Burned to Death. DEN OF A MURDEROUS SIOUX HALF-BREED. TWELVE TRAVELLERS' SKELETONS DISCOVERED.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 242, 18 February 1888, Page 3 (Supplement)

Burned to Death. DEN OF A MURDEROUS SIOUX HALF-BREED. TWELVE TRAVELLERS' SKELETONS DISCOVERED.

Fob months a certain degree of mystery has surrounded the movements of John Lablanb a Sioux Indian half-breed, whose ranch is at Willow Creek, fifteen miles west of the city, near the Dead wood stage road', on the Sierre Reservation. Lablant's ranch was the stopping place in the Black Hills for travellers during the early days. Many people who left Pierre for the hills were *never heard from after leaving' the city. A few days ago Lablant was detected stealingcattle. A posseof men was organised at Fort !Pierce to go out and " take the cattley and upon reaching 'the ranch" the bird had flown, but the.. v appearance of things looked very suspicious, ancl they returned to town and' reported. Yesterday the Sheriff of the county and a number- of citizens prdceeded to the ranch to make a thorough investigation of the premises.- The house Was^first'examined. : In one bedroom of the house, in front of the bed, was observed what appeared to be an opening or trap-dd6rl "With an axe thw was .prjed out) ,and Jound to ,he hung-on hinges; so thas *it would .drop/ wheri v a t cord. tyas.'pulled, thVcbfd extending. from A Tbolfc' I under thevtlooy to a rpbm occupied-byLab- ' laht. ' The opening under .the trap was twelve feet deep and fourteen feet square. Ladders and lanterns were hastily provxded, and examination of the cave made* As soon as the trap was dropped, thestenclv that arose was terrible. An examination of the cave revealed the skeletons of twelve grown human beings and, tiwq,- smaller i ones, supposed to be women or boys. No clothing was found in the hole,, the only artiole of- any kind beirifr an fro* | bar about two fee.t in length, which it is supposed the fiend used to murdeir his victims after he had dropped them into this ihole. ! The ranch is iri a lonely spot on the banks of a oreek, ten miles from any ■human habitation. Lablant has not bien seen tor .several days, and it is believed he has fled to eomo of the' Indian camps on the Upper Cheyenne. —Dakato paper, December 30tfa»

, Madame Marie Boze, who for the last five years had been prfond donna asb'oliUa of the famous Carl Rosa Opera Company, starts forthwith on a professional' tour of the world, and will be in Melbourne about May or June. ' She possesses a very fine organ* which is yet unimpaired, and has few, it any, rivals in certain operatic roles, Many* for instance, consider her (Mingle Hauci.