The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-10-21
A BRAVE DEED.

A BRAVE DEED.
 The fact that the Filpinos surprised and nearly wiped out of existence 0 contingent of the Ninth Infantry the other day only goes to emphasize the fact that the savage and partly cilv- lized races are much better hands at surprises, ambuscades and the like than are their otherwise superior foes In the case of the ambush the Indians of the American plains and mountains will lie in wait for hours without so much as trembling an eyeid or moving a muscle. There have been instances where the Indians have been gathered in vast numbers, and yet their presence has been unknown until they were al- most trodden upon by those for whom they were preparing the trap.
 Colonel w. P Hall, of the adjutant- generals department of the United States army, won recognition in orders for conspicuous gallantry once as the sequel of the ambushing by some Ute Indians of Lieutenant Weir and a companion named Paul Hume Colo Yel Halls conduct on that occasion IS said to have been one of the most gal lant exhibitions of personal courage that the army has known. The affalr occurred tWenty-two years ago this month, and followed closely on the heel of the gallant defense which for three days small number of United States regulars made against overwhelming numbers of Utes. It was in this fight near the White River that part or the Fifth Cavalry and some others were surrounded and were saved only by the riding through the circling horde of savages of a volunteer who brought aid from Fort D. A. Russell The surgeon of the command, wounded almost unto death, crawled among the wounded and dying and administered to their wants. Some of the officers were shot many times, Lieutenant Pad dock receiving no less than five wounds
 This Ute trouble gave promise or so much active service of the actual grappling kind that officers from other commands were anxious to get to the front. Lieutenant Weir was an ord- nance officer, son of the professor Of drawing at the United States Military academy Weir was on visit to the camp of the Fifth Cavalry, which was in the field after Ute Jack and his red following. The visit cost him his life Paul Hume was civilian agent of an eastern rife company and had man. aged to reach point at the front. He struck up an acquaintance with Lieu tenant Weir, and the two men agreed to go on a deer hunt together to point some distance from the camp They were warned against the dah- gers, but out they went.
 Colonel W. P Hall, who was then lieutenant, went out with reconnoiter- ing party of three men shortly after Weir and Hume had left the camp. Hall and his little command circled round through the mountains for sev- eral hours, and ino the middle of the afternoon the reconnoiterers heard succession of shots from the direction of the place where the commanding officer knew Weir and the rifle agent had gone to get some venison, They struck out for the spot. The firing was sharp and rapid. Suddenly on rounding a turn Hall and his men saw at little distance across an open place broken with rocks at it's farthest extremity band of thirty-flve or forty Indians. From the side view that the soldiers had the number of the savages was easily discernible. The attention and the fire of the reds were directed against a place slightly elevated above the plain, in front of which there was a loose but partly effective bulwark of rocks. Even while Hall and his men were looking at this there came from the little fortif1cation two shots in quick succession. They were directed at the stronghold of the Indians. who occa- sionally exposed their heads as if to draw the fire. Hall realized the situa- tion in an instant. Weir and Hume had been surprised and had taken to the rocky ledge to make a stand against their two score red foes. The Utes were afraid to cross the open to dislodge the whites, because though success was certain 1t meant death of number of braves as the price of the lives of the soldier and his civilian.
 Behind Hall and his men the way was open, and the officers believed that If in some way Weir and Hume could reach him the combined forces, six men all told. might succeed in falling back to camp and in holding the savages in check all the way. Tn order that Weir and Hume should join Hall they must make their way with but little shelter along the face of the cliff but once with him there might be safety. How to get them there was the question. Hall and his three men sent four shots into the ranks of the Utes. for this raking fire was the first intimation that the reds had that anyone was In their vicinity except the two men at their front. The Utes changed position in the twinkling of an eye and brought the rocks be- tween themselves and both points of the er en7ies' fire.
 Weir and Hume heard the shots and knew that help, though it were but feeble, was at hand. They saw the lowering smoke from the soldiers Springfields. and knew where the help lay. They saw that the only way to reach their friends was one that was exposed to the fire of forty rifles and one that to take meant almost certain death.
 Lieutenant Hall also knew that the retreat of Weir and Hume would be bullet spattered al the way. He told his three men to keep under cover, and then he rose and stood in full view Of