Arizona state miner., 1925-04-18
INDIAN MASSACRE MYSTERY OF
OVER FIFTY YEARS AGO
Historic Frontier Murders that De
Veloped Into Indian Feuds
and Fights

The following story from the Jour
nal Miner of Prescott of November
II, 1871, relates a blody affair in
which five men were murdered by
band of Indians Cor Mexicans dres-
sed as Apaches) by ambushing the
stage on the old road nine miles
northwest of Wickenburg:
"At a point nine miles from Wick
enburg, a party of mounted men,
either Indians or Mexicans disguised
after the fashion of Apache warri-
ors, rushed down upon the stage and
as it was passing through a canyon
and fired a vOlley into the passengers
killing all but two persons, and slight
Iy wounding these
"The wounded, Mr.. Kruger and
Miss Sheppard, not being disabled,
sprang from the stage and started
together towards Cuttings station,
while one detachment of the blood
thirsty demons surrounded the stage
and the other went in pursuit of the
fugitives, and kept up a desultOry
fire, which, being all mounted, was
unsteady, so that only slight wound
was received by Miss Sheppard, and
neither sustained further injury than
the wounds inflicted by the first fire.
'The pursuit was kept up for a dis
tance of nearly half a mile, the pur-
suers being kept at bay by Kruger,
who still retained his revolver and
fired upon them when they came toe
near, causing them to scatter and
IDx1N ~
the pursuit until finally they with
drew and joined their fellows.
'The fugitives continued on their
way toward Cuttings Well station,
until they hailed the east bound mail
a few miles from that station. Here
they were picked up by the driver,
who retraced his steps to the station,
from which point information Of the
calamity was sent to Wickenburg via
the Vulture mine, the bearer fearing
to proceed by the direct route.
"The dispatch reached Wickenburg
at about midnight when two parties
of citizens started for the scene; one
Of them to bring IN the dead bodies
and the other under command Of
George Munroe, to take the trail of
the murderers.
upon reaching the stage, the most
horrible picture was presented TO
their sight. Five men, Messrs. Lor-
ing, Shoholm, Lanz, Hamel and Sal
mOn who IS hours previous left
Wickenburg full of life and hope in
the anticipation of soon again greet
ing friends after a prolonged absence
lay side by side rigid in death and
drenched in blood; the unavenged
acts of murder as dark and damn
able as ever stained the hands of an
assassin.
"The mystery which surrounds the
identity of the murderers exists in
the disposition of the mail and bag
gage. One mail sack was cut open
and its contents scattered over the
ground the other was left untouched.
The baggage of the passengers was
broken open and while articles of lit
tie value were carried away, large
sums of money and other valuables
remained.
"All this would suggest the work
of ignorant savages, but as neither
the ammunition nor the animals had
been removed, some are Of the opin-
ion that the outrage was perpetrated
by a band Of Mexican bandits from
Sonora.
"Mr. Kruger, who really had the
best opportunity of deciding this
question, states positively that they
were Indians, but at all events, the
next mail may bring reports which
will place the guilt Of this terrible
crime where it properly belongs,
when. we hope, it will not be left to
the local authorities to redress the
wrong or avenge an outrage against
the government and their people at
large"