The Penn's Grove record., 1889-03-16
KILLED BY INDIANS,
FIVE FRENCH TOURISTS MAssACREp
IN THE YELLOWSTONE PARK.

FIVF FRENCH TOURISTS AAsSAChEp
IN THE YELLOWSTONE PARK.
CHEYENNE, wy, March 10.-A
half breed hunter and trapper who ar
rived here from the extreme northwest
ern quarter of the Territory to-day
brings tidings of the %atrocious massacre
Of a party OF 1--WE French tourists In
Yellowstone National Park.
The bearer Of the news heard the
story at Canyon City, a new mining
town, neal the psrK where Hank Ferry,
the guide and sole survivor, reported
the slaughter. Ferry says his
charges included NJ. LeClaire and
wife, j. Vincent and wife and Paul
Gerot, father of Nine. Vincent. He
entered the service of the sightseers at
Virginia City, Mont, contracting to
show them through tile park in VIOLA
tion to United States statutes. The
strangers were very wealthy and SAID
they had ~journeyed overland from san
Francisco for the express purpose OF
taking In the park during the absence
of the horde Of summer excursionists.
The party enjoyed themselves hugely In
the park, affiiliating with the p~oachers,
who were Strengthening game Ior
hides. Their camp was always
headquarters for professional hunt
ers, whom they supplied with luxuries.
The guides story of the murder,
which he says was committed by In
dams, Is a most graphic recital. Just
before dawn on the day of the murder
blood curdllng yells and a fusilade OF
shots were heard, and reused Ferry.
He realized the situation, and crawling
through the brush took refuge in the
mouth Of q sleeping geyser. Here he
heard piteous groans and begging.
The latter proceeded with the muir
ders and killed old Gerst just as the
u was rising. The slaughter was
most brutal; wound after wound was
inflicted before the death shot was
given. No body contained less
than 10 bullets and the remains OF
Vincent, who made a desperate
struggle for life, were riddled. The
a passed the morning In further
mutilating the bodies and pillsging
their outfit. The women were neatly
scalped and their long t~resses, matted
with blood, dangled from the belt OF
the chief of the Indians. The heads Oh
the men were hacked and heir bodies
frightfully d%isGgured. The Indians
found a store of liquors carried by the
Frenchmen, but the quantity was not
sufficient to intoxicate them all. else
they would doubtless have fought
among themselves.
The CLOTHES OF the victims were
donned by the tends, who, as they
ran from one wagon to the other would
halt an instant to give one or the
bodies a kick or q cash with a knife.
Finally the marauders wearied of their
bloody feast, and, packing the effects
of the dead people on their ponies, SET
fire to the wagons and left.
Ferry. who was nearly dead with
fright, emerged from his hiding place
when the Indiags had departed and at
once started for Canyon City, the
nearest settlement. He avoided the
hunters in the park and must bavs
suffered from hunger and sHpoeu. 90
he WAS veal e~ms~luJed and seemed
sIiohtIv 1emI.ted when relating the
sor.ssaS story. The guide was placed
1.-THE care Of a physician, but he dis
appeared the second night after his ar
rival and has not been seen since. 1t
is presumed that he Is crazy, as he
started to the scene of the massacre.
Officers at Canyon City have organ
lied a posse to secure the bodies of the
murdered people. and, II possible,
avenge their deaths. They will proceed
with all possible haste, as the place is
isolated and wolves are liable to destroy
the remains before the park police or
the hunters stumble on them. Ferry
is q tough character, but his story is
believed, although some Of the miners
think that the hide hunters, who are
mostly outlaws, may have murdered
the tourists for robbery.