The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1894-06-21
a resRlsLg REVENGE,
smallpox. Infected Blankets destroyed
Scores Of Indiana.


Scores Of Indiana.
John Ferris, the veteran stage driver,
who in tho early fifties drove the stage
on the overland route between Indie.
penaence, Mo-, and Santa Fe, was re-
lattng some of his interesting expert
ences TO 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.
''The smallpox outbreak among the
Comanche Indians In the year of 1856"
said he, caused stir throughout the
western country. l carried the first
news of that devastating plague to the
outside world, was making one Of
my regular trips from Santa Fe to In
dependence, when | 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 /
inquired the cause eff the commotion
was told that smallpox had been rag
ing for several weeks among the In
dams who thickly populated that Sec
ton. l 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 victim of the scourge.
Smallpox had up to that time been
an unknown disease among these In
dams, and the outbreak was the result
of one of the most terrible schemes of
revenge have ever seen recorded. In
the spring of 1885 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 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
dians whom they met. On the third day
after the young men left Concil Grove
they came upon large herd of buffalo,
and they had IN exciting chase. The
Invalid young man killed one Of the
animals and had dismounted to view
his prize when big, strapping Indian
rode out of 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 II he tarried in that
section, put spurs to his horse and
headed In the direction of Council
Grove. He was closely pursued by the
blood-thirsty Indian, who had ex.
changed his mount for that of the man
he had just killed. After hard and
long ride the white man escaped and
reached Council Grove in an exhausted
condition. A party was at once or
ganized to go out and bring in the re
mains of the murdered man, and it was
led to the spot by the survivor. The
body was found to be horribly mutt
lated, and 1t had been stripped ofevery
particle of raiment The companion
of the murdered man vowed that hi
would have revenge upon the whole
tribe Of Indians for the foul deed which
one Of the members had committed
and he kept his vow.
he returned to st. Louis, and wher
he arrived in that city he learned tina
the hospital there contained number
of cases of smallpox. He made tn,
acquaintance Of one Of the attendants
of the hospital, and induced the latte
to sell him q number OF blankets
which had been used to cover tn,
smallpox patients. He then boxet
these blankets up securely and shippe,
them to Council Grove. He went GU
and personally distributed the infected
blankets among the Indians gratis, an'
received much praise from the Indian
and people generally for his phi
lanthrophy. When the necessar,
time had elapsed after receivin,
the blankets there was a gen
eral outbreak Of smallpox among tn
Indians. The disease spread rapidly
and they died by the score. AS soon a
an Indian would feel the fever whic
attends the disease coming on he woul
make bee line for the Neosho river
into which he would plunge. He woul
die in short time after getting out c
the water.
1.-THE young man from st. Louis VIII
brought out and distributed the blar
kets remained at Council Grove unit
he saw the outbreak Of small -pox fairl
: started. and then returned to his HON,
The United States government set o
foot an investigation as to the cause {
the outbreak, and 1t was soon disco'
cred that 1t was caused from the blar
kets which had been brought from s
Louis. A large reward was offered fc
the arrest Of the young man who ha
started the terrible epidemic, but h
left the country as soon as he foun
that he was wanted, and is said to ha,
made his way to Canada He never r.
turned to St. Louis, so far as l know
st. Louis Globe-Democrat.
Guarding the Bank.