Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-02-23
Messengers outwit Indians

Philadelphia Is saved from the Indians
and may breathe more easily today.
One hundred and seventy messengers
bearing urgent appeals for help against
the Redskins, outwitted the braves who
intercepted them in the broken country
south of Haddonfleld, NJ j., yesterday
Enough of the fleet-footed scouts worked
their way through the files of the enemy
to assure victory for the palefaces.
1t was the annual Washngton's Birth
, day celebration of the Philadelphia Boy
Scouts. More than 1900 scouts, the largest
number ever present in mass game, took
part In the Indian hunt.
The messengers won by narrow mar
gin, a margin so narrow that, because
no official count of points was issued.
many of the Indians and their "rooters"
believe that the messengers were de-
feated. But the deeds of valor performed
by more than a score of messengers leave
no doubt that they won.
The messengers, two picked scouts from
each troop participating, were quietly
slipped over to Camden on the ferry at
$3.50 a. M, taken to Haddonfield by trolley
and from there transported in wagons TO
the Medford pike, between Gibbsboro and
Kresson, about six miles from Haddon-
field. Here they were dispatched through
wooded section, each bearing a mes
Inge to be delivered at deserted house
en- the Berlin pike not far from Haddon-
field.
They were in charge of Samuel g.
Friedman, chairman of the Scoutmas-
ters' Committee; Walter S. Cowing. scout
executive: DIR, Francis B. Hitchcock,
scoutmaster of Troop 96. and Orlando
Crease, Jr.. scoutmaster of Troop 30, who
were met in Haddonfleld by the New Jer-
sey scout officials, II. H. Etter, special
field commissioner of Gloucester County;
L. r. Dobbs, special field commissioner
OF Camden County; j. e. Murdoch, special
field commissioner of Burlington County,
and II. r. Roney, scoutmaster of Haddon-
field Troop l.
Sixteen hundred Indians left Philadel-
phia under ]. w, Patton. deputy scout
commissioner; George S. Dayton scout
master of Troop 80, and other scoutmas-
ters, at $3.50 a m, and were turned loose
on the warpath at Haddonfield shortly
after 10 o'clock.
The triangular section of country
bounded by the Berlin and Medford pixies
and the Kresson road at once became
the scene of combats of brain and Drawn
between the messengers and the Indians.
Thcket and marsh, field and forest were
filed with bands of searching Indians
and crouchinS messengers, while the
roads bounding the field of operation were
patroled by automobiles and troops of
New Jersey scouts.
The first messenger to make his way
of Troop 96, who delivered his message
at the house, on the farm of Charles G.
Stafford, at 1915 p. IN. He ran every
step of the six miles and was not mo-
Tested. One minute later his troop mate.
Glen Lowe, appeared at the house with
his message. Wandering Indians in the
meantime came in the vicinity of the
house, and 1t was not until 1:05 o'clock
that five messengers in a body eluded
the enemy and escaped In safety. They
were scouts Biddle and Keller, of Troop
112: Yeager and Parker, of Troop "a. and
Bowman. of Troop H.
The other messengers who were sue
cessful, and the time of their arrival at
the house. were: Scouts Ferguson, of
Troon 10, 1:16 n. m: Sh!ekman of Troop
12, 1:25 p. m; Sampson, of Troop 6, 2:90
p. M; Whittle, of Troop 8, 2:43 p. m;
Patterson, of Troop so, 2:43 p. m. and An
derson. of Troop 60, 1858 p. m. All the
other messengers were either captured or
driven to cover.
William NUM-, 16 years old, of Troop r.
was the first Indian to capture mes