The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1889-05-02
A THRILLING INCIDENT,



shot-nis Successful Flighl-A Chaplei
Ia tho nlstoy Of Rsriy Navigation oi
the upPer Missouri
Tho following description ot an exciting
event, which, at tho tlma,eNolled wide spread
attention, tOrma nm interesting chapter IN
Capt u w O0uld'a work on "lhe Naylga-
ton Of Western Walers"l
lhrhapa no river In tho Valley Of tho Mis-
Raippi has heon the acene Of 90 many thrill
Ing oyonts, Indian fights, steamboat wrecks,
halrbroadth esapls and peria frum nayiga'
ton ~ hHs the Missouri
Previous 10 the discovery Of gold In Mon.
tana the American Fur company and its con
tompprariea and predecessors IN tho fur hada
monopOlired about all the traffic theH was
above HiouX CITY, commencing soon after
tho introduction Of steam, In 1910, With Ose
boat por anuum, adding another from time
70 time ~ thelr trade extended up tho river,
Tho arrival or departure from H. Louis o.
'mounian buat' created about ~ much on
ellameAt and curiosity AZ that tine ~ did
that u q leyongo OF Mackinaw boat loaded
with skins and petrles nj an earlier date,
While tho Indiana were NJ peace with each
other, the stonmhOats annual trip was looked
forward 70 hy them with pleasure and Great
anxiety, ~ II was lhcir source 0l supplies,
and Of them Indiana are always short
AcTom IN ifm TnA0npY,
Tho Rev Father DO Anet, Tor many yearn
a missionary aud general manager OF Catho'
llc misaiona among tho Indians OF tho north
vest, VIA not unfreQuenuya a passenger on
thefe ploneer boata
The black gown which he always wore 10
tho presence uf Indians Inspired In them
great yenfrallOn, ~ tho representative OF
tha Great Spirit llls amnblo AMI Tuaye
manner alwaya assured thom, ~ II did every
ono cha, that no evil could hofall them la hla
preaoncp, and ho was whom known 10 bo
near, a constant check upon thelr habits OF
dissipation, qunrrels and hoatilitlea,
No matter how fierce tho feudh between
different tribes, he went foarlealy from ono
10 tho other 10 allay any commoton OF tght
AMI Wus alvey respected,
The writer saw this practically Illustrated
while lying AZ the mouth Of MIX river, some
200 miles ,low Fort Benton, Ia 1884
AZ that time tho Sioux Indians were NJ
war with tho UnitOd States and with many
tribes Of Indians Their country bordered
tho Mieourl river for many mllea aud nayi
gatlon WIS not considered very safe Boats
were occasionally fired into when running
olOf0 10 fhoro aud whom lying up NJ
night always Kept picket guard, and tho
pilot was protected by shields Of boiler
Iron Whom under way This WIS very low
water year aud We were two months gottlng
~ the mouth Of MIX river, whore We were
obliged 10 atOro Our cargo, While lying thore
q tragic event occurred through which, hnd
II not boon Tor the presence " Father Do
Rmol, the steamer Nellie Rogers and prob
ably Some nt hrrcrov would hnyc horn snort,
iced Ton tho cruel Uud unpluvulvd murder ol
young Mckenzie, lhoton Of prominent mcr'
chant Of ~ Louis, whom many a. LouIHana
will remember 10 q very oatimablo geutlo
man. llo at QUO tlmo waA an Indian trader
on the Upper Missouri,
llo had married u squaw, Indian fashion,
aud raIbod q family OF half breeds, part Of
which no took 10 tho etatos and educated
THIS young man, then about ~ years old, had
roturncd 10 hia tribe, tho Crows, married
and was living NJ Fort Peek, acting, perhaps,
In the capacity OF Interpreter lilo, with his
wiio aud ono young child, together with u
large number Of Indians OF both sexes and Of
all ngo, had cncampod on tho bank opposite
where tho boat was dISchargng They nll
had acc0u 10 tho boat aud were constantly
passing 10 aud fro,
Bat ~ the bar on tho boat hPd b,cn eloscd
by Mr. ChAulygS order, who bod the boat
under chnrlUf, no excessive drinking was
allowed There had boon on board ~ u pas
lengcr all the way from H. LouA a Mr..
Clark, formerly from Philadelphia, quiet,
gontlomanly mnn OF education, who for tho
previous trn or twelve years had been living
among tho indiana principally At Fort Bon
ton.
THE MURDER AND Wionr
pAftor tho boat had boon lying thcro several
h0uru Mckenzie came on board with others
and stepped into the cabin, and Just ~ ho got
alIrunst OF the Gtoyo Ia tho hnll, Clark stopped
out n hIa state room, which wns ono OF tho
lnca rooms In tho cabin, with pistol In hand,
and without a word from uilhcr of thom In
Gtantly 1rod and Mckenzie fcll, shot through
lhc heart
nla wifo was ono Of tho first who ruShcd on
board with many Of hor kindred and frionds,
and the excitement coon became intensp--on
tho pait of tho indiana, Tor tho sudden death
Of prominent moinbcr of their tiho, on tho
part ~ Tho passengers and crow, for fear OF
summary vengeance trm tho Indians, who
wdo entirely magtora NJ tho situation, Tho
lrw were out, and, Of course, No st0am could
bO had 10 move tho boat for a0mo hours
Father DO Smot and his black gown seemed
about all that stood between mn outraged
body Of lighting lndINns, aud the Nellie Rog
Gs hor passengers and crew, until Clark
could be- disposed Of While ho was fearless
and indifferent, II wal evident thcro waa no
mfoty ~ long M no remained on board.
Ponies Woro secured from the traders ~ Fort
Pool, twelve miles distant but who had como
" no "tho steamboat" Clark, with two or
thrcO others, who wore nnxioua 10 got 10 Fort
Benton, started with very littlo preparation,
aud worry little delay, aud stood mot upon
tho order OF thu!r going' And until they
wero we'll out of tho Grow country II was
thought no grass would grow undor thoir
horses fcot
Before the Indians had Cotton over tholr
surprise and CONSERVATION, Clark, whom
mono VI them know personally, had gotton bo-
yunu to iOhuh ol hhnH lthsNAt noIhA, hlu
through tho influence OF Father do Smot,
II IN probable thoy mover pursued him "rom
DorriR," young man from ST. Louis, bound
for tho gold minos at llolonA, thcn Just bo-
ginning 10 attract attention, was ono Of
ClarkS travelling companions during hnt
John Gilpln race, Subsequently u was
learned that no halt WIS mado until Fort Bon.
ton VIVA reached, and tho distance, no milcs,
covered inside Of thrco dayA
As thcro was no law and but llttlo. Justice
In that country then, no Investigation wns
over made, and no cnuso oyor assigned for
tho sudden taking OF OF Mr.. Konsio.
II was believed m old grudgo existed that
wns 10 bo settled In that way whonoyor tho
parties mot II wns Afterwards eaid by
Clark that bo was the author OF several hmi-
lar tragedies previous 10 Tho onoat tho mouth