The Frankfort roundabout. [volume] (Frankfort, Ky.) 1882-1908, 1899-04-22
FRANKFORT, KY. SATURDAY, APRIL p. l8o.

the grave of Medley and the cartridge
boxes around il and believing that a
battle had been fought with the indians,
overlook the eJing party and after
camping with them all night induced
Capt. Maddox to go back to he main
command, composed of some SEQ soldiers,
and arrange to travel together, Capt.
Maddox promising to return the next day.
But the next day passed a I'd the next
without any tidings from him, aud on the
third day the suspense had become SO
great that the fears for the worst could be
seen III the faces of the men. Seeing the
great suffering of Frank Maddox, a
younger brother who had been left In
mmand, young Scott volunteered to
take seven other men and attempt to
rescue their captain or find his body if he
had been killed, which nobody doubted.
Accordingly this party left the camp Just
alter noon, mounted on the only horses IN
the outfit and Travelled rapidly eastward
until just before dark when they were
overtaken, b. another detail of soldiers
which had come up the Red river to camp
with Capt. Maddox shortly after the
rescuipg party started. "
After many adventures and the com
pletion OF the survey, at distance of 400
miles FROM the starting point. on the
night before they started holneward all of
the oxen, which hauled three of their
wagons, were olen by the Indians, leav-
ing only one mule team. The next morn
ing three bran new wagons, all of the
| cooking and the eating utensils being
contained therein, were parked in post
oak grove, the men were drawn up in line
aud the astounding revelation was made
by Capt. Maddox that the provisions, ex-
cept small quantity of flour, some salt
and a little coffee had been exhausted, and
that only 5000 out of $4,000 cartridges
remained, and it was left to a vote whether
the ratIons, barely sufficient to sustain
life, should be issued as long as possible
or whether they should be eaten as usual.
1t was decided to dole out the food, and
as result, men who weighed 200 pounds
soon ran down from 100 to l20 pounds. The
best shots were selected to kill buffalo
and deer, and the penalty of discharge
was placed upon any one who wasted food
or ammunition. The expedition had been
fitted out with 5000 pounds of -four, 1000
pounds OF bacon and everything else in
proportion, and the fall from plenty to
practically nothing was peculiarly trying.
A large quantity of buffalo tallow was
of it, was eaten like gingerbread.
After innumerable hardships, when in
100 miles of Jacksboro, the buffalo range
had been passed, the scanty store of
food was found to be so nearly exhausted
that unless relief could be had starvation
would be the fate of all. A relief party of
l3 was organized to make their way to the
settlements and return with provisions.
Scott was elected, their leader, and,
equipped with pocket compass of Jim
pozier-for ne would entrust it to no one
else-they reached Jacksboro in SO hours,
and sent back abundant provisions and
every one got in safely
1t was the year of the panic, when
banks everywhere suspended, and while
waiting for their pay Scott boarded at
the Horton House. While at breakfast
! one morning three dashing gentlemen
came in and were seated opposite him.
One of them said: II hear bad news from
Fort Sill. A party of white men stole
| ] 900 head of horses from the Indians at
! Fort Sill aud drove them into Texas.
They had battle at Red river ford in
which one of the robbers was killed and
another wounded, and the Indians have
invaded Texas, killing and burning as
they come" Scott asked, are you Just
from Fort Sill? And when the speaker
answered yes, he asked, how did you get
through without being killed! The
speaker thereupon became confused and
his companions endeavored to change the
subject, bade them good day and left the
hotel. Meetiog Hon. Jas. h. Robinson.
who was County Attorney and was wear
ing long face on account of the rumors
of an Indian outbreak aud on account of
the theft of horses at Fort Sill, he told
Robinson that the thieves we're then eat
ing break fast in the Horton Hotel. Be-
ing asked how he knew he reported the
conversation and the observation that the
men wore tailor-made SUITS aud though
bronzed by the weather, had soft aud del
icate hands. spy was set to watch them
and followed them twelve miles below, on
the West Fork of the Trinity river, where
the balance of the band, with all the
stolen horses, were found IN camp, but
they took the alarm and scattered and
tried to make the Indian Territory, near
Dennison. Dick Crutchield, who was
Sheriff got ont the. Rangers, Jas. Robin
sons Vigilant Committee, and the Cover
nor ordered out the troops from Fort
Richardson, and chase began which
ended in the destruction of the Horse
Theving Association, which extended
from Missouri through Texas to Mon
tana. They all got away" on the first
limb together.
Stories are told of how Scott was en-
trusted by Capt. Maddox with $4,000 with
which to pay the men of his expedition,
and hid it in a sack OF corn to prevent its |
discovery by highwaymen on the way
from Dallas to Jacksboro; how he saved
the life of mau in Dallas by risking his
own, aud other adventures during his
career in Texas. He WAS known by the
name of Ku-Klux then, as IA nick name