The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-11-18
years had been living among the r.
dians at Benton.

TIE stove IN the hall Clark came out
OF his stateroom, one of the first in the
cabin, with pistol in hand, and without
word fired at Mckenzie. The latter
fell dead, shot through the heart. His
wife, with her kindred and friends. was
among the first to rush aboard. The
excitement among the Indians became
intense.
1he crew and passengers, too, were
badly frightened, apprehending sum-
mary vengence from the Indians, who
were entirely masters of the situation
The fires were out, and no steam could
be had to move the boat for several
hours. All that seemed to stand be-
tween an outraged body of fighting
Indians and the Nellie Rogers was Rev.
Father De Smet, for many years mis-
sionary and manager of Catholic mis-
sions among the Indians. He happened
to be on board the boat, as he frequent
ly was on expeditions of this kind. 1t
was decided that Clark should be dis
posed of, for it was evident that there
was no safety for the boat while he re-
mained on board. Ponies were secured
from the traders at Fort Peck, ~ miles
distant, who had come to see the steam
boat. Clark, with two or three others,
who were anxious to get to Fort Ben
ton, started with very little prepara-
tions. Before the Indians had got over
their CONSERVATION, Clark, whom none
of them knew personally, had got be-
ha - I
and, through the influence of Father
De Smet, they probably never pursued
him.
Among the passengers on the Nellie
Rogers on that day was Tom Dorris,"
a young man from St. Louis, bound for
the gold mines at Helena. He was one
of Clark's companions in the Gilpin
race. The riders traveresed the dis
tance of 200 miles in three days. The
cause for the murder of young McKen-
zie was never definitely ascertained.
1t was believed that an old grudge ex-
listed that was to be settled in that way
whenever the parties met. Nothing was
ever heard of Clark afterward beyond
letter written by gentleman living
at Findlay, o., in 1889. The story here
told was published in Cincinnati paper
at that time, and the announcement
was made of Capt. E. w. Gould's forth
coming book. This gentleman. who re-
quested that his name be not used,
wrote that he met Malcolm Clark at
Fort Benton in 1862. Clark, he said,
was man to be feared, but gentle
man when not angry. He was married
to beautiful half-breed girl, with
whom he seemed to live quite pleasant
ly. She had brother named Isadore,
who made his home with Clark and
hunted and traded with him. In 1865
Clark moved to Prickly Pear creek and
located a ranch there. For some rea-
son Clark became cruel and overbear-
ing to his wife. After enduring it for
awhile she appealed to her brother for
protection. He and Clark had an al
tercation, in which Isadore shot and
killed him.
On the Sd of January, 1914, the whole
city of st. Louis was thrown into con-
sternation and feverish excitement by
the report that the steamboat Shep-
herdess had been wrecked in Cahokia
bend, only three miles from the center
of the city. Many lives were reported to
have been lost. Several boats were i'm
mediately dispatched to the scene of the
disaster, and the worst rumors were
soon verified.
The Shepherdess, while ascending the
Mississippi river on her way from Gin
cinnati to St. Louis, struck snag at
II o'clock at night just above the mouth
OF Cahokia creek. The night was dark
and stormy. The conclusion was Sc
we're, and several planks were torn from
the bottom of the boat. There were be-
tween 60 and 20 passengers on board.
Most of :nem had retired, but four or
five gentlemen in the cabin were sitting
around the stove, for it was cold, winter
weather.
In less than two minutes after the
beat struck the water rose to the lower
deck, where most Of the passengers in
that part of the boat were asleep. The
captain ran to the cabin occupied by the
"olHCu anu dSSuIcu lHcIH Ludt tHeTe was
no danger. Then he returned to the
forecastle and is supposed to have been
washed overheard, as nothing was seen
or heard of him afterward One of the
pilots attempted to descend into the
hold for the purpose of examining the
leak, but the rush of water quickly
drove him back.
Shrieks of distress arose from the
deck below. and several women who ran
to the stern railing reported that they
saw number of persons struggling in
the river. The water rushed in with
tremendous rapidity, and before three
minutes had elapsed it had risen to the
floor of the upper cabin. Some persons
on the upper deck saved themselves by
getting into yawl, which was cut loose
and rowed to the shore with broom.
The rapid rise of the water caused all
those who could to seek safety on the
hurricane deck. This position was not
attained without grea: difficulty, for the
bow had sunk so deep in the water that
the only access was by way of the stern.
Meanwhile the boat was drifting down
the stream and n few hun6ra5 wards