The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-05-13


Man ls ever weary, weary, y 20
Waiting for the May. '-
A-----o-s-e--
Indian Love nnd Jealousy.
The Fostoria News, in its looal his
tory of events, relates the following
romantic drama as occurring on the
middle branch of Portage Greek, in
that vicinity, in the year 1880:
A remnant of the Wyandot tribe
of Indians canped on the banks of
the stream to hunt. Among them
was the old chief Wy-noc.os and his
only daughter, Win-es-sio, or the
eight of the tribe" as she was often
called. Accompanying the party were
two young Indian braves, who sport
ed the scalpsa of their white victims
as trophies of their valor. They both
aspircd to the hand of the chiefs
daughter. She treated them both
with the courtesy becoming her rank,
showing no particular preference for
either. But the young braves could
not bear this state Of suspense long;
they consequently repaired to the
tent of the chief, each reciting his
noble deeds of daring, and each in
turn claiming as his bride the beauti-
full Win-es.sio. The aged chief heard
them through, and then replied,
Indian will not decide; let Wines.
$40 choose" Win-es-sio was silent,
and the chief bade them return the
next day.
The two yonng Indians returned
the following day. The chiefs tent
was situated Immediately on the
banks of small stream, and under
the branches of a large elm tree, the
branches of which reached the
ground, the trunk of the tree having
broken off some twenty feet from the
ground. The chief bade his daugh-
ter choose which should be her
future husband. She arose from her
seat and approached one of the war
riors, placing her hand in his. Quick
as thought, the other hurled his
tomahawk at the accepted suitor, the
tomahawk entering the back part of
his head. He fell dead at the feet of
the chief. The shrieks of Win-es-sio
soon aroused the whole camp, but
the murderer made no attempt to
escape. A council was called, and he
was condemned to die the next M orn-
ing at SUNRISE. and upon the very
spot where he had slain his rival. At
the appointed time, the tribe, to the
number of some forty, assembled to
witness the execution. A circle was
formed, in the centre of which sat
the chief and his daughter. All was
now silent; not word was spoken:.
but at q short distance the, doomed
Indian was seen approaching, accom-
panied by three others, one on each
side of him and one walking directly
behind. The ring opened; they nd
vanced to where the chief and his
daughter were sitting, when the In
dian who was in the rear suddenly
raised his tomahawk and struck with
such force that the tomahawk was
buried to the handle in the Indians
skull He fell forward on his face.
when. each of the other Indians dealt
deadly blows on his head with their
tomahawks. , .,r ~.
1t was in the month of November.
The next spring the band left for the
West; but the following November
Wln-es-sio returned, and for three
days remained under the branches of
the old elm tree where her lover had
been slain. For eight years she re-
turned to the same spot, and general
ly on the same day of the same
month, remaining two or three days.
The country was now fast settling
up, and the children of the neighbor-
hood looked anxiously every year for
the coming of Win-es-sio. She fre-
quently distributed presents among
them, and sang to them her Indian
songs; but she never could be in
duced to accompany them to their
homes. When asked why she re-
turned, the reply was, "The spirit of
my lover comes and talks with me-"
On her last visit she appeared ema-
ciated and care-worn; her eve had
lost its brilliancy; the songs she now
sung were more melancholy than
before. The weather was cold. but
she could not be induced to leave the
spot whore she held sweet commu-
Mon with the departed spirit of her
youthful lover. The children left
her in the evening, wrapped in her
~.