The Winchester appeal. [volume] (Winchester, Tenn.) 1856-1856, 1856-04-12
not a little surprised Mary. Thu

made various efforts to force open the
door, all the while uttering the most
dreadful threats, that if she did not
open it and let them in, they would
murder her child, and then burn down
the house over head. Alas. poor Ma
ry! she knew but too well that death
was her portion, and persisted in keep
ing the door barred. They at length
became desperate, finding themselves
much foiled, and actually dashed the
child's brains out against tree that
stood before the house, while the moth
er was looking through small open
ing between the logs of tie building.
A darkness came over her eyes, her
heart ceased to beat for moment
and she sank upon her knees, lor she
could support herself no longer, and
had almost tainted. She, however,
soon rallied her faculties, offered up a
fervent ejaculation to that Omnlpo-
tent Being whois all powerful to save
and arose. Her first thought was to
conceal her children, open the door,
and give herself up as a sacrifice &c to
their vengeance, in hopes that her &C, Off,
spring might possibly be saved lhIS
idea, however vain it might appear,
was prevented from being put INTO eA-
ecution, by one of the Indians eXclalm-
claiming that he would come down
the chimney. The Indian who had
murdered the child had asccndcd the
corner of the house by means OF the
projecting ends Of the logs, and com
1menced descending the chimney, H.
this extremity, Mary had given up all
for lost; she was STOPPING to embrace
her children, as she believed for the
last time, when she thought OF hcl
straw bed. She Immediately flew tc
it with the strength Of an Amazon
tore open the ticking, and threw 1t:
contents upon the fire. A full column
of blaze and smoke asccnded the chm
ney, while the nurderous wretch was
about midway between the top ant
bottom, and could neither ascend no
descend to extricate himself, before h'
had drawn into his lungs that iicr,
draft. which instantly suifOcated hln
to death. He fell into the iire, an'
rolled upon the hearth black an'
Hfeless corpse; it now seemed as
the whole energy Of Mary's mind ha'
burst upon her; she caught up tn
tomahawk, which he still held in hi
| death grasp and went delbcratei
f and opened the door, The Indian 0
f the outside, thinking it was his CON
rade, entered entirely of his guart
!, when the tomahawk Of his accon
: plicc was buried in the back Of HI
e head. and he fell dead on the floor
e Mary instantly took her two rcmall
/. ing children in her arms, and lied I
S the nearest neighbor, and gave I'll
d alarm. The woman Of the nous
e seemed much agitated, and said h'
J. husband had gone out about hall a
d hour before. She then proceeded c
l. to another settlers, about mile TART
Il er, and told what she had DONE
e Three or four men who happened
h be there at the time, caught up the
/ rifles, and proceeded Immediately
It Williams residence, when on exam
!; alton it was found that these Wor
l. than savage monsters were not India
a but white men |! and that one oil the
e. was Williams nearest neighbor' l.
N owner Of the house to which Ma
K had first fled for protcction' 1t WoU
E. seem, that knowing William was pc
I'd sessed of a few hundred dollars, he.
IN company with another wretch w
" had been but a few weeks in the s.
I'd tlement, formed the horld design
of numbering the whole family in the d
lg guise of Indians, and possessing the
le selves of the money. But mercl
to God prevented them'tr entirely
as ccmplishing their object
a A letter from Washington says II
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