Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-04-17
TRAILING INDIAN THIEVES.
CAPTURE Of Red Hen, and Their Sub.
ssqusnt Escape
ma I,s,nu HiIied-How Indian Ven'
ueaucs for fti' Death was
Averted.
To the Editor:

In the summer Of 1851 word came to
Parowan that Indians had stolen stock
from Fort Johnson the previous night,
and help was asked TO recover II, as
Fort Johnson was too weak to retake II
ulone and at the same time leave men
enough at home to protect the families
About dozen men went TO their assist
ance from Parowan, the writer beng
among the number, and party oil some
fifteen men Immediately left Fort John
sen, following the trail OF the Indians
Progress in pursuit was much retarded
at times by reason Of losing the trail
the thieves, according 10 their custom
endeayoring to conceal 1t, and when lost
II was absolutely necessary 10 recover H.
II would be waste OF time TO try 10 ioi-
low a maraudlng band ora war party ex-
cept as guided by their trail, as they en-
ploy all their stTagy to elude pursuit.
To recover a lest trail it was necessary
to scatter a little distance apart and
closely scan every inch Of ground be-
tween. watching for signs, which to an
Impractical eye would be without
significance, as for instance iwig lately
broken, pebble lately displaced-a
spear Of grass trampled or bent. Some.
times for quite distance the gro uno
was so hard that an OK would leave no
visible track, In such case the only
thing 10 do was to follow course which
we ourselves would pursue il we, and
not the Indians, were trying to escape,
until such time as the trail could be
found again. will here remark that
constant practice had rendered many oil
our young men very expert trailers, equal
10 those OF Cooper inhis "LeatheTstoeS-
ing Tales"
After many miles we found that the
stolen stock, driven most OF the time on
the run, mad become tired, and the
indians had repeatedly shot arrows into
them, not so as TO seriously injure them,
but to hasten their movements, and nov
and then we found arrows BY the trail as
t1ey dropped from the skin oil poor
beasts.
AT length we saw some ravens clrcling
high above small rocky hill, and sur
missed the stock bad been killed near by
or was hidden there. Fastening to the
place we found we were right, for O
careful search disclosed the meat Of the
stolen stock cunningly hidden in a cayit,
of the rocks and so well covered by ilat
stones, that il we had not been told by
the ravens we never would have sus'
pecte d the fact.
AS the Indians had scattered the party
was divided, part TO scout The county
north Of the Iron Mountain and the resi-
to scout south of it. Each man took 2
big piece Of beef and tied lite his sad
die as the only chance Tor supper.
Our party secuted the south OF lror
Mountain, and late at night camped a
the Iron Spring---the scene of many {
bloody deed OF the natives-withou
having seen any sign OF Indians; anc
next day we returned to Fort Johnson
where we found the rest OF our party
who had had much more exciting ex
perience.
They had suddenly come upon som,
Indians and boy Of eight or nine years
hidden in bunch OF willows-had cap
tured them, taken away their bows an(
and arrows and butcher knives, and ther
started for Fort Johnson, driving tive
men before them and carrying the boy
behind one OF the horsemen.
Coming to small stream with steer
banks four or five feet high and with &
soft miry bottom, impossible for horses
the Indians saw their opportunity,
cleared the stream and fed like fright
ened deer. BY the time our boys had
found a crossing the Indians were far
away. A hard chase brought their pur.
suers within gun shot, and brisk fire
was opened, but without apparent effect,
though our men were all excellent
marksmen. As soon as a gun was
ieveled the Indian would jump sideways
to the right and left, so tnat sure aim
was impossible; aud as soon as the gun
was fired away he dashed on a run SO
swift that horseman could hardly over.
take him. Several times the Indian
would turn upon the horseman when his
gun was empty and try to pull him from
his horse, and it was all one could do to
get away from the savage and reload his
rfle-his only weapon.
AT length John Hamilton determined
TO seize by main force the one he was
alter, but alter lively scuifle was COM
PEELED to shoot the Indian TO avoid being
himself pulled from his horse. During
the melee the other Indian ESCAPED
badly wounded. They brought the
boy to the Fort where he was adopted
into the family of Joel II. Johnson, for
whom the settlement was named-a
veteran OF early Kirkland days. They
named the boy Sam, treated him as one
Of the family, and he finally grew TO
manhood.
Kanarra, the chief. said the killing of
the Indian was all right; he had often
told him to quit stealing or he would
get killed, and it had served him right.
But there was sequel to ali this.
Five years later, as the tribe sat around
their camp ire the brother OF the slain
indian said the spirit OF his brother was
crying Tor revenge, and could not rest
until some white man or woman should
be killed to pay the dept. According 10
indian logic this was strictly correct
and they were about to 20 down TO
Parowan that night to XIII some one,
But kanarra said "No, II we 20 TONIGHT
we may XIII in the dark some one the
MormonS love very much, and they will
pe very mad; will 20 down In the
morning and hnd out II there is any one
tbey don't 1.-The much. We will kill him
ana Then the people won't be SO mad
nor make war on us.' This was an.
proved by all. was "p'
Next morning Kanarra came 10
PRESIDENT William II. Dame and asked
there was any one in Parowsn ,vbor,
he did not love much. The oues,ior
seemed suspicious, and President nav,
snnsweieu no, love them ala
nul Saia hanarra Isn't there some
9hS you love only me.a-pootsp- very
hIis-measuring about haf an inch on
~ hhBet' NO sad Brother Dame -
,Ise mem aill Shaunt Shaunl" very