The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1866-10-27
THE DAILY EMPIRE.
Thirty Years Captivity Among the
Indians,

Thirty years ago, when jackson was u
little hamlet Of 200 or 300 persons, a young
woman might have been seen, one sultry
day IN August. accompanied by little boy
five years old, vending her way towards d
grove In the neighboring town of Black
man, for the purpose Of engaging IN the
then common pastime Of picking berries.
The young woman after toiling away for
while, became annoyed with the ceaseess
opportunities of the child, and sent him
home. She thought nothing more OF the
matter till, upon her return IN the evening.
she was surprised to find that the boy had
not retnrned. Ia reply to the queries of
the anxious parents, the girl related the
circumstances narrated above, and added
that she Knew nothing Of the whereabouts
OF the child. Day after day passed. and
still the missing member of that distracted
family did not return, nor could any tid-
ings of him be heard by his agonized pa
reE;s. Finally, afer every searching par
tn who wsiit ont to find tho missing one
had returned and reported their mission
iruitless, and after all hope of ever seeing
their darling boy again had vanished from
the minds of the afflicted parents, suspicion
began to fasten upon the young woman,
who was q servant in the family. she
again asserted her innocence, and stated
that she knew knothing Of the missing boy
from the time she had sent him homewnrd
~
was arrested for the murdcrof the boy and
incarccratCd I'm the rude lock-up which had
been erected by the early settlers. Here
she was kept for time, till It became ap-
parent thar no evidence against her could
be obtained, still asserting her innocence TO
the parents of the child, who longed for
some tidings that would dispel the uncer-
tamty which hung over them like cloud.
lTheirhopes were doomed to disappoint-
mcnt, however. NJ nothing could be heard
of the missing one. and he was finally num-
bpred with the dead, the parents giving up
all hopes of eyer hearing from thcir lost
boy again.
Years passed. and the hamlet became a
| large and flourshing city. The solitude
which formerly reigned on the banks of the
Grand river was broken by the mechanic
and the artisan, and the air resounded with
the busy hum of industry. Nearly all the
| Old settlers had passed away, and another
generation succeeded them. Among the
new comers was son-in-law of the atliict-
ed family, Mr. j. u. Ballard, our fellow
| Itownsman. who was greatly surprised n
| few days since, to learn that the boy who
had long been numbered with the dead had
larrived in the southern part of this state,
aud was making inquiries after his family.
| The boy had grown to be n stalwart man of
thirty-lyc. His countenance had become
bronzed by continuous exposure to the
| elements, anu MS SlncWl lriline nHfutncu
| by repeated adventures in the western
wilds. He stated that he had but dim
recollection of his former home, but vividly
remembered the time when two stalwart
fOrmes with red visages crossed his path,
snatched him up in their arms and carried
him OIL amidst his piteous cries for his
loving mother Since that time he has
been constantly with the Iudians,--joiucd
them in their hunting expeditions, and
followed their trail as they journeycd
toward the setting sun. lie learned to
speak the language of the Pottawatomies-
for that was the name of the tribe with
whom the greater part of his life had bceu
spcnt-and in answer to his repeated in
quiries his eaptors told him that they had
stolen him from Jackson County, and that
| his name was Wiley. The Indians con
founded this name with Filly, which is the
real name of his father. Mr. Ballard went
in quest of the missing one, and upon
luriving at tie place where he had been
making inquiries WAS told that he had
gone away but would return in few days.
when he will proceed 20 the home of his
aged parents, to make eiad the hearts Of
all afflicted family.