The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-05-15
4 TERRIBLE REVENGE.

John Ferris, the veteran stage driver,
who in the early fifties drove the stage
on the overland route between Inde-l
pendence, Mo-, and Santa Fe, was re-.
lating some of his interesting experi-
ences TO q group of friends the other
day when he told story, the circum-
stances OF which will be recalled by
many of the pioneer citizens of St
Louis and the western country.
1.-THE smallpox outbreak among the
Comanche Indians in the year Of 1885,"
said he, caused a stir throughout the
western country. ] carried the first
news of that devastating plague to the
outside world. i was making one Of
my regular trips from Santa Fe to In
dependence, when l stopped at small
trading post situated on the Neosho
river. There was great excite
ment among the few white set
tiers at the post, and when l
Inquired the cause of the connection
was told that smallpox had been rag
ing for several weeks among the In
dians who thickly populated that Sec
ton. / was taken to the place where
the dead redskins had been buried,
and there were hundreds of newly
formed mounds, each of which repre-
sented a victim of the scourge.
Small pox had up to that time been
an unknown disease among these In
.dians, and the outbreak was the result
revenge / have ever seen recorded. In
the spring of 1855 two young men of
wealthy families, whose names have
now forgotten, went out from ST.
Louis TO the plains for the purpose of
spending few months, the object of
the trip being for the benefit of one Of
the young mems health. They reached
Council Grove safely and decided TO re-
main there a short time. They de-
cided to get taste Of the sport of
hunting buffalo. which at that
time came within twenty or thirty
miles of Council Grove in large num-
bers. Accordingly they left Council |
Grove one morning early on a two |
weeks hunt. They were mounted on |
good horses, which soon attracted the |
covetous eyes of struggling bands of In
dams whom they met. On the third day |
after the young men left Concil Grove
they came upon large herd OF buffalo,
and they had an exciting chase. The |
invalid young man killed one of the /
and had dismounted to view
his prize when a big, strapping Indian
rode out of a clump of cottonwood |
trees, and without warning shot the
white man down and then proceeded
to take his scalp. The companion of the
murdered man witnessed the horrible
crime and thinking that similar fate
awaited him if he tarried in that
section, put spurs to his horse and
headed in the direction of Council
Grove. He was closely pursued by the
Indian, who had ex-
changed his mount for that Of the man
ne had just killed. After a hard and
ong ride the white man escaped and
reached Council Grove in an exhausted
condition A party was at once or
-anized to 20 out and bring in the re-
mains of the murdered man, and IL was
led to the spot by the survivor. Tho
body was found TO be horribly mutt
ated. and it had been stripped ofevery
PARTICLE of rainent The companion
Il the murdered man vowed that he
would have revenge upon the whole
ribe of Indians for the foul deed which
me of the members had committed, /
nd ne kept mis- vow.
He returned to -. Louis, and when !
e arrived IN that city he learned that
he hospital there contained a number
q Of tTa .
cquiatsnce of one Of the attendants .
4 the hospital, and induced the latter
o sell him a number Of blankets
which had been used TO cover the .
'nsll-pox patients. Re then boxed !
hest blankets up securely and shipped /,
mem 20 Council Grove. lie went ont
nd personally distributed the infected !
lankets among the Indians gratis. and Z
eoeive1 muck praise from the Indians 9
nd people generally for his phi I
anthrophy. When the necessary q
me had elapsed after receiving Z
he blankets there was gen /,
raj outbreak OF smallpox among IN. 4
indians The disease spread rapidly, >
nd they died by the score AZ soon as Z
a Indian would feel the fever which @
ttends the disease coming OF be wogld :
AXE bee line for the Ssoaho river. Z
Ito which he would plunge. Hewosii c
is in a shor; time after getting ont q 7
le water. b
The Young nan from g Lo1is who u
rough. ous and distributed the blSs- =
cts remained a: Council Grove until +
E sa~ the outbreak Of sna u pox fairly b
arted- AID taen returned 70 his hone q
ne Ia!teS States governDer: set "a q