Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-06-21
AN OLD-TlME MASSACRE,
SEVEN SWEDISH LABORERs KILL

SEVEN SWEDISH LABORERs KILL
Ed AND SCALPEp-THE REL
MEN THOUGHT THEY WERE TC
BE DEPRIVED OF THEIR LAND
TOO MUCH RUM
MORA, MINI, June If The
treacherous Chippewa Indians are
on the warpath again, and there
are grave fears OF general mp
rising. Already seven Swede la
bOrers have been massacred, and
several hundred IabOrers and set
tiers are now hurrylng here for
safety. Sheriff Nicholson, mounted
on an Indian pony, rode to town
on a gallOp yesterday and gave the
alarm. He also communicated with
Governor Merriam, aequesting him
to order out the state troops To
quell the uprising. The present
trouble Is the OutgrOwth Of en-,
crOachment by the whites upon the
Mile Laos reservation. Recently a
contract was awarded by the set
tiers to Foley Bros, of st. Paul, to
dig ditch for irrigation purposes
from Mile Laos lake to point on
the Smoke river near this place.
When the Indians learned ditch
was to be dag they at once came to
the conclusion that the intention
was to drain the latter. and deprive
them OF their fishing privileges.
Notice was served by the indians
upon the contractors, warning
them that if they did not leave the
territory at once they would be put
to death. The contractors gave
no heed to the warning, but came
here and engaged three hundred
labOrers, who began work yester.
day morning at Mile Laos. About
noon yesterday they were attacked
by party of about four hundred
Chippewas, led by White Suake
and Great Bear. The Indians were
in full war paint, and were armed
with Winchester rifles and toma.
hawks. As soon as they saw the
reds coming, the laborers dropped
their shOvels and fled toward this
place. They were pursued by the
savages, who shot and killed seven
men. Their names are: Olaf
MagusOn, Christian Rasmussen,
Bernt Toerdahl, Aug. Swanson,
Gustav TOderstrOm, Gail Speh
Jacob Skoll. Several others were
wounded, but not seriously. The
Indians scalped Toderstrom and
Maguson, and mutilated the bodies
OF Speh and Skoll in a fendish
manner. The Indians who have
been gathering on the south shore
of Mile Laos Lake for week or
more, Wednesday night engaged
in a war dance as a preliminary to
the massacre. Three of the seven
victims have families here in des-
tltute circumstances.
Ex-senator Fl. VI. Rice, of ST.
Paul Bishop Marty, of Dakota,
aud DIR. Whiting, OF Wisconsin,
commissioners appointed by Presi-
dent Harrison 10 treat with the
Chippewas, are in this city, and
were to have started out next week
to negotiate with the tribes at
Mile Laos. All three were seen
by reporter last night.
The Mile Laos have not been a
bad people. During the Sioux out.
break in 1889 some Of the Chippe-
was from the upper Mississippi,
with Hole-in.the.D at their head,
were anxious 10 join the Sioux and
make war on the whites. They
sen: messages to the Mile Lacs
and asked them to go with them
and Join the Sioux tribe The Mile
Laos, however, we're true to the
government, stunning their own
brethren and rendering their ssr-
vice to the state. But for the last
ten or fifteen years, through fear Of
losing Their property, they have
been very unsettled and demon.
allied. Their pine lands have
tempted the Writes to encroach up.
on their reservation.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINI, June H.
A reporter started for the scene OF
the Chippewa Indian outbreak last
night, arriving there early this
morning. Three companies Of reg
ular army troops are at Mora, the
nearest town, where they are wait.
ing definite news. il is not known
positively that more than one man
has been shot, but the graver re-
ports are not yet discredited, as
they are thought to have come
from reliable men. Captain SLOUGH,
who Is in command of the regulars,
at once made arrangements to
leave Mora for the scene of the
outbreak with his force, and The
start was made at $3.50 this morn.
ing. There are several families
living near the lake who have had
trouble with the Indians, and 1t is
feared that these have suffered.