The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1895-07-27

! MA1rU OF HIs1o1Y.
Tragic ossarrsaee Dsring tAs Liz Il
~ H. = = oesssnsea
A letter from Butte, July 10th,
in the Anaconda Standard gives the
following particulars Of The tragedy
il tho life Of the late =. A. Steven
SON:
There lives il Vaudeville lady
Who Vas ! witness 10 = very tragic
occurrence ii tho life Of ex-Govern-
or e. A. Stevenson Of Idaho, whose
recent death recalls the affair.
The lady 10 Mrs. Hester n. Gray and
81 years ago che lived in Marys-
Vile, CAL, her husband at that time
having been I prominent physician
1t that place. In the summer Of
that year Mrs. Gray was one of
party Of excursionists to Red Bluffs.
the party intending 70 camp near
some springs short distance from
that city. Mr.. Stevenson at that
time lived with his wife aud family
on . ranch two miles from Red
Bluffs. The party passed his place
on their way to the springs and
we're advised to return 10 the city
becauss 4 number Of Pitt river In
dams had been seen lurking about
the vicinity for several days and il
was feared that they were up to some
mischief. The Pitt river Indians
had been committing many depre-
dations, such - stealing horses,
and the ranchers expected some new
act of deviltry. Mrs. Gray's party
took the advice and returned to
Red Bluffs where they stopped at .
hotel kept by q man who has since
become prominent in tho state of
Californis. That night the town
was aroused BY an alarm Of fire and
lit was discovered that the Steven
son residence, stables and other
buildings on the ranch were ablaze.
By the time people from the city
reached the place the buildings had
burned to the ground and Mrs.
Stevenson aud . sister and three
children were burned to death. Mr..
Stevenson was away from home q,
the time. The terrible affair weighed
so heavily upon him that be never
recovered from it, and his friends
in after years, out of respect for hia
feelings, never referred to it.
There was no doubt that the fire
was started by the thieving Indians
who stole q number Of horses, but
it was never known whether thu
women and children were firs1
butchered or whether they were
overcome by the flames before they
could escape from the burning
building. The facts concerning the
FIRE were published in the papers al
the time but there was one tragic
affair connected with it, the facts Of
which were never published. II
Mr. Stevenson's family was little
Indian boy, 10 or II years of age
who acted as servant. When thu
citizens of Red Bluffs were on theil
way to the burning homo they me,
the boy coming toward town mount
ed on one Of Mr.. Stevenson's horses
It was surmised that the boy knew
something about the FIRE and tina,
he assisted the Indians in theil
devilish work, but what proof the
crowd had Of this suspicion wal
| never known. They brought thu
boy to town and to the hotel where
Mrs. Gray and her party were stop
ping and after consultation among
the leading men of the place the,
put q rope around the little boy,
neck and led him away. He VA,
crying piteously for mercy and the
women, who witnessed the affail
from the balcony Of the hotel, pro
tested earnestly against the outrage
but they were not needed aud the
child was taken beyond sight o.
the hotel and hung. Several msr
of local prominence At the time
and who have since been prominen'
in the state Of California and in th,
nation, were concerned in the affair
4 l.