Sacramento Daily Union
Sacramento, California
Saturday Morning, December 16th, 1871
THE MURDER OF FRED W. LORINGI
NTERESTING FACTS.
(From the Boston Advertiser.)
The following is an extract from a private letter
received in Cambridge from a member of Lieutenant
Wheeler’s party, dated Camp Whipple, near Prescott,
November 7th. It gives some new and, we believe, trustw
orthy particulars of the murder of Fred. W. Loring and
his companions:
boring, Hamel and Salmon, of Lieutenant Wheeler’s party,
were on the stage to go home. Besides these, the pass
engers were one Kruger, a German, one Adams, a jeweler
of Prescott, and “Moll. Sheppard,” a disreputable
character. The stage was an open box—wagon, topped with
canvas, with sides to let down; back being generally
down is somewhat protected from sight at least, while
the front is open to full view.
An escort went with them, as usual, through the dangero
us country, i.e., as far as Wickenburg. Six miles
beyond this place they were suddenly fired into. I do
not know how much damage was then done except that the
driver’s arm was broken. Still he drove on some dist
ance, till shot through the head, when the unguided
horses turned back toward home, and into danger. Kruger
and “Moll.” were on the back seat, not easily seen, and
escaped with wounds. Both emptied their pistols and
managed to jump out before the horses turned back, and
ran on ahead. In a mile or two they met the “buckboard”
going the other way. The driver took them on, and,
fearful of being followed, turned back. Finally he left
them and the mail in the bushes, took a horse, and by a
trail reached the Vulture Mill, near Wickenburg, got
assistance and returned to the scene of the murder. Two
of the victims were found to be shot in the eye, two in
the forehead, and one in the back of the head. An old
man with a black beard, who had fought hard, was missi
ng, and may have escaped. This man must have been
Hamel.
Heavy rifle cartridges were found, and their use prob—
Murder of Fred. W. Loring- Continued.
able from the great number of shots fired- there being
twenty through the stage. The mail had been opened, and
such letters as contained money examined, and the
baggage searched for money. No horses, nor harness, nor
guns, nor bright blankets, nor any such things as
Indians covet, were taken. There is no doubt about it;
they were not Indians, nor Mexicans, as the shooting
was to good; white men did it— “road agents,” as they
are technically termed here. They generally simply rob.
It was reported that a man was asked some time ago at
Wickenburg to rob the stage that brought “Moll. Shepp
ard” down, as she would have much money. Kruger also
had much money with him, as he was a Government Agent of
some kind. The murderers did not find the greater part
of the latter’s money and seem to have left precipi
tately.
