Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-06-06
FOUR MEN MURDERED.
A Band of Cheyenne Indians Massacre a
Party Of Surveyors.
The Indians, Eleven in Number, were IntOxi'
cated-They were Afterwards Captured
and Lynching is Probable.
Special to the Gazette.

Special to the Gazette.
DENVER, COL, June 1.-The massacre by al
band of renegade Cheyenne Indians, of Chief
Engineer William L. Crittenden. in charge OF
the third division of the government survey in
Wyoming Territory. with three of his men, was
reported by Mr.. ]. II. Holt, purchasing agent
for the Importing cattle company, who arrived
rom the scene of the trouble ct O'Clock this
evening. The terrible butchery occurred in the
upper Green River country last
Sunday and in an interview Mr. Holt said;
THE report of the massacre is true, and was
one of the most cold-blooded affairs that l ever
heard of. The crime was committed by band
of eleven renegade Cheyenne Indians, while
under the influence of liquor furnished them BY
ranchmen who had recently moved into the
country. On last Sunday morning the indians
rode into the surveying camp, but nothing was
and they were given a kindly welcome
1t was very soon discovered, however,
that the Indians were intoxicated and disposed
to be ugly. They demanded liquor OF the sur
vey corps which was of course, refused them.
The Indians became boisterous and threatening,
and Crittenden, fearing trouble, tried to induce
short distance, where they began drinking
again. Their supply of whisky soon be-
came exhausted and, returning to the the
liquor. Mr.. Crittenden then told them
he had none, but they evidently did not beliRFs-
him. and became very impudent, and the ~
mapded sugar, coffee, etc., and were again
refused. They finally began to make threats,
and were ordered from the camp. general
quarrel then ensued. when the Indians sud
denly attacked the surveying party with their
knives and guns. The attack was SO sudden that
the men were in no way prepared for
resistance. and when the Indians departed all
five of the men were left upon the ground for
dead. Assistant Engineer Lee was not killed,
however, and recovered sufficiently to drag HIM
self to the nearest ranch, where assistance was
at once sent out, but too late to save any othgs'
of the party. go.
AFTER the bloody butchery the Indians rifed
the camp and rode away in the mountains.
pursuing party was at organized
and after hard chase the Indians were cap
tureo and are now under guard, although
it is my opinion that lynching bee will dispose
of them shortly if it has not already. Two Of
the ranohmen, who are known to have furnished
the Indians with whisky, have been arrested
and are now under guard with the Indians
Engineer Crittenden is a native of Paris, Ky. \.
where his parents and family now reside, and
he leaves q wife, grown up son and daugh-
ter, who have been notified by telegraph of
the terrible fate which befell the Green
River party. Crittenden was the chief engineer
in charge OF the construction of the great Eads
bridge at St. Louis, and is well known to the
profession throughout the entire country. He
was about forty-fve years of age, and was con-
sidered one of the most talented and promising
engineers in the whole government corps.