Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1855-06-30

| arkeT, were taken prisoners on the spot and
some few fell as if dead, and thus escaped as
the Indians were too busy in following the liv-
ing to trouble the dead
AS soon as Boyd found himself in the hands
of the blood-thirsty and revengeful Tories, he
demanded an interview with Brandt, the In
dian leader, preterring to throw himself upon
his weli-known clemency, rather than to trust
to the generosity or forbearance of his Tory
colleague. The chief being near, presented
himself when Boyd, giving Masonic sign,
and grasplng his hand, gave him the grip of a
Master Mason, and claimed his protection
Brandt being Mason, recognized both and
claimed the two prisoners as his own. promis-
ing and assuring them that their lives should
be spared And, so indeed, would they have
| been, had not Brandt been called away from
the camp, on dnties of Importance requiring his
attention Whether there was rmse to draw
him away is not and cannot be known for GER
talnty but advantage was taken of his alb
sence, by Coi Butler to endeayor to extort
from the prisoners, under threat of torture, in
formation regarding Sulyan's army
| Dear reader, accompany me to the council
house of the village, where was assembled a
groupe worthy the pencil of the most skilfu
| artist.
Before table, on which was scattered maps,
! papers, writing materials, etc, was seated a
| short, feshy, Informed man, whose head (phre-
nolOgically cOnsidered) gave token of all the
animal passions, and but few of the moral or
intellectual faculties, and whose features were
as expressive his head of all the peculiarities
of his nature, which was cruel in the extreme
! His dress was the uniform of the Royal Greens,
OF which regiment he was the Colonel This
was Col Butler. Opposite him sat an aid-de-
| camp, prepared to commit to paper the state
| ment of the prisoner
In front of Butler, kneeling upon one knee,
was the light, active form of Lieut. Boyd
| His white hunting shirt brought him out in
bold relief from the dusky forms of the savages.
two of whom held him in their grasp, while be-
hind him stood the stalwart form of Little
| Beard, the most vindictive and cruel of the
allies of Britain He was distinguished for his
diabolical inventions in torturing a prisoner
and whenever such scenes were to be enacted,
he was master of ceremonies With one hand
| twined in the long hair of Boyd's head, he
welded in the other a tomahawk, which was
raised to strike the death-blow on the signal
from Butler. Behind him stood the other pr-
soner, Parker, in the hands of fourth savage
Several warriors and soldiers completed this
group of fearful import
Listen . Col. Butler is interrogating the pr-
SOner.
| "What is your name ?"
| Boyd"
| our rank ~
| Lieutenant
"What CORPSE"
| Morgans rifle corps"
What is the number of Gen. Sullivan's
army ~
shall not answer the question"
Boyd, life is sweet, and you are yet a young
man there is no possibility of your escape, and
You have only one alternative either answer
my questions or you must die"
Colonel Butler" replied the intrepid youth,
am in your hands, do with me as YOU see
flt. L know your power and your will to put
me to the SevereSt torture, but you cannot shake
my determination to refuse to answer your
questions. +"
Your death may be upon your own head,
then. Take him away"
Parker was thereupon question in like man
ner with equal spirit refused to answer. He,
| too was handed over to the tender mercies of
the barbarous savages, who commenced at once
their brutal and fearful orgies. Tying Boyd
to tree, after stripping him of his clothing,
they formed ring about him and commenced
their Internal dance over prisoner at the stake
Every means which artful cunning could invent,
or hate conceive, was brought in play to in
timidate the courageous Boyd, but without ef-
feet. They pierced him with their knives
struck their tomahawks in his face, stuck sharp
sticks into his flesh, and then commenced to
throw their hatchets as near to his head and
body as they could, and not kill him. Finding
that their endeavOrS to frighten him were of
no effect, and fearing the return of Brandt.
they finally cut a small hole in his bowels took
out an intestine which they fastened to the
tree, and then unbinding him, with scourges
drove him around the tree until he was disem-
boweled 4! He was then beheaded, and his
head stuck on a pole beneath a dogs head,
which horrid trophy was left when they retired
from the town.
Parker, who had been compelled to witness
this fearful scene, in anticipation of similar
or worse fate, was, however, owing to their
haste, simply beheaded, and his body with that
of Boyd, was left where they suffered. They
were found and buried the next day by the
army in passing through the town.
*Ths Col John Butler the Tory refugee and must
not be confounded with Col Zebuon Butler, the patriot,
who commanded at Wyoming.
TIT has been supposed that Boyd hoped that Brandt
would yet be able 10 him from death but such could
not be the case for the tomahawk upfted above his
head and he must have believed that immediate death
would follow his refusal.
LUCID ANSWER Pray Mr.. Professor, what
is periphrasis 2" Madam, it is simply
circumocutory cycle of oratorical sonorosity,
circumscribing an atom of ideality, lost in a
verbal profundity." "Thank you, sir" said
the old lady, e" that's just what thought it
was"