Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-27
$4,000 FOR A SCALP.
Story of the Man Whom Senator
Plumb is Seeking to Aid.
Thrilling Experience of Robert MCGEE With q
Band of Sioux Indians Twenty-six
Years Ago-His Scalp Removed.
Kansas City Times.

| Kansas City Times.
| EAsTON, KAN, April 19.-Living
| quietly in this city Is man who twenty
| six years ago this summer lost his scalp
in raid on government
! train by a savage band of Sioux
Indians, and who still lives, appsr-
| emily as hearty as if the sharp toma-
| hawk of savage redskin had never been
/ drawn across his head. His name is
Robert MCGEE. The story of his thrill
| ing escape from death at the hands of
| Chief Little Turtle and his murderer
band, which has been told time and time
| again around the firesides OF LeayenwOrth
county, has been revived by. Senator
| Plumb IS Introduction of bill in the sem
ate of the United States to pay MCGEE
$4,000 and now every detail of the mar
| rative is recOunted with as much interest
as if MCGEE had passed through his
stirring experience only yesterday instead
of more than q quarter Of a century
ago.
The story is one that will rival the tales
of fiction of early experiences on the
plains with the bIoodthirsty redskins,
that roamed through Western Kansas
and Colorado, leaving a trail of blood
| wherever their fancy carried them, and
MCGEE 8 is one of the few cases on record
where human being has survived after
having been scalped and tOmahawk ed.
In 1864 McGee, then thirteen years old,
was an orphan without a home to which
he could turn or friends who would ad-
wise him. He was rather large for a lad
of thirteen and the idea struck him that
na iOi1 ha m
Fort Leavenworth and enlisted, thinking
he could induce the officers to accept him
as recruit. When the mastering came
on MCGEE was rejected as unfit for the
service, but was Immediately given a.
place with q contractor who was then
about to take wagon train of ggFern-
ment supplies from Fort LeaveRykerIh to
Fort Union, in New Mexico. 1T was
hazardous journey, as all knew who en-
barked with the train, for it weskhrough
a section with military posts tew}Apd far
between, and infested with roaming
bands of savage Indians, to encounter
whom meant fight to the death. Ths
young fellow accepted of these chances,
thinking all the time that he was still in
the government service, although he had
been rejected as a soldier. The little
band set out on its long journey into the
Leavenworth in the summer Of '64.
1t plodded on through the ter
ritorY of Kansas in southern direction
until on July IL the train pitched camp
on the banks of Walnut creek, near the
site of the present city of Great Bend,
Kan. There it was attacked by band
of Sioux warriors led by Little Turtle. It
was an unequal contest, for the redskins
vastly outnum bered the white men and,
although the latter held out bravely
against the tremendous odds, they were
in time taken captives and foreeAS
to submit to all the hideous tortGTe
that savage brain could deyise.
According to McGee's storT5 of
the fight and capture he was seleesed as
the chiefs special victim and heldS cap
tive while his comrades were put 10 the
more horrible deaths before his ayes.
After all but the boy had been disposed
of the Indians, after a short DarlsY
concluded to kill and scalp him, the old
chief claiming him as his prey, He was
knocked down with a spear handle, and
as he fell a shot was fred at him, the
bullet to this day remaining firmly lodged
in his ribs. Then Chief Little Turtle
cut the scalp loose in front, put his feet
on the back of his neck and tore off the
whole top of his head. Not satisfied
with this he shot two arrows througH
him, and as he lay pinned to the groqHd
brought down his tomahawk twice insbI
head, each stroke stripping of a pieceof
his skull. Then he ran spear through
his body senegal times. Unconscious
and bleeding from a dozen WOUNDS
after this barbaric torture the IndiaH
withdrew, leaving the lad and all hnEI
companions for dead. His companions
were indeed dead, but a spark of life
yet remained in McGee's body. For
three hours he remained in the hot July
sun, pinned to the ground by the arrows
which pierced his body, until party of
soldiers on their way to Fort Larnard
happened along and discovered him.
Thes drew the arrows from him, and
throwing the almost lifeless body across
one of their ponies took him to the fort,
where the surgeons succeeded in saving
his life.
The pistol with which MCGEE was shot
was presented Chief Little Turtle by
President Lincoln along with a rifle.
President Lincoln when told Of the at
tack could hardly believe that the chief
had deceived him so and wrote McGee
an autograph letter asking him to come
on to Washington so that he could seq
him. This letter has since been
stolen but there is no doubt that
it did not exist as dozens have seen
and read it. The presidents heart was
touched by the orphan boy g sad condi-
ton and it is evident that he wanted to
provide place for him as recognition
for his sufferings. Gems. Blunt and Cur
It's evidently thought that MCGEE was |
morally if not legally in the service, for |
they issued a perpetual order allowing |
him TO draw soldiers clothes. After |
peace was declared with the Sioux, a rich |
uncle of MCGEE IS sent special agent to |
Chief Little Turtle TO get the scalp, but
the chief refused to part with it, al
though, it is said, he was offered several |
thousand dollars for it.
Soma fab are cangbt. Tba an nnal catch Of |