Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-08-22
THE RED MANS REVENGE
N ACCOUNT OF TWO MAssAcREs
N WESTERN COLORADO.

A. ACCOUNT OF TWO MASaACheS
N WESTERN COLORADO
Qxssss saAsaas Killed for Stealing Csesas-
4 o.svtvss rslls the sssry - tie Trths
aoA Il Takes Aufal e<vengs-A
VrAgAssssd Ceasas r.kes.
In 1873 was appointed census enxsnerator
o< DoIor1 county. Colorado. started fron
Rieo about the 18th Of Jui.e for the purpsoss
Of enurnerasinx the settlers outside Of the
toxn. arrived at Thonr~ous milk ranch,
on Beaver creek Climbing up . stsep
mountain side, it was late in the Afternoon
when halted my weary horse &C the ranch,
which found 10 consist Of a log cabin, milk
house, a corral and q stable Strange as Il
seer,el1 TO me. the door of the cabin ~as nailed
up, and pigs, dogs and chickens ruaned about
and approached ms a. il glad of human com
uany The usual utensils and fixtures Of
ranch, such ~ Wagons and other appliances,
stood about, but no human being was 20 be
seem The day being exceedingly hot, sat
in the door step, wondering when my IN
tended host would APPEAR. saw number
Of cattle, mile or two Cd, and SUPPOSED that
the inhabitants Of the ranch were there brand
ing or rounding up their stock for milking
purpossA
WHAT ATTRACTED TIE sczzARDa
While waiting | noticed some half dozen
buxzards cireiing slowly above some tall
tres, a coupi.. hundred wards from the house.
darting earthward ana then reappearing
above only TO repeat the SAME maiienver
again. My prairie experience led me 10 De-
Iieve that some carrion Was the objective
point beneath those trees, 50 when the sun
was finally going down and no one had yet
appeared | was led to suspect that some
catastrophe might have occurred, and, con
Meeting tine buzzards with this thought, l
mounted my horse and rode over TO the trees,
and, approaching them, found the bodies OF
sixteen Indians, one Of which was that of q
woman. I examined them, and found that
they had been shot.
did not wonder at the nailed up ranch
door, nor did expect any one TO appear and
offer me entertainment The ranchman must
have removed himself and family to some
place Of safety In fear Of retaliatory meas
ures BY the Indians. | therefore pulled down
the door and examined the interior. found
some dry biscuits, coffee and coffee pot and
sheet iron stove, an empty bedstead stood III
one corner, on which were piled number OF
magazines, while skins covered the floor OF
course, my first though. was for the inner
man. and sailed forth to the chicken house
to look for eggs found an abundant SUP
ply Returning TO the house, started fire
and became cook.
In leaving the house to replenish the fire
happened to glance up to the roof Of the
house and, TO my dismay, discovered the
smoke passing through stovepipe project
ing from the roof, which sent the smoke in
a straight line hundred feet or more up in
the air. As such volume Of smoke Is used
by some Of the Plain Indians as q signal to
rendezvous, l was apprehensive that this
smoke would call to the ranch any band Of
Indians which might he prowling in that
country. Remember, | knew Of no Indian
disturbances. but still found 50 many dead
Indians However, after supper / found q
more clear spot in the sage brush for my
horse slowed my saddle in another place,
then retired to the house. lit a candle, and
examined the magazines. | soon extinguished
the light and went to sleep on the floor
Awakened suddenly by some slight noise, !
had some serious reflections. | Thought Of
home and friends and Of the likelihood Of my
being scalped in the night. had no weap-
ons, and therefore could have offered but
slight resistance To any ones attack Re-
lighting the candle | inscribed the follow
ing in my note book, with my name, occu-
patton and date;
81 am tonight at Thompson's milk ranch.
Have discovered some dead Indians near
here. May be murdered by any live one
who may be in the vicinity. Whoever finds
this will please send it to given address of
brother in New York city,"
THE TERRIBLE sEoUEL.
Stepping to the door threw this book far
out into the brush, and fine time had the
next morning, on awakening, to find it.
Holding council Of war with myself in the
morning, | changed my course and struck
out for the nearest large settlement, which
presumed to be forty miles distant,
called the Big Bend of the Dolores, which is
almost at the head of the famous Montezuma
valley. There being no road, Travelled
over woods and mountains, and after dark
arrived at my destination. l found the
people Of the settlement in a state Of great
alarm On the previous night the house OF
Mr. Geuthner had been attacked by band
of Indians, himself killed, his wife shot, and
his house burned. 1t was horrible story.
The man had discovered his house on fire
while in the bed, had seized q couple Of pals
and run to the we'll In returning he was
shot.
His wife in her night robe, hearing his
cries and seeing him fall, ran TO his Assist
ance. He begged her to gather the children
and flee and leave him to his fate. While
handing him drink of water, loath to leave
him, she herself was shot, receiving a terrible
wound through the right shoulder. Terrified,
she fed to the house. aroused her three chill
dren and ran out into the road, Justify
screaming for help Running into an arroyo
Ia gulchl and there hiding in the sage brush
with her small children about her, the pool
woman sat all night partly nude, shivering
with cold and fevered from her wound unit.
found on the following morning by some
neightors. All this happened some eight
NJ les from the Big Bend. A physician who
Lad been summoned from Fenango to attend
the woman pressed me into service, and to-
sethcr We dressed the wound and. at the
doctors suggestion. took her ante-mortenl
statement. 1t was easy for me tn account
Tor this outrage. it was but retaliation for
the killing of those who were lying at Beaver
creek.
Subsequently icing commissioned by the
governor TO investigate this matter, found
that thirty-six Indians had camped at Beaver
creek for the ostensible purpose of killing
deer They were accused by the cattleuen
OF killing cattle and warned to leave. 1t is
needless to say they did not leave. They were
again warned to leave within twenty-four
hours, and at the expiration, being still
there. they we're fired into. with the result US
later ascertained.
The few survivors, one of whom was Q
squaw, made their way to the reservation,
and there met party OF their tribe and re-
ported the occurrence, This party, wild to
avenge tine death Of their kindred, at once
rushed of and attacked the first innocent
white settlers whom they encountered. New
York Sun.
Gesture and Facial Expression.
GC.ture has been brought almost to q
science in the French schools of acting. /,
has been argued out and reduced to positive
rules which are most useful to know and 2iyt