Officers at Canyon City have
organized a posse to secure the bodies
of tho murdered people, and if possible,
avenge their deaths. They will proceed
with al possible haste, as the place is
isolated and wolves are liable to destroy
the remains before the park police OF
the hunters stumble on them. Ferry is
q tough character, but his story is be-
lieved, although some of the miners
think that the hide hunters, who are
mostly outlaws, may have murdered the
tourists for robbery.