Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-02-28
HEM EssT'S LAST FIGHT.

| HEM ESSY,S LAST FIGHT.
He Wus a Regular Calling Gan IN Has
Battle with o Indians
Quite direct runs the old trail south
ward from Arkansas City, Kansas, to
Oklahoma City. Along the trail the
travellers eager eye beholds a monu-
ment erected out of native stone. Here
lies the body of brave Pat Henness,y,
who was murdered by the Cheyenne
Indians in 1876. Many are the tales
told of Pat and his narrow escapes from
the red devils of the plains. OF these
it is not the purpose to speak at present,
but to record his last great fight, where
Pat proved himself a very Gatling gun
of death to his implacable foes. Pat is
we'll remembered Is an old-time Fort
/ Sill freighter, and at the time of his
tragical death was on his way from
Caldwell, Kansas, to the fort, with six
wagons and three trail wagons. With
him were three men. One of these a
tender-foot from Boston, had a great de-
sire to kill an Indian. John Korison
was his name. He little knew how soon
he would get more killing than he
wanted and undergo an experience sell
dom equalled in border tragedies.
One afternoon, shortly after they had
gone into camp, they were attacked by
a band Of 300 or 400 Cheyenne braves
with all the suddeness and terrible
ferocity peculiar to Indian warfare.
Hennessy saw them coming and in
stantly ordered the men to run for a
canon just west of the trail. They mis-
understood the direction, and instead of
west took the trail north. The mistake
fastened their doom. With wild yells
of savage delight the Indians circled
around the three men. Korison was
left behind in the race. He saw Indians
on every side. No chance to escape,
death certain. His alarm was over
The tender-foot was a man. With rap
idity that indicated a previous training
he raised his Winchester and fired into
the Indians with shots so quick they al
most seemed one. Deadly shooting too,
for five painted warriors had gone down,
their death cry ringing out and ming
ling with the dog-like snarls of several
who were wounded. The Indians re-
turned the fire and the three white men
fell.
Old Pat saw the fight from his retreat
in the rocks. His mind had undergone
a great change in regard to the man
from Boston, and as the savages rushed
in t scalp the three fallen men his own
deadly Winchester came to his shoulder,
the sights caught the dusky form of q
big Indian just in the act of scalping
Korison. The rifle belched forth it's
messenger of death and a red tiend
sprang high into the air, then sank
| down, still and dead. It was not that
fend of the plains, Black Scar, but
another redskin who rushing forward to
try for the scalp Of Korison, met his own
well-deserved fate from the sure aim of
Pat. With yells of fury the Indians
left the three PROSTATE forms to attack
their more formidable enemy, and from
the belts Of three bucks there dangled
the scalps of three whites.
Hennessy wa well prepared for de-
fence-an immense rock behind, rocks
at the side and in front also, was the
only point at which all attack could be
made, and there over the rock cleaned
with deadly n his sixteen shot
Winchester. Swift now and hot the
fight. Over 300 against one, but that
n cool, determined and desperate-a
host in himself. Into the advancing
horde go rifle balls on errands of death,
killing and wounding as they tear
through the red ranks. With insane
courage the savages rush up within ten
yards of the rock. Pat no longer sights
his gun; he rests it on a rock, cocks it
with n hand and pulls the lever and
trigger with the other, and point blank
he sends al almost continuous stream
of leaden balls into the red devils.
They wayer, break, retreat, but only
for a moment. The chief has been
killed, but Black Scar takes command,
waves aloft the scalp Of Korison, points
to the dead braves, calls for vengeance,
and orders the fight to be renewed.
This time the attack is made in front
and at both sides. If they can scale
the rocks at the sides Pat will be at
their mercy. From the death-dealing
point in front the good old Winchester
again pours forth its terrible destruc-
ton, and at the loud command of Black
Scar they surged around in front, face
to face with their desperate foe. Pats
revolver, a ~self-cocker, does deadly
work, fired into the yelling mass ten
feet away, the last load gone, and again
the Winchester, at close range, covers
the ground with dead and dying. The
red monsters are forced back from that
| 4 2,k ~ -..-.I- 1--y