The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-02-01
HENNEssY's LAST FIGHT,
Three Hundred Indians Were Too
Many for Him.


Kansas, to Oklahoma City. Alon
this trail the travellers eager eye be
holds a monument erected out G
native stone. Here lies the bod
of brave Pat Hennessy, who wa
murdered by the Cheyenne Indian
in 1876. Many are the tales tol,
of Pat and his many narrow escape
from the red devils of the plains
OF these it is not the purpose t,
speak at present, but to record hi.
last great fight, where Pat proved
himself very Gatling gun of deatl
to his implacable foes. Pat is wei
remembered as 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, passenger, a tenderfoot from
Boston, had great desire 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
seldom equaled in border tragedies.
One afternoon, shortly after they
had gone into camp, they were at
tackled by a band of 300 or 400
Cheyenne braves with all the sud-
denness and terrible ferocity pecu-
liar to Indian warfare. Heunessy
saw them coming, and instantly or
dered the men to run for canyon
just west of the trail. They misun-
derstood the direction, and instead
Of west took the trail north. The
mistake hastened their doom. With
wild yells of savage delight the In
dians circled around the three men.
korison was left behind in the race.
He saw Indians on every side. No
chance of escape, death certain.
His alarm was over. The tender
foot was a man. With rapidity
that indicated a previous training,
he raised his Winchester and fired
into the Indians with shots so quick
they almost seemed one. Deadly
shooting, too, for five painted war
riors had gone down, their death
cry ringing out and mingling 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 great change in regard
to the man from Boston, and as the
savages rushed in to scalp the three
fallen men, his own deadly Win
chester came to- his shoulder, the
sights caught the dusky form of
big Indian just in the act of scalp
ing Korison. The rifle belched
forth its messenger Of death, and
red tiend sprang high into the air,
then sank down, still and dead. 1t
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 we'll
deserved fate from the sure aim of
Pat. With yells of fury the Indi-
ans let the three PROSTATE forms to |
attack their more formidable enemy,
md from the belts of three bucks |
here dangled the scalps of three
whites.
Hennessy was well prepared for
lefense-an immense rock behind,
ocks at the side and in front also,
which was the only point at which
N attack could be made, and there
'ver the rock cleaned with deadly
menace his sixteen. shotWinchester.
swift now and hot the fight. Over
90 against one, but that one cool,
determined and desperate, host
n himself. Into the advancing
orde go rifle balls on errands of
cath, killing and wounding as they
ear through the red ranks. With
insane courage the savages rush up
Tithin ten yards of the rock. Pat
% longer sighted his gun; he rests
on a rock, cocks it with one hand
nd pulls the lever and trigger with
he other, and point blank into the
ed devils he sends an almost con-
inuous stream of leaden balls.
hey waver, break, retreat, but only
or a moment.
The chief has been killed, but
;lack Scar takes command, waves
loft the scalp of Korison, points
, the dead braves, calls for venge-
nee and orders the fight to be re-
ewed. This time the attack is made
/ front and at both sides. If they
an scale the rocks at the sides Pat
ill be at their mercy. From the
eath-dealing point in front the
ood old Winchester again pours
,rth it's terrible destruction, and at
le loud command of Black Scar
ley surge round in front, face to
ice with their desperate foe. Pats /
,volver, a self-cocker, does deadly I
ork, fred into the yelling mass ,
N feet away, the last load gone, I
nd again the Winchester at close I
.nge covers the ground with dead
nd dying. The red monsters are