The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-05-26
A Leaf from the Early History OF
Illinois.

lllIlOISs
In the story of the early settlement OF
Bureau county, in course of publication
in the Bureau county (lll.) Repubdcan,
is the following account of a fearful
tragedy:
In the fall of 1881, Rev. James Sam
pie, living at the settlement at Henne'
pin, was married, and removed with his
young wife to Rock Island, the inter
vening country being then mostly un'
occupied. In the spring, alarmed by
the threatening aspect Of the Indians,
Mr.. Sample sold out his property at
Rock Island, and started with his wife,
on horseback, to return to Hennepin.
Starting on the morning of the 18th OF
MAY, 1889, they rode across Henry
county, found the scattered houses OF
the settlers all abandoned, and Bureau
creek so SWOLLEN by rain as to be impas-
sable. They were thus compelled to sleep
on the grass, wet, cold, and hungry.
In the morning they proceeded on
their journey, but found every cabin
abandoned by the frightened settlers.
In the afternoon, when they were riding
across the prairie where Princeton now
the beautiful flowers that decked the
landscape everywhere, and the prospect
of soon being again with their friends,
they were discovered and pursued by a
band of Indians who were ravaging the
country. They would have escaped had
not Mrs. Samples horse mired in a
slough and thrown her over his head.
Mr.. Sample turned back to certain cap
ture rather than desert his wife. Both
were taken, carried to the camp of the
savages, and bound to q large tree with
deerskin thongs.
Divested Of all their clothing, bound
hand and foot, they sat waiting their
doom. A fire Of dry limbs was kiudled
themselves Of clothing, with their faces
painted red, in preparation for dance.
Everything being now ready for the
execution, half-breed Indian, named
Girty, scalped the prisoners. Taking the
scalp of Mrs. Sample, and tying the
long hair around his neck, leaving the
bloody scalp.to hang on his neck, in this
way Girty, assisted by the other Indians,
danced around their victims, yelling
! like demons. Mr.. and Mrs. Sample sat
on the ground, bound to the tree, sur.
rounded by burning tagots, their scalps
taken off, with the blood running down
over their faces, and covering THEN
naked bodies with gore.
Soon the flames began to take effect
on the victims, and in their agony, they
besought the Indians to shoot or toma
hawk them but their appeals were in
vain. When life was extinct, more fag
OTIS were put on the fire, until the re
mains were consumed. Nothing was
known of these murders at the time
and for more than 80 years the sudden
disappearance of Sample and wife re
manned a mystery to their friends.
The next year after this tragedy oc
Cured, Mr.. Hayes made claim there
and built a cabin by the side Of the
spring, where the residence OF Mr.. Kno>
now stands. Around the tree wher,
Sample and wife were martyred, Mr.
Hayes had noticed many human bones
and in ravine close by a human skull
was found But little was thought of Thu
affair at the time, and these bones wer,
supposed to be the remains of Indians
it being we'll known that they were il
the habit of burying their dead SO nea
the top of the ground that wolve FIRE
quently dug up and devoured th'
corpse.
The old burr.oak tree, where the vic
tins suffered, and around which th'
Indians danced, has long since faller
by the woodman's axe, but its stuml
still remains as a relic of the past, anC
may be seen to-day, sad relic OF tina
awful tragedy.