Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1898-10-08
AN INDIAN UPRISING.
Reported Massacre Of Gen. Bacon
and His Command.
REINFORCEMENTS SENT At ONCE.
Secretary Bliss Receives . Telegram AM
nouncing Fight with the Piiiager In
dians. but Il Did Not say How
Many Soldiers Were Kiii-d.

Walker, Mimi, Oct CA hard hght
with the Indians occurred yesterday
and the reports from the scene Of the
battle on the other side Of Leech lake
are somewhat conflicting. although all
reports agree that the result has been
considerable shedding Of blood and
some loss Of life on both sides No
word has come from the front for Sow
eral hours, which fact Is considered
somewhat ominous. The most serious
report Is that the detachment OF
troops with Gen. Bacon was massa-
cred, the general himself being said
to be among the dead. Three news
paper correspondents-Brill, OF the
St Paul Pioneer Press; Beaton, Of
the Minneapolis Tribune, and KNAPP
pen, Of the Minneapolis Times
are known to have been in the
fight, and one report Is that they were
killed, while another says they are
now prisoners In the hands OF the In
diana The fight occurred 80 miles
from Walker on q point jutting out
into the lake near Bear island. The
soldiers, 100 strong. under command Of
Gen. John NJ. Bacon and Maj Wilkin-
son, arrived here Tuesday evening and
at $3.50 o'clock yesterday morning they
went on board boats and were carried
to the point named, where q landing
was made with considerable difficulty,
gale of wind having stirred up
lively sea- The landing was effected
at about eight o'clock.
Scouts were hustled through the
bush in every direction and for three
hours no trace of the Indians could be
found. Every precaution against am
bush had been taken. Finally, at
about half past Ii o'clock, the soldiers
were drawn up in an open space near
the shore of the lake and preparations
were about to begin for dinner. The
soldiers were still in line, though the
coffee.making had commenced. Sud-
denly q shot was fred from the house
Of Bog-Ah-Mab-Ge.Shig, the Indian
who has been the head and center OF
this whole difficulty. Ex-Marshal Ed
Harris, q Walker half.brced, was
struck, his arm being broken. This
shot seemed to be q signal, for imme.
diately shots came from every direc-
ton and three men dropped and were
carried to the rear.
The soldiers, who are veterans not
alone of the Santiago battle, but of
many an Indian skirmish, knew what
to do, and ut the first shot all found
shelter and awaited another volley to
tell them where to shoot Gen. Bacon
and Maj. Wilkinson steadied their
men with encouraging words and with
q second volley the Indians attempted
to rush on the soldiera The rafting
volley from the regulars that met the
oncoming reds stopped the rush and
drove back tho Indians, although half
q dozen OF them were dropped by the
soldiers fire. The FIRE from the Pillagers
then became more scattering and the
soldiers made fine charge and drove
them back, though the firing con-
tinued.
A GENERAL RISING FEARED.
Washington, Oct 6.-Secretary Bliss
received telegram last night from
Indian Inspector Tinker announcing q
fight with the Pillager Indians in
Minnesota yesterday. 1t did not say
how many were killed. Marshal
OConnor wired Attorney General
Griggs that q general Indian uprising
was imminent On receipt of these
advices Secretary Alger ordered re-
Inducements sent to the scene at
once on q special train, II neces-
sary and with Calling gun II needed.
Gen. Bacon is the commanding officer
Of the department of the Dakotas,
with headquarters at St Paul, and the
Third infantry is stationed at Fort
Smelling, just outside Of St Paul, so
SO that II need be this large force could
be called TO Gen. Bacon's assistance.
Gen. Corb:n inclined TO the view that
100 regulars were more than q match
for all the Indians that could DO as
sembled at the place Of the present
trouble.