Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1870-02-16
Out Of the Jaws Of Death.

Here is the most extraordinary mar
rative of Indian cruelties that we
remember to have ever read. No
novelist would dare put such nara
tive in book, as probable fiction. We
give the narrative in the language of
brother of one of the persons cap
tured-an Ohio boy-with only this
further explanation: Charley" is
Charles Scott, aged 10, a brother of
Gamaliel Scott, of the firm of st. Clair
& Scott, this city, and also of Gregg
| Scott, of tie Ohio State Journal office.
The narrative is written by brother,
from the account of Charles, and of
/ Weston, one of his companions. The
narrative, in its bare outlines, gives
evidence tnat there is no effort on the
part of the captured to make much of
their sufferings. No one can imag-
inc, probably, what depth of torture
/ lies concealed under the light words
of the narrative The boys We're
hardy, reckless, full of daring-and
can be vouched for as perfectly truth
full, as such characters usually are.
| Charles Scott had been given up for
dead, when he suddenly appeared at
the homestead of his mother in Illi-
nois, on last Thanksgiving Day, ap-
parently as much unconcerned as
though he had merely come to spend
an ordinary Thanksgiving. Now read
this narrative, in connection with the
sentimental whining of the grumblers
who are attacking Sherman and Sher-
idan for their Indian policy. We
commend it especially to the patriotic
contributor of the Crisis, who wrote a
column of balderlash upon the cru
city of the massacre of the lovely
party of Indians broken up by Sher-
idan's cavalry last winter. 1t should
be filed for future reference along with
the baby scalps and the crazy out
ragged white woman captured from
the red devils on that occasion. Here
follows the narrative:
"Some time in the fall, he and three
others, Ed. Clark, Frank Clark,
brothers. and Weston left Leav-
enworth on a hunting expedition.
Had been in the business till the Goth
of October, when they started pros
pecting for new camp. Were noon
ing on a little stream about 100 miles
southwest of Junction City on the
Pacific Railroad. Had picketed their
horses out and piled their saddles,
guns, pistols and accoutrements,
and were taking hash some two or
three rods from the pile, when band
of Mr.. Los jumped out of the grass at
them. 1t was evidently Los inten-
tion to take them alive, as they club
bed with their guns. The bows gave
short hunters knives, but were soon
all brought to grass and bound, after
sundry knocks about their heads. Ed.
Clark was thought to be dead. Mr..
l.. took his curl and put out with the
other three toward New Mexico.
Weston tells that Charley was sense
less for three days-blood Oozing from
his mouth and nOstrils. Yet all of
them were firmly bound on ponies,
feet tied together under the belly and
hands tied under the horses necks;
at night they were tied to trees, if
they were in the timber, in standing
position. They travelled briskly until
the night of the 9th October. Some
time in the afternoon they came in
company with another band of Los.
After night the council fire was kin
died and the gentlemen Lo circled
around. Weston, understanding the
language, knew when the council
broke up what was next to come.
They were ranged in 1.-TWO rows of
war;" facing inward, about six feet
apart. Frank Clark was taken from
the tree and stripped to the buff and
led to one end of the line by two stout
Los; some one told him in broken
English what he was to do. They
gave yell and push and started
him along the line, Lo along each
side, striking him with whatever
weapons they happened to have. He
fell about the middle of the line. Wes-
ton and Charley were a short distance
off looking on, but securely bound to
trees with buckskin thongs. While
Mr.. Los were engaged in the intellec-
tual pastime of cutting Clark's body
and throwing it on the fire by piece
meal, Cherokee slipped up and cut
the thongs, showed the boys where
each could get pony, and pointed
the course to the Cherokee Nation.
OF course the boys stood not on their
order of going but went at once. They
rode all the night of the 9th, not
stopping until the evening of the 2Sth;
came through Nation and thence to
LeavenwOTth. By what he says l
suppose they were what are termed
Dog Indians by the frontiersmen.
Some Comanches, five Cherokees and
a few renegade whites, who were out
for plunder only. The Cherokee who
cut them loose could talk little Eng
lish, and when the rest were having
their high old time over Clarke, he
said, Me enough
"Clark, whom they scalped and left
for dead, got to Junction City, and
came to LeavenwOrth, but got worse
and died.
Charley and Weston came to this
State (IllinOis) and were stopping
near Jacksonville. Charley got on
horse to ride to town, some time in
November. The horse fell and broke
both bones of his (Charley's) left fore
arm. He got home to his mothers on
Thanksgiving Day. Such is the story
as 1 get it from HIM. ."-Ohio State
Journal.