Omaha daily bee., 1902-03-16
CORY PACE OF IOWA ANNALS.
Murders Which Led Up to Bloody Spirit
Lake Massacre.
OUTRAGE AND NUMEROUS RETALIATION
Effort of an Indian Chief to Protect
His Land and Vengeance
wresked by a white
squatter.

SHELLEY. Ia, March s.-(special.)-The
government survey Of lands lying north Of
the Raccoon Forks in Iowa. began in 1s4s.
Engineer Marsh, who had the contract.
started from Dubuque with a company OF
surveyors, and beginning at a point on the
Mississippi river near Dubuque, began rum
ming the correction line across lows from
the Mississippi to the Missouri. The sur
veyors were allowed to proceed without in
reference until they came to the Des
Moines river. On the west bank OF the
river an old chief. Sidomlnedota Ia brother
Of Ink'Padaota. who nine years later led in
the massacre at Spirit Lake,, with a small
band of warriors. halted Mr.. Marsh and
informed him that the country belonged
to them and that the surveying party should
recross the river.
After delivering the message the Indians
retired. Mr.. Marsh and his little company
concluded to 60 forward. When the COM
pan was about a mile west OF the Des
Moines, at a point nearly two miles south,
where is now the city Of Fort Dodge, the
Indians suddenly surrounded the party,
robbed them Of their provisions. took from
them their horses, destroyed their survey
ing instruments and the land marks they
we're making. and warned the surveyors, as
they valued their lives, not to go further
westward, but to return to the east side Of
the Des Moines-a course the surveyors
were compelled to adopt. These Indians
were called the "Two-Finger'' band. the
chief taking his name, sldominedotS 1.-TWO
Fingers" from the fact OF his losing fingers
in battle.
Settlers Annoyed by Indians.
As the land purchased Of the Indians
north of the Raccoor Forks and along the
Des Moines river was soon to be thrown
on the market, families began to settle near
the mouth Of the Boone river. These fami-
lies were subjected to annoyance and rob-
berry by the chief and band soon after the
raid had been made on the surveyors.
Among the white families that settled above
the mouth Of the Boone river was Henry
Lofts. Perhaps no other circumstance in
the early settlement of western Iowa did SO
much to induce the massacre OF a settle
ment on the Iowa frontier as did the raid
ing Of Lott by sidominedota, and the sub
sequent murder of the old chief and his
family by Lott and his stepson.
It was not so much the melting cause OF
a massacre at Okoboji and Spirit lakes as II
was the cause Of ZONE massacre on the
frontier by Ink'padaots, the murdered
chiefs brother. The fact that the blow
fell at the lakes instead Of on the little
settlements along the Des Moines or the
Little Sioux was due more to the isolation
Of the half-dozen families that In the sum
mer and fall OF 1856 built their cabins in
the groves near the shores Of the lovely
okoboji. The brother Of Ink'padaota had
fallen at the hands of a white man and
Il thar that aanna man uanFv Lott nSaiatad
by his stepson, finished the bloody work
by numbering the chiefs family.
Lott a troublesome Character.
Lott, in 1s45, was residing at Red Rock,
In Marion county. He was an unscrupulous
character, whose actions were a hindrance
rather than a help TO the settlers along the
border. He could not get along with HE
neighbors at Red Rock and he was next
heard of at PEGS Point. In Boone county
The year following. in 1916. he moved ur
the valley near the mouth of the Boone and
built a cabin in what is now Webster
county. There he engaged in trade. IL
had a small stock Of goods, the lot includ
ing a barrel of whisky. He had now ven
tured up near the camp OF sidominedota
! for both he and his successor, Ink'padaota
for years had a camp in the northern part
Of Webster county.
The squatter-storekeeper was soor
waited on by the old chief and a few o.
his followers, we'll armed and with theii
war paint on. He was notified that they re-
garded him as an intruder. They told hin
to leave by a certain time. 1t has been re-
ported that Lott belonged to a gang o
horsethieves and that the Indians trace
several lost ponies to his claim near tn
mouth Of the Boone river. After givinl
him warning they went away, but Lott did
not heed their call and held his ground.
A soon as the time expired the Indiani
returned and now Lott found himself II
rouEher hands than ever before during hi
rough life on the frontier. They shot dow
his horses and cattle. robbed the beehive'
he had about his cabin, threatened hi
family and drove from their home botl
Lott and his stepson. As they looked bacl
toward the cabin from the bluffs skirtinI
) the Boone they fancied they saw the cabiI
burning and the savages killing the rest o
the family.
Help for the victims.
Hard fortune was in store for Henri.
Lott. He and his stepson quickened thei
pace. He appraised the settlement at Pec'i
Point. south OF the present town OF Boones
boro. While John Pee was raising 9 fore,
in that settlement Lott went on to the set
lement at Elk Rapids, sixteen miles fur
Their. to obtain more help. Chemense.
halfbreed. chief of a band OF Pottawattami,
inc MuSquawkie Indians. was there
johnny Green" as the hslfbreed wa
called. Joined the expedition the whlteI
were organizing. Johnny led twenty-sil
braves, who readily accepted so inviting
nance TO light the Sioux.
At PEGS Point John PEG and six othe