Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-02-29
WOMAN s DEATH
RECALLS TRAGIC
DEATH Of BENT
Passing of Mrs. Alloys SCheu-
rich at Taos ReviveS Mem
cries of Brutal Murder OF
Her Father in 1847.


Especial Correspondence to The Journai)
Santa Fe, Feb, 2S.-The death of
Mrs. Alloys Scheurich, daughter of
Charles Bent, first territorial gov
ernor of New Mexico, at Taos, this
week, recalls one of the most tragic
incidents in the history of the
southwest, the brutal murder of the
governor
Governor Bent, who was born in
Charlestown, Va, now West Vir-
ginia, in 1877, after graduating
from the United States military
academy at West Point, came to
Santa Fe in 1892 and founded a
general merchandising business.
On September %, 1916, the day on
which General Kearney issued his
proclamation of civil government
at Santa Fe, he also gave Mr.. Bent
a commission as the first civil gov
ernor of New Mexico.
It was on January 10, 1S47. that
Governor Bent met death. After
the occupation of Santa Fe by Cen
eral Kearney many of the native in
habitants of the territory became
dissatisfied with the new order of
an uprising. The revolt finally
broke, and on the morning of jan
parry 10, while the people of Taos
were still in their beds asleep, the
insurrectionists, many of them en-
tering the town quietly from the
surrounding country and joining
forces with their fellow -conspira-
tors who resided there, began the
attack. Beginning with the de-
struction of the houses occupied by
the hated Americans, they soon
frenzy and demanded the blood of
the object of their attack, Governor
Bent.
The mob finally reached the
home of Governor Bent. AS the
Indians pounded on the door lead
ing into the main room of the
house, the governor, standing be-
hind the locked door, inquired what
was wanted.
I'VE want your head" replied
one of the Indians.
II AOu wait lllblltNp VI ill y Nlili0
else l can give you, you may have
it," replied the governor.
mo we want your head" was
the answer
Alfred, the 10-year-old son of the
governor, entered another room
and returned with a toy gun, ana
standing beside his father, said;
Papa, let us fight like men,"
Hardly had the words escaped
the child's lips when a gun was
discharged through the door. Tho
first shots struck Governor Bent in
the chin and in the stomach. The
door was then broken in and the
Indians filled the body of the fallen
man with arrows, three of which
he pulled from his head and face
as he lay PROSTATE. Governor
Bent, before he died, had his wrists
and hands slashed with knives by
MeXicans and Indian and was also
scalped. His head was afterward
hacked from his body.
In the meantime, seeing that re-
sistance was useless, Mrs. Boggs,
Mrs. Carson and Mrs. Bent, all
IHtlHDeIS Ol lllt BbNtlIlpI . IOuot-
hold, began to dig n hole in the
adobe wall of the room, using an
iron spoon for the purpose, hoping
to enable the governor to make his
escape. Though too late they were
able to make their own way into
the adjoining house. They were
pursued, and Mrs. Boggs and Mrs.
Carson begged on their Bonded
knees that the assailants spare the
lives of Mrs. Bent and her children
For a moment the murderers re-
Tented, and the three women and
the Bent children escaped and fled
to a neighbours home, where they
remained until the arrival of troops
from Santa Fe fifteen days later
Mrs. Scheurich, who was but a
mere child at the time of the mas
sacre, lived in the house in which
her father was slain until the time
of her death.
Mrs. Scheurich is survived by
one son, Charles A. Schuerich, of
Clovis and two daughters, Mrs.
Frank Elliott, of Gallup, and Miss
Lena Scheurich, of Taos.