Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-05-04
INDIANS KILL EIGHT PEOPLE
Fierce Encounter With a Band
of Navajo Bucks.
SERIOUS CONDITION OF AFFAIRS
Troops Asked For to Prevent
Further Trouble.


tuTtHltuGl WIZ VI luB NEFuJO lHuldhS
against the settlers os the country in the
vicinity OF their lands has come at last,
and with it the death Of eight settlers.
Such was the startling news received
this morning by Adiutant General Ken
ncdy At 9.45 o'clock the adjrtant
general received Il telegram from Lieu
tenant Plummer, Indian agent of the
Navajos, in which he stated that eight
white men had been murdered by the
Indians, who are now at war with
settlers.
He declared that the situation is n
very critical one, and asked that the
troops be called out TO prevent further
bloodshed. The telegram was addressed
to Governor Waite, but he is out Of the
city, and the matter was referred by
Secretary Lorentz to the adiutant-gen-
eral. Lieutenant Plummer stated that
the people below Durango are In q wild
state Of excitement, and fears arc enter
tanned lest the Indians should continue
their warfare along the valley.
In his message the lieutenant states
that two battles have been fought al.
ready. The first was early yesterday,
when five men were killed, all settlers,
while at another encounter threc more
whites lost theirliycs, and further blood
shed is anticipated. The adjutant-
general forwarded the information to
the War Department at Washington,
and it is not unlikely that orders will be
issued from that source for the removal
OF the troops nOw CHARTERED at Fort
Logan. They can act outside the State,
and would be Of more avail in conflict
With the Indians than state troops.
Acknowledgement Kennedy was in.
clined to regard the situation withagDDd
deal of concern, although expressing the
! belief that the trouble would not extend
very far north. He declined to give
copies of the kilograms received and
| sent by him, stating that il was contrary
! to orders
| In speaking of the affair he said that
| there are $50 bucks who are raising the
| disturbance.
"Ihcy are all mounted and equipped, !"
| he said, with the best repeating rifles,
and have ample supplies for long
war. They arc bad lot, and revel III
| plumber and murder There has been i'll
feeling among them for long time, and
| il hns At last come to head The
Indians are continually plunderins and
stealing from the whites, who have
| submitted 10 the thetts until the past
| few DAYS.
The present conflict was prceipitatcl
by the resistance of the whites to the
depredatious ota band of warriors, who
1 Tuided the stock Of the cattlcmcn.
They drove oil large herd of cattle,
which they took 10 the mountains. This
50 lncensed the stockmen that they
organized Il large posse of cowboys and
recaptured the cattle.
The Indians fed at the approach Of
the cowboys, and the cattlGmen were
rejoicing il what they looked upon as u
very easy victory, and, after they had
secured their cattle, started to return to
their ranches. They had proceeded but
a very short distance, however, when
they were attacked from the flank as
they were passing through a sort of
shallow canyon, BY the entire band Of
250
"A desperate encounter followed, in
which five cowboys were killed, and, IL
is believed, a number of Indians. The
red men, Of course, had the advantage,
and, from their vantage points up above
their adyersaries, fought with telling
effect upon the cattle men, who were
finally repulsed.
"lHey took with them portion Of
the herd of cattle which they had re-.
covered and retreated The Indians by
this time We're thoroughly aroused and
started on marauding expedition across
| the country.
The reservation Of the Nagaios is a
large one covering some IL 900 square
miles i'll the north western part of New
Mexico and North eastern Arizona. and
extends up to the southern line of Col.
orado. On this there are thousands of
Indians who are liable to 90 on the war.
path.
The band of ESQ arrived from the
reservation over in Arizona across the
line into New Mexico, going due east to
q town called Jcnnett, going thence on
the San Juan river, and are now in that
vicinity. a dispatch from Durango
says:
Three hundred Nayajos have cap.
turcd Tom Whytes trading post mis-.
sion at Hog Back, on the san Juan river,
near Welsh's ranch. The homes oil
other settlers are surrounded BY Indians,
Who are threatening To kill and burn.
James Handy arrived from the scene
OF action, which is about 10 miles south
OF Durango, this morning at i O'Clock
and, after securing 4 supply of ammu.
milton for the settlers, exchanged teams
and returned AZ once. Agent BarthUl0-
new wired the Indian department re,
gard!ng the situation this morning, but,
US the Nayajos are beyond his jurisdic.
ton, he can do nothing.
On advices received tonight from
Durango that the Navajo Indians were
moving rapidly north from Pennington,
New Mexico, toward the Colorado line,
Governor Waite ordered u special train
over the Rio Grande to carry 200 stands
OF arms and 10000 rounds Of ammuni.
ton to the local military company at
Durango, which is ordered out.
The entire 10 companies of the Col.
orado National Guard have been ordered
to report for duty, ready to move at
once TO the scene OF trouble. The special
left at 10 O'Clock and will reach DURANGO
early tomorrow,
THE NEWS IN WASHINGTON,
WAsHINGToS, April 9S.-Late this
afternoon telegram was received from
Agent Bartholomew, at the Southern
Ute Agency, in Colorado, stating that
serious complications were arising on
the San Juan river, between Nayaips
and settlers; that Indian messengers had
brought the startling information that
the Nayajos had surrounded several
white families some 70 miles Southwest
OF the Southern Ute Agency.
Agent Bartholomew states that big
Ute chiefs offered them friendly Offices
to restrain the Nayuj0s, ana asked
whether he should take them with .llu.
Commissioner of Indian Affairs re.
pied approving this suggestion to 40.