Abstracts Taken From The Annual Reports By Indian Agents to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs 1872-1878

Pg. 253 Wichita Agency, I.T. 9/1/1872
“A discouraging feature of Indian advancement has arisen from the depredations of white men belonging, apparently, to an organized band of desperadoes who come to the country for plunder.
They at times come into obscure places, and in some way notify the Indians that they have whisky for barter, and the first that is known of it by the agent is through the Indians, some of whom have obtained the article, and the guilty parties have gone. But the main business of these whisky-dealers is to steal horses; and, after becoming acquainted with the range of the herds, they come at night and run off the Indian horses, and mostly make for Texas. This exasperates the Indians, and although they have mostly behaved very well about it, yet in one or two instances they have organized a small party and gone to Texas to steal horses to replace those they had lost. When this has become known, and the parties to whom the animals belong have recognized and proven their property, I have required the Indians to give them up and most of those stolen have been recovered. There is now a company of our Delaware Indians who are acting as detectives and although there is more or less opposition to them by some of the other Indians, I have a hope the good work of these Delawares will not only lead to the detection and arrest of guilty parties but will have a salutary effect upon others.”

Pg. 251 Upper Arkansas Agency, I.T., 8/1872
“Police – Owing to frequent whisky and horse-thieves’ raids from lawless whites, and the necessity of bringing guilty parties to justice, I would most respectfully request and urge the necessity of furnishing this agency with one or two persons of undoubted integrity, whose duty it shall be to keep a secret lookout for all suspicious characters and their movements, and under the direction of the agent, arrest all guilty person and lodge them in a calaboose at the agency, to be erected for that purpose, there to be held in confinement until they can be turned over to the proper authorities. During the past month I have been obliged to take our farm-hands from the field to arrest guilty parties, and in forwarding them to the deputy United States marshal, or to Fort Sill, much valuable time has been lost from our agency work, and yet we did not feel like being openly defied by outlaws without making a reasonable effort to arrest them.”

1875
Pg.. 274 “The troubles of the past year and sales of surrendered stock have brought a large number of very bad men into the immediate neighborhood, and many acts of lawlessness have followed. Within the last three months over twenty have been arrested, most of whom have been sent to Fort Smith, principally charged with horse-stealing. One of our greatest difficulties in connection with such matters is the great distance and expense in going to Fort Smith; it is a financial sacrifice to almost any one to go, hence parties who might give valuable evidence conceal their knowledge. If there was a United States Judge or commissioner located at some point more convenient of access the cause of justice would be promoted. Within the last few months a cantonment has been established on the “Pan Handle” springing up with all the accompanying vices of such places. I understand the land of this reservation in the region of it is poor…If allowed to roam over the vast district of country, as has been the case for many years, and lawlessness and crime continue in their midst to go unpunished, as it has so often in the past, and as it must continue to do in a measure until new laws, with severer penalties, are enacted for the protection of the Indian, and the punishment of those who commit crimes against him, their friends will have to wait long to see them civilized people. At present the man who steals his herd of ponies can only be sent one year to prison, whereas, if he steals the Government horse from the same neighborhood, five years in the penitentiary is his punishment. The laws governing such matters should be revised.”

1877
Cheyenne & Arapaho Agency, 8/31/77
Pg. 82 “On October 11, 1876, the greater portion of the Indians left the agency on their usual buffalo hunt accompanied by William E. Malaley, agency employe, as my representation and a small detail of troops from Fort Reno, Indian Territory…About mid-winter the pony herds of the hunting parties were “raided” on by the common curse of this country, horse-thieves, who kept up their depredations with great vigilance and success until the last Indian had left the plains, leaving some of them without a pony, who were obliged to trust to their friends for transportation to the agency. Mr. Malaley, with his detail of three men, was powerless to protect their herds from the thieves, and only succeeded, after unceasing efforts in recapturing a small portion of the stock stolen from them. In all, about 160 animals were taken from them, and a very low estimate would be $25 per head which would make the loss $4,000. Of the above loss Mr. Malaley recovered 44 head at $25, $1,100; thus leaving a loss to the Indians of $2,900. The majority of these stolen animals were passed through the regular channel via Dodge City to the western portion of Kansas and disposed of to innocent parties, or are being held by members of the gang. Quite recently I have information that three valuable animals, the property of Interpreter George Bent stolen as above set forth are now in Deadwood, Wyo being driven to a grocer’s delivery-wagon. Such losses are very discouraging to these Indians and is but a repetition of that old story that brought on the war of 1874.”

“Since the Indians returned to the agency but three raids have been made on their herds and they are very recent date. On the 16th instant three of the “original gang” made a dash on an Arapahoe herd, and secured 16 choice ponies. The owners soon discovered their loss, and took the trail which led in the direction of Little Salt Plains on the Cimarron River. The thieves, on being overtaken, concluded ‘discretion the better part of valor’ abandoned their booty, carrying their saddles on their backs. Should these people be permitted to go on the plains the coming winter, they should be accompanied by at least 25 good troops and one commissioned officer. After five months of hard riding and persistent efforts in all kinds of weather traveling over 4,000 miles Mr. Malaley brought in only one horse thief, with whom he had slept on the ground, chained fast to himself for 21 nights in order to prevent his escape”

pg. 84
“I say ‘temperance’ because I have not known of a single case of drunkenness by any member of the tribes under my charge during the past year and owing to pretty strict rules on this subject having been enforced in the past, but little intoxicating drink has been introduced on the reservation. My purpose now is to arrest and place in the guardhouse every white person (citizen) found intoxicate on the reserve; and if repeated to send them beyond its limits, and notify other agents of my action.”

Kiowa and Comanche Agency, 8/15/77
Pg 88-89
“Horse thieves still continue their depredations upon the Indian herds, the number stolen the past year being only less than former years because of much smaller herds to steal from. Several important captures of thieves have been made, who have been sent to Fort Smith for trial. The great distance to that point and cost of going, as well as the time required in making the trip and attending courts make it difficult to get witnesses to go. Persons whose evidence would be important in convicting the guilty keep the matter to themselves rather than be compelled to go as witnesses where the expense and time required would be a pecuniary loss to them.”

89
“A United States court should be established in the Territory at some point nearer and more easy of access by the southwestern agencies than it is now.”

“In connection with this matter I would again respectfully call attention to the fact of the small punishment prescribed by law for stealing from an Indian compared to that for stealing from the Government or a white man – one year being the extent of the law for stealing from an Indian even though the number stolen may amount to a herd of fifty head. This law should be changed increasing the time to three or five years confinement.”

“The law should also be so amended as to punish one Indian for crimes against another. As it now is, we had an instance where a man who is of mixed blood stole several head of stock from a Comanche Indian. He was captured, but could not be punished for the offense for want of law. For the same reasons, half-blood an violate the law or rather introduce liquors nto the Indian Country with impunity so far as the punishment by law is concerned.”

1878
Kiowa and Comanche Agency, 8/15/78
Pg. 59
“Some time during the past winter one of the prisoners [Kiowa returned from Florida] entered the tent of the guard at night, and attempted to assassinate one of the soldiers. On the 26th of July a deputy United States marshal came from Fort Smith with a capias for the arrest of this man and two other Indians charged as being accessories. The principal, who escaped at the time of the assault, had been arrested and brought in by Quanah, a young Comanche chief, and was in the post guard-house, but the other two Indians were at large in the camp at the farm. The post adjutant, the interpreter, and marshal proceeded to the farm to make the arrest of these two The small guard placed at the farm having been ordered out under arms, the Indians were told by the interpreter the object of their visit. At first it seemed as if they would quietly submit, but after reaching the lodge of the medicine man, and listening a few moments to him, the declared they would not go. This determination they persisted in, being urged to it by the medicine man. In obedience to orders from the officer commanding, a large Negro teamster who was present attempted to seize and hold the medicine man while others were to club and secure the other two Indians. This failed and the three Indians immediately attacked the party with knives, which it is believed had been concealed about the person of the medicine man as he was seen to pass a knife to each of the others. The adjutant, interpreter, marshal, and soldiers commenced firing and soon the three Indians fell, the medicine man wounded and the other two killed. For a while after the killing it was believe that serious trouble would grow out of this, but, to the surprise of most persons, the Indians have not been much excited a fact which I think indicates that they do to a certain extent recognize the supremacy of the law.”

Pg. 61
“The horse thieves in this country have been quite active during the past month. Thirty-seven were solen one night ad five a few weeks before. The thefts were reported to me as soon as discovered and a detail of soldiers furnished by General Davidson was sent in pursuit but in each case returned without the thief or horses. Many thieves are enabled to get into the reservation at this time every year as they com ostensibly to work on the contracts to furnish wood and hay at the military post at Fort Sill. They work awhile and get off some night with a lot of ponies. Could I be authorized to hire a man who knows well the country and understands the business to lead the detail furnished by the military something might be done toward stopping this . The Indians are much discouraged by these raids and seem to think too little effort has been made to recover their property.” Signed by PB Hunt

Hey, Where is this material found? And can you list the death of William Watkins on the Chisholm trail in 1874 and other related actions concerning Hennessey's death?
Thanks
John

Hey there John,

The info that I quoted is found in the Annual Reports of Indian Commissioners which is a bound set of volumes found in the Fort Sill Museum Archives at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

Regardin William Watkins, I don't have much on him, but I wrote a very intricate article on the killing of Pat Hennessey in July 1874 for the Oklahombres Journal previously. Below is just a little info from my research. Hope it helps. What is your interest in Watkins? Do you have any additional info that you could contribute?

On the Trail
Diron Ahlquist
editor, Oklahombres Journal

In early July 1874, veteran freighter, Patrick Hennessey, who had been so employed since at least August 1873, was hauling a load of freight reportedly bound for Fort Sill. Passing through Buffalo Springs Stage Station on the Chisholm Trail, Hennessey and his wagon train continued south when only a few miles south of the station they were set up by unknown parties and all four teamsters were slaughtered. The distance was estimated to be about sixty miles north of Darlington and lay between the stage stations at Buffalo Springs on the north and Baker’s Ranch on the south. Killed in the attack was Hennessey and three fellow teamsters, T. Caliway, G. Pond, and B. Cook, and early reports indicated that hostile Indians of the Cheyenne tribe were to blame for the depredation. However, many people in the vicinity had their suspicions that stock thieves were the culprits using the escalating hostilities of the Cheyenne as a cover.

Shortly after the attack, a party consisting of Indian Agent John D. Miles, J.A. Covington, his wife & daughter, William E. “Billy” Malaley, in addition to several other civilians and a small military escort happened on the scene, but were only able to locate one body which was that of Patrick Hennessey. The body was inspected and found to have only one wound which was caused by a bullet below the left knee. An examination of the wagon was made and it was theorized that Hennessey had been shot in the leg in the initial attack and then bound to one of the wagon wheels, the body covered with corn and oats taken from the wagon, and the man set afire.

Hennessey was buried on the prairie and a thorough inspection of the site was made. It was found that there were still provisions lying about the area. One would think if Indians were involved, they would have left no provisions behind and many people in the vicinity had suspicions that outlaws were to blame for the murders and not the Indians. The majority of period reports give the killings as being at the hands of Cheyenne Indians under Crazy Mule, but there was no verifiable proof found at the scene that would point to them as the killers. The stock was, of course, missing. The Miles’ party continued north and upon arriving at Buffalo Springs Ranch north of the site of the massacre, it was learned that the proprietor, Ed “Burr” Mosier, William L. “Billy” Brooks, and possibly William Matteson had taken a wagon from the ranch and proceeded to the scene of the killings. This was prior to Miles and his party coming across the remains. Mosier and Brooks stated that they buried the three teamsters which Miles could not find “near Buffalo Springs Ranch”. When asked why they did not bury Hennessey, their reply was that “they didn’t have time”.

Billy Brooks was also a freighter on the line which ran from Kansas to Fort Sill during the mid-1870s. Prior to this employment, he was the City Marshal of Newton, Kansas in 1872 where, in June, he was wounded three times while attempting to arrest a group of Texans who would not submit. He left this employment shortly thereafter and was in Dodge City in early 1873 where he shot and killed a Santa Fe railroad employee and was implicated in the killing of a saloonkeeper named Matt Sullivan.

Following the killings in Dodge City, Brooks went south into Indian Territory where, as Ed Mosier, proprietor of the Buffalo Springs Stage Station, would later testify under oath, he had been sent with a group of men having been hired by the South Western Stage Company. The purpose in the hiring of these men was in hopes that they would be able to steal the stock of mules which the stage firm of Vail & Co., the company which was contracted to haul the U.S. Mail through western Indian Territory at that time, had corralled at the various ranches along the trail in Indian Territory and Kansas. According to Mosier, stock was stolen on both sides of the border and the number of men in the gang was astonishing. Mosier testified:

“…About the first of July, Jasper Marion, alias Granger, came to my ranche for grub. While there he told me he had eight mules belonging to Vail & Co.; besides these he had a horse of his own and a mare that he said they had stolen through mistake. The mare belonged to A.E. Fletcher. He also told me the number and names
of the men engaged in the theft of the mules at Caldwell on the night of the 29th of June. He said there were nine men engaged in it. The names of the parties as far as I recollect are, Hasbrouck, Charley smith, Henryall, “Red”, “Bob”, “Jim”, Jerry Williams,
Jasper Marion alias Granger, and Bill Brooks. “Red”, “Bob”, and “Jim” were aliases; I do not know their real names. Granger told me
that the mules were stolen at Caldwell and Skeleton Creek and that they were concealed about five miles from my ranche on Turkey creek. Five or six days afterward I saw the mules and horses, ten in number. When I first saw the stock it was in charge of Brooks and Granger. Granger told me that he was assisted in bringing the mules down by all the rest of the party. Granger also told me that they were going down to Kingfisher, to clean out the station (steal the mules) belonging to Vale & Co.; and that Charley Smith had been sent to Stinking creek to steal the stock there. The party that went to Kingfisher, failed to get the mules there, because they were too well guarded by Al. Needham and two men who were armed with needle guns. As they were returning from Kingfisher, they were attacked by Indians, and Bill Watkins, who had gone down to help steal the mules, was killed and scalped, and Granger’s horse was shot. Bradbury, who kept the station for the Southwestern Stage Company at Stinking creek, was to help Smith steal Vail & Co.’s stock at that place. Bradbury formerly lived near Caldwell. About the day before the Indians attacked and killed Pat Hennessey, two of Vail & Co.’s drivers came to my ranche with the U.S. mail. They had a sulky and one horse. After they had passed a few hours the S.W. Stage came in. William Brandon was driving. Bill Brooks was on the stage. He (Brooks) told me that he intended to overtake and steal the horse belonging to Vail & Co., that had passed down the road. Brandon and Brooks were both afraid of an attack by the Indians; so I armed myself and drove the stage down to Baker’s, twelve miles below. Brooks told me that they, (the horse thieves) had taken the contract to run that mail line and that they intended to do it. He said that they were employed by the South Western Stage Company to prevent Vail & Co. from fulfilling their mail contract, at all hazards; that they were to steal their stock and prevent, by any means, the transmission of the mails on the route from Caldwell to Fort Sill. That they (Brooks & Co.) were paid six hundred dollars by the South Western Stage Company for clearing the road, i.e. stealing the stock and stopping the mails, the first time. I was also told by Brooks and others to charge up their board to the S.W. Stage Co., as that company was to pay all expenses of the raid…”(Miller & Snell, 46-47).

In late July 1874, while “Hurricane Bill” Martin was still incarcerated at Wichita, a posse arrested Billy Brooks, L.B. Hasbrouck, A.C. McLean, Dave Terrill, and Judd Calkins all identified as being residents of Caldwell, Kansas and many of which were implicated as being cohorts of Martin. The Sumner County Press published at Wellington reported on July 30:

“…McLean was taken at his residence one mile south of Caldwell,Hasbrouck was captured in a corn field, Terrill was tracked to a dug-out three miles away, Calkins surrendered quietly and Bill Brooks, after several hours siege, came out of his fortification and delivered his arms to the sheriff” (Miller & Snell, 44).

Two additional men that were with Brooks in his “fortification” who had threatened resistance were disarmed and arrested only to be released later. Gang member, “One-Armed” Charley Smith fled to the Indian Territory before the arrival of the posse, but was arrested twenty-five miles south of the border by a party of fifteen men (Miller & Snell, 44; DeArment, 42).

The Sumner County Press further reported:

“…Dave Terrill was discharged, there being no charge against him; and Judd Calkins was admitted to bail in the sum of five hundred
dollars…The other prisoners, Hasbrouck and Brooks, were placed in the calaboose, where Smith was also confined…McLean was kept under guard during the night. Considerable excitement
prevailed and grave fears that an attempt would be made to lynch the prisoners, to their evident discomfort…” (Miller & Snell, 44).

The prisoners did not have long to wait for justice was served up quickly by the angry citizenry of Wellington. At midnight on July 30, a mob broke into the jail and spirited Brooks, Hasbrouck, and Smith to a nearby tree where they were lynched with “Hasbrouck…on the left, Brooks in the center, and Smith to the right and nearest to the tree” (Miller & Snell, 45). Hasbrouck and Smith “looked naturally and evidently died easily”. However, Brooks “gave evidence of a horrible struggle with death” (Miller & Snell, 45).

Hey,
What is my interest in Watkins? Just interested in the facts for the last time I saw Williams was at the Last Chance Saloon drinking with his cronies and the next time I know of him he's lying face down in the dirt scalped. And everybody calling him a drover and not a outlaw that he was. - John