New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-11
FRENCH TOURISTS KILLED.
FIVE PERSONS MURDERED AND ROBBED IN
RATTLEsNAKE CANON
VIOLATING THE RULES OF THE GOVERNMENT
BY ENTERING THE NATIONAL PARK IN
wINTER-THE MASSACRE ATTRIBUTED
TO INDIANS OR WHITE TRAPpERs-:
ONLY THE GUIDE ESCAPES.
lar rrLroaAPn 10 rnn rarBusn.l

lBY TELEGRAPH To THE TRIBUNKl
Cheyenne wy. T.. March i0-word comes from
Canon City Of series Of murders in the Yellow
stone Park the victims being FIVE French tour
lists three men and two women Hank Ferry,
the guide, who was surreptitiously conducting the
party through the National Park. in violation Of
the Government rules. escaped and told his story
to the miners at Canon City. He was halt
craed from excitement and fever. and has since
disappeared Ferry was on drunken spree in
Montana when the tourists secured him. They
were anxious to see the National Park in winter.
but knew that visitors were not admitted at this
season. They were sent to Ferry as an ex-
pezienced guide and an unscrupulous fellow, and
their offer of money made him their servant at
once
Ferry spoke little French. end leaned that
the tourists were from Lyons. and that the men
were retired merchants. Their names were ].
Vincent W. Reclair and Paul Gerot. the two
former being accompanied by their wives. Gerot
was an uncle OF one OF the women. Ferry hired
two overland wagons. bought eight mules
and stock Of provisions, and the
party entered the Park from the southwest
corner. The Frenchmen had allowed the guide
70 provide everything but the liquors. These
they bought themselves. and Ferry says the wines
were OF the finest The wonders Of the Yellow
stone region were admired. The tourists shot
little game, and every evening ended in a drink
ing bout around the campfre. Two days were
spent in Rattlesnake Canon. and on the second
night the four men drank deeply. All four fell
asleep In the open cir, and the guide, who was
the first 70 wake, at daylight left his slumbering
companions to attend to the wants Of the mules
which were picketed some rods away. Then
oame the attack Ferry says:
/ saw that the mules had been stampeded,
and Just as started TO run felt was shot.
bullet was in my leg, and fen. Two horse
men, who think were Indians came galloping
by me, and one of them leaned with
bis gun raised like club. felt blow and
that's all I know"
Ferry was unconscious for several hours and
lost considerable blood from the wound in his
leg. When be recovered his senses and
had tied up his wound, he crawied back to camp.
shocking sight met his gaze The tourists had
been murdered In their sleep, and tho five bloody
eorpses lay in q heap, riddled with bullets and
cut by knives. The two women had been scalped,
the wagons looted of everything Of value, even
TO the revolvers, and the watches Of the dead
tourists had been taken. The mules had dis
appeared, and there was only the bowling Of
pack OF wolves waiting his departure to begin
living thing In the vast solitude. lie travelled
BIZ slow stages to the eastern end Of the Park,
meeting an occasional hunter but seeing no signs
Of Indians or marauders.
wten he arrived at the mining town and told
his story, IL WIS only after repeated questioning
that oil the facts could be obtained. He was so
dazed by the blow on his head and the shock Of
the massacre that 10 was week before the miners
were convinced that the murders had becn com
mitted. Ferry seemed fixed In his belief that his,
assaiants were Indians, but tn. miners beeve that
they were party of desperate men, hunters, or
perhaps horse-thieves. They say that q whito
man can learn TO scalp woman almost as neatly
as savage but that IL IL more difficult to lift
mans hair scientifically. They ascribe the scalp
ing TO the desire on the part of the murderers TO
direct suspicion TO the Indians The miners or
gnnized party to penetrate into the Park and
bury the bodies, and, IL possible. discover some
traces OF the murderers Ferry was to 90 with
them, but one night he disappeared and the ex-
pedition WINS abandoned.
It is thought by some that the guide was one
OF the robbers; that he led the travellers into
an ambuscade; that the robbers then attacked
him and left him for dead, instead Of sharing the
booty with him, and that Ferry dreaded their
vengeance II discovered leading q party Of aveng-
erS IN their hauuts