The Columbus Journal, January 6, 1892
DIED
MURRAY--Jan. 3d, at twelve o'clock midnight, Bridget, wife of Patrick Murray, after a year's illness. Her illness became serious about a year ago. Within this time she had three strokes of paralysis.
She was married to Patrick Murray, July 4th, 1856, and has been, through all these years, his steadfast, faithful and untiring helpmate, on their large farm west of this city. Her life has truly been a busy one, full of toil and care, and not without danger also. In 1865, Mr. Murray had a contract to put up hay for the government, and during his absence at Omaha on business, Indians attacked his wife and the hands in the field, after having professed friendship and eaten supper with them. They killed Mr. Murray's brother and wounded several others, among whom was Mrs. Murray.
The funeral will take place today at 2 o'clock, the remains to be laid at rest in the cemetery near H.M. Winslow's farm.

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Published in The Columbus Journal, August 1, 1906

DIED
MURRAY--Patrick Murray one of the oldest settlers in Platte county died at his home three miles northwest of this city last Thursday afternoon at four o'clock of an acute bowel complaint after an illness of one day and was buried Saturday in the Catholic cemetery, the funeral being held from the Catholic church at ten o'clock.
    Mr. Murray came to Platte county in 1856, walking the entire distance from Pennsylvania in company with a countryman named Patrick McDonough.
    Mr. Murray worked hard and saved his money and although he had no education, being unable to read or write, he had the good judgment to invest his savings in land when land was cheap. Consequently at the time of his death he owned about 2000 acres of the most valuable land in the Loup valley besides a vast amount of city and personal property. His possessions are roughly valued at a quarter of a million.
    Mr. Murray was married first on July 4, 1856 to Miss Bridget Hennessey. She died in 1892 and on July 4 of that year he married Miss Reka Scholz. To this union were born seven children all of whom are living.
    Mr. Murray leaves besides his wife one sister, Mrs. S.E. Cushing of this city and a sister in a convent at Wheeling, West Virginia whom he had planned to visit next fall.
    Every old settler in this part of Nebraska who used to drive to Columbus for supplies knew "Pat" Murray and will be interested in this bit of pioneer history for which the Journal is indebted to Bun Turner.
    "Patrick Murray was born in Kings county, Ireland, in August 1829. He emigrated to America when 18 years old locating in Chester county, Pa., where he remained until 1856. He then came to Nebraska, locating at his present residence in Platte county. On the 4th of July, 1856, he married Miss Bridget Hennessey. He began farming and stock-raising. He raised his first crop of wheat the next year. It being buckwheat he had to take it 160 miles to get it ground. Before he proved up on his homestead he built a barn 100 feet square, paying $75 per 1,000 for his lumber at Omaha, and hauling it to his farm with oxen. In 1856 he took a contract to put up a large quantity of hay for the government forces. While putting it up he went to Omaha to attend the letting of a contract to furnish meat to the soldiers, leaving his wife and hands at work at the hay. During his absence the Arapahoe Indians attacked his wife and the hands in the field, after having taken supper with them and pretending friendship. They killed his brother and wounded several others, among whom was his wife whom they shot. They then destroyed his tent, bedding, harness, etc., and took away with them his mules and such other articles as took their fancy. As soon as he received the news at Omaha, he started home and with a squad of soldiers went in pursuit of the Indians. The commanding officer promised to return his property, but the government sent commissioners who made a treaty with the Indians, permitted them to retain the stolen property, proposing to pay the owners their value. Mr. Murray filed his claim for the value of the mules and property taken by them, but has never received anything, though when he took the contract to put up the hay he had been guaranteed assistance and protection from the soldiers. However, he soon recovered from his losses, and has since been prosperous. Starting with a homestead of 160 acres and a preemption for a similar amount, he has steadily added to it, until he now owns over 1,800 acres in the Platte valley. His home farm comprises 600 acres with excellent improvements. He has 75 acres in pasture enclosed with a board fence. In all his farms he has 800 acres in cultivation, which he farms himself, running seven teams. He is a very extensive dealer in live stock, keeping a herd of 300 head of cattle and feeding 100 for the market each year. He has also nearly 1000 head of Cotswold and Southdown sheep and a large number of hogs. At the first railroad land sale at Omaha, he purchased $1,000 worth of land, borrowing the money at the bank in Omaha to make the first payment, and getting four years' time on the rest. He returned home and started two teams to work to break the prairie, continuing four weeks and breaking 100 acres. The next year he sowed this land to wheat. He sold nearly 1,600 bushels at $1.02 per bushel, on the track at Columbus. That year he broke the remaining 60 acres of that quarter section, harvesting 1,400 bushels from it the next season. This quarter section paid in the four years the whole debt. Mr. Murray is a prominent and influential member of the Catholic church which was the first church established in Columbus. He hauled from Omaha the lumber for the church free of charge."



In the summer of 1863, the fierce Sioux started on a raid of murder and destruction through the Platte Valley. From Fort Kearney eastward to Omaha, the whole country was wild with fear and apprehension. For a time, it seemed as though the settlements would be broken up. Mr. Martin's ranch, south of the Platte, near Grand island, was attacked, and two young boys narrowly escaped a horrible death by riding post haste to Fort Kearney on a single horse, pursued by a band of red devils, one of whose barbed arrows passed through the side of the younger brother and transfixed itself in the back of the elder boy in front of him. They both lived, although the Indians killed and horribly mutilated one of Mr. Martin's field hands.

A few miles farther east occurred the massacre of the Campbell family. The whole valley was wild with horror and Columbus became a harbor of refuge. The rush was intensified by an isolated case of massacre previous to this date, which occurred on the Loup River, near the Pawnee Reservation. David Anderson, of Columbus, thus relates the circumstance in the long chapter of horrors:

"Pat Murray, whom everybody knows, had a contract to put up hay for the Government troops then stationed at the Pawnee Agency. The hay-making party consisted of Pat's brother-in-law, Adam Smith, and several hired men. They ate and lodged in tents on the meadow beside the Looking Glass Creek. Pat and his good wife superintended, Mrs. Murray preparing the meals. One evening about sunset, Pat being absent that evening at his farm near Columbus, and just after the whole force had quit work, repaired to the tents and picketed the teams on the grass near by, there came riding from the adjacent hills a file of about a dozen Sioux Indians. In their usual friendly way--most friendly in expression when most murderous in purpose--they saluted the company, but most especially the hostess of the tents, in the usual elliptic 'How!' of the Pawnees, which was well known to them, and in extending the right hand. Still using, for a blind, other Pawnee terms, they pointed to their empty stomachs, saying, 'Chewowwow.' which means 'Eat! eat!' But, while they were devouring the food which Mrs. Murray, in her kindness, had given them, one of the hay-makers, an old man, who, on the Western plains, had learned many Indian dialects, perceived, from their undertalk among themselves, that they were Sioux, and so informed Mrs. Murray. After eating enormously, as only hungry Indians ever do eat, they unceremoniously picked up the hay-makers' guns, as if out of mere curiosity. The old man confronted them in their own language, when they immediately declared their peaceful intentions toward the whites, but admitted that they intended to raid on the ponies of the Pawnees. But the plan had all been preconcerted, and, while some still curiously handled the hay-makers' weapons, others untied the lariats of a fine span of mules. Adam Smith resisted, and the old man remonstrated in the Sioux tongue. But instantly, at signal, the whole party was attacked, and the old man tomahawked and scalped. Adam Smith, in his attempt to resist the taking of his mules, was pierced with eight deadly arrows, and fell helpless to the ground. Others fell, mortally wounded with barbed arrows. Only one--a boy--escaped, and hid in a hay-cock near by. The brave Mrs. Murray seized a pitchfork and tried to save the horses of her husband, but was quickly pierced with five arrows and fell helpless to the earth. The savages fled with all the teams. After they had gone, Mrs. Murray crept to the body of her brother-in-law and extracted some of the arrows from his yet breathing body. She also removed two arrows from her own flesh, but that was all she could do, except to creep away into the tall, damp grass, which was yet unmown, and there lie and suffer throughout the dreadful night. Help was not distant, but it was now dark, and no one of the hundreds at the agency near by--Pawnees, agents, employes or the military--knew anything of the tragedy until the boy, at early dawn, carried the news. Of course, all hastened to the scene. All were taken to the house of an old citizen, Mr. Saunders. Adam was expiring. Others were in hopeless agony, and soon died. Mrs. Murray was tenderly removed to her home near Columbus, and, after long treatment and much suffering, recovered. The military pursued the fugitive devils, but, as is usual in such cases, without success.

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The information on the attack can be located HERE