Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1938-02-26

Charley Brown, scout, guide,
army packer, horse buyer and gem
eral an-arOund frontiersrnan who
lived in Miles City In the early
days Of this state, once put an
end to q government inquiry into
the killing of four Indians In Utah
by a white man, by 0beying the
orders of the major 10 whose COM
mand he was attached to bring the
bodies Of the dead Indians to the
military post without any marks
of violence upon them"
Brown, at the time, IN the late SOS,
was head packer at a government
military post in Utah and attached to
the quartermasters department. There
had been trouble between the military
and the Indians in southern Colorado,
and southern Utah. The troops had
spent all summer fighting the differ
ent bands of hostiles. No sooner was
one quelled than another made trouble.
Towards fall, however, the redmen
seemed to have had enough and came
to the agencies, smoked with the Of
ficials in charge, and agreed to eat
government rations that winter, at
least until spring opened up.
The troops thought they were going
to have an easy time that winter. But
Indians had been killed by a white
man on Battle creek, 40 miles away
The Indians on the reservation became
ugly and threatened to go on the war
path unless something was done about
it, and the white man punished.
It became known at the post that
the Indians had been killed by the
brother of the major in command OF
the contingent, rattle-brained young
ster who sought revenge for the death
of a friend whom these same Indians
had slain the previous summer This
was the first time he had caught them
off the reservation in numbers that
he could handle and he took advan-
tage of the opportunity.
The Indian agent insisted upon an
and declared that his
wards were entitled to the protection
of the troops. He was just from the
east and probably more conscientious
in the discharge of his duties than
might have been expected.
murder, he insisted, should
not go unpublished
After four or five days of parleying
between the post commander and the
Indian agent, the major sent for
Charley Brown and told him to take
go to Battle creek, the
scene of the reported killing, and
bring in the bodies Of any dead In
iianS that he might find.
"And mark you" said the major.
There are to be no marks of violence
IN them when they are brought to the I
post. Take as many ambulances as
you need"
Brown took four ambulances, eight |
soldiers and four drivers and went to
3attle creek. They had no trouble in
knding the bodies Of the Indians.
They had been dead a week, had been
rozen and then thawed by a chinook.
hey were almost unacceptable. No
,ody wanted to touch them. Brown.
lowever, had been ordered to bring
hem in, and to bring them in without
ny marks of violence on them.
He gave the matter some thought.
there we're four dead Indians and
our ambulances. He backed an am
ulance over each body, chained the
eet to the hind axle of the vehicle
nd started a grisly parade of 40 miles.
By the time the bodies were dragged
0 miles behind the ambulanceS there
ras little left of them but the legs.
When they reached the post the major
anne out and inspected the four pairs
+ legs with what Brown afterward said
as i'll concealed satisfaction.
mfr. Brown" he said, can you dis
over any marks on the bodies of these
indians indicating that they met
iolent death?"
II cannot" replied Charley. "nor do
believe that anybody else can"
Neither can T." said the major.
Bury these carcaSses, Mr.. Brown and
Oh viii then be relieved from special
uty."
The major then wired the Indian
apartment that he had carefully in
1ected the bodies of the four Indians
nd could find no marks indicating
olent death and the matter was
ropped.