Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1901-04-11
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depot quartermaster. said he, could
dictate the policy that should govern
the command of a colonel of the fight
ing force, there was no use in remon-
STRANGE. Noon came and no news
from the Cheyenne sheriff. The COM
handing officer at Russell wired that
he, too, was stripped of his troops,
and had not even a cavalry courier
to send after the general with the
startling news that Maj Burleigh
had vanished with large sums, it was
believed, in his possession. At one
o'clock came tidings of the fugitive.
He, together with two other men, had
spent the late hours of the night at
the lodgings Of one of the party in
Cheyenne, and at dawn had driven
away in "rig" hired at local
stable, ostensibly to follow the gen.
eral to Laramie. They had kept the
road northwestward on leaving town
were seen passing along the prairie
beyond Fort Russell, but deputies,
sworn in at once and sent in pur-
suit, came back to say the rig had
never gone as far as Lodge Pole. At
six y. N. came further tidings. Lieut..
Loring, engineer officer of the de-
partment, had reached Cheyenne and
was in consultation with the CON-
handing officer at Russell. The rig
had been found at Sloan's ranch, far
up Grow creek, where the party had
taken horses and ridden westward
into the Black Hills. In anticipation
of big reward, the sheriff had dep
uties out in pursuit. From such in.
formation as they could gather it was
learned that the name of one of the
parties gone with Burleigh was New
hall, who claimed to he a captain in
the army, "out there looking after in
vestments"-a captain who was too
busy, however, to go and see the few
fellows of his cloth at the new post
and who was not known to them by
sight at all. The engineer, Mr.. Lor-
ing, was making minute inquiries
about this fellow, for the description
given him had excited not little of
his interest.
And SO the sun of the second day
went down on Gate City and Emory,
and everybody knew Burleigh was
gone. The widest rumors we're
afloat, and while all Fort Emory was
in mourning over the tragedy at
Warrior Gap, everybody in town
seemed more wildly concerned in
Burleigh and the cause of his sud-
den fight. AS yet only certain army
officers and Mr.. Folsom knew of the
startling discovery at the stockade
that the package was bogus affair
throughout. But all Gate City knew
Burleigh had drawn large sums from
the local bank, many citizens had
heard that John Folsom was several
thousand dollars the poorer for his
sudden going, and all interest was
centered in the coming from Chicago
of an expert summoned by wire, to
open the huge office safe at the quar-
termaster's depot The keys had
gone with Burleigh. At the last
moment, after loading up with all
the cash his own private safe con-
tanned, for that was found open and
practically empty in it's corner Of
his sitting-room, and when he had
evidently gone to the Office to get the
funds there stored, he was confound-
ed by the sight of the two employees.
He could have ordered them to leave
and then helped himself. but con-
science had made coward of him, even
more than nature. He saw accusers
in every face, and fed. Burleigh had
lost his nerve.
Two days went by and excitement
was at it's height. All manner of evil
report of Burleigh was now afloat.
The story CT the bogus package had
been noised abroad through later
messengers and dispatches from tho
Gap. Lieut.. Loring had come to Fort
Emory under the instructions of the
department commander, and what
those instructions were no man could
find out from the reticent young Off
GER. If ever youth seemed capable
of hearing everything and telling
nothing it was this scientist of dis
tinguished corps that frontiersmen
knew too little of. What puzzled Fol-
som and old Pecksniff was the per-
sistence with which he followed up
his inquiries about Capt. Newhall. He
even sought an interview with Pap
poose and asked her to describe the
rakish traveller who had so unfavor-
ably impressed her. She was looking
her loveliest that evening. Jessie was
radiant once more. A long letter had
come from Marshall-sad because OF
the fate that had befallen his com.
panions, stern because of the evil
dence of the deep-laid plot that SO
nearly made him victim, but mod.
estly glad of the official commenda'
ton he had received, and rejoicing
over the surgeons promise that he
could be well enough to make the
march with command ordered back
to Frayne. Red Clouds people had
scattered far and wide, said he. "God
grant they may not turn back to the
south" He was coming home. He
would soon be there. The papers had
told their readers this very morning
that the general had plainly said his
force was too small to risk further
assault upon the Sioux. Alarmed at
the result of it's policy, the bureau
had recommended immediate aban-
donment of Warrior Gap and the
withdrawal of the troops from the Big
Horn country. The war department,
therefore, had to hold it's hand. The
Indians had had by long, long
odds tho hect of the fight. and Der.