Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 July 1896 — A Terrible Revenge. [ARTICLE]

A Terrible Revenge.

John Ferris, the veteran stage driver, who in the early ’so’s drove the stage on the overland route between Independence, Mo., and Santa Fe, in relating some of his interesting experiences to a group of friends the other day,told this story, to which the New York World gives credence: “The small-pox outbreak among the Comanche Indians in the year of 1855,” lie said, “caused a stir throughout the Western country. I carried the first news of that devastating plague to the outside world. I was making one of my trips, when I stopped at a small trading post on the Neosho River. Great excitement prevailed because of an outbreak of small pox among the Indians, who thickly populated that section. Hundreds of the redskins had died. “Small pox had up to that time been an unknown disease among these Indians, and the outbreak was the result of one of the most terrible schemes of revenge 1 have ever seen recorded. In the spring of 1855 two young men, whose names I have forgotten, went out to the plains for the purpose of spending a few months. The object of the trip was for the benefit of the health of one of them. They reached Council Grove and resolved to remain there a short time. They decided to get a taste of buffalo hunting. They left Council Grove early one morning on a two weeks’ hunt. They were I mounted on good horses, which soon 1 attracted the covetous eyes of stragi gliug bands of Indians.

“On the third day they came upon a large herd of buffalo and had an exciting chase. The invalid young man killed one of the animals and had dismounted to view his prize when a big, strapping Indian rode out of a clump of trees, shot the white man and scalped him. The companion of the murdered man saw the horrible crime, and thinking that a similar fate awaited him, put spurs to his horse and headed for Council Grove. He was closely pursued by the Indian. The white man escaped and reached Council Grove in an exhausted condition. The companion of the murdered man vowed to have vengeance upon the whole tribe for the foul deed which one of the members had committed, and he kept his vow. “He returned to his home and learned that the hospital there contained several cases of small pox. He made the acquaintance of one of the attendants of the hospital, and induced the latter to sell him a number of blankets which had been used to cover the small-pox patients. He then boxed the blankets and shipped them to Council Grove. He went out and distributed them among the Indians. The disease | spread rapidly and they died by the score. “The young man who brought out ; and distributed the blankets remained ! at Council Grove until he saw the outj break of small-pox fairly started, and ' then returned to his home. The United | States Government set on foot an inI vestigation as to the cause of the outj break, and it was discovered to lie in j the blankets brought from the East. A ! large reward was offered for the arrest j of the young man, but he left the coun- | try as soon as he found that he was j wanted. He never returned, so far as I I know.”

It has recently been discovered that soapsuds will answer the same purpose as oil in the midst of a storm at sea. The captain of the Scandia chanced recently to run short of the latter requisite, and bethought him of dissolving a large quantity of soap In water, which he forthwith discharged over the bows of the vessel. The effect was instantaneous.