Evening star., 1915-02-22
Assistance Being Sent to Band
of Twenty-Six Whites Led
by U. S. Marshal.
FIGHT NEAR BLUFF, UTAH,
BRINGS DEATH TO THREE
Trouble Results From Effort to Cap.
ture Tse-Ne-Gat. Fugitive on
Murder Charge.

DENVER. Col, February e2-After a
battle throughout the night near Bluff.
Utah, between band of f1fty-two Piute
Indians and a posse of twenty-six white
men. led by United States Marshal Aquila
Nebeker, bands of citizens from various
towns in Utah are preparing to go to
the assistance of the whites. The In
dians also have been reinforced. Two In
dians and one white man have been killed,
two Indians and a white man wounded
and two Indians captured. One Of these
killed was an Indian maiden who was
said to have run into the line of battle.
The fight started early Sunday morn
ing. when the whites. after several days
journey by wagon from Cortez. Col.
rived at the camp of Tse-Ne-Gat, n Piute
Indian leader. whose arrest on a charge
OF murder was sought.
From Grayson, Utah. the following re-
port of the battle was received last night
fran Marshal Nebeker:
Hoped to Surprise Indians.
A posse of twenty-six men. led by
! the sheriff of Dolores county. Colo; eX-
Sheriff Jingles of Montezuma county.
Col. and Sheriff Peperson of San Juan
surprise and capture the Indians. At
break of day this morning the posse
surrounded the camp in which the In
dians wanted Were located The In
dlans seemed to be expecting the ar
rival of the posse. and opened fire. J. c.
Akin of Dolores, Col. was killed in the
beginning OF the fight. An Indian
called Jacks Brother was killed and
an Indian girl who ran between the
posse and the Indians was killed. The
and Jack. Both Indians are choice
warriors. and it is expected other In
dians will try to recapture them.
A band of Indians known as Posey's
from the south. Poseys band wounded
Joseph E. Cordova of Cortez, one of
our men, who was placed to guard the
southern approach. A posse of fifteen.
from here to assist the posse at Bluff.
A posse of twenty-nine is the road
from Montivello. Utah, to assist those
at Bluff. Communication between here
has just been restored. The fighting
continues fiercely.
Tse-Ne-Gat Charged With Murder.
TseNe-Gat. who is also known as
Everett Hatch. is charged with the
murder last March of Juan Chaeon,
sheepherder in Moutezunna county.
Col. After his arrest the Indian es-
capped to Utah, where his father, 'Old
Polk. is said to have counseled re-
sistance. The band of which Tse-Ne-
Cat Is the leader is known as an un-
controllable nomadic tribe, which has
on many occasions given settlers of
southeastern Utah much trouble
Lorenzo D. Creel. special Indian
agent. arrived at Moab. Utah, last
night. en- route to Bluff with instruc-
tions for Marshal Nebeker
A call for volunteers from Moab re-
suited in the mobilizing of twenty men
who were prepared today to leave for
the scene. From Grayson fifteen men
responded.
dian agency at Shiprock. " NJ, also
has been made.
Pursued Through Mountains.
The posse which pursued Tse-Ne-Gat
was organized at Cortez, Col, several
days ago by Marshal Nebeker upon a
request from District Attorney Tedrow
of Denver for the arrest of the Indian
The trail of the fugitive led the posse
through a remote mountainous region.
across the state line into Utah. Travel
ing by day and night. the posse drew
near the camp of the Indians at mid |
night two and half miles from Bluff |
Instantlg- the Indians opened fire.
Numerically in the minority, the posse |
held its own From a southern pass
through the rocks the Posey band early
in the morning came to the assistance |
of the Piutes Joseph Cordova, mem |
Der of the posse who had been placed to
guard the pass. was shot down. His
inn, faI