The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-06-03
a THRILLING STORY.


Ten Years a C"pfive Among Indisns.
There arrived in this city yesterday
morning Mary j. Phillips, who has been
for the last ten years not only a captive
among the Indians, but the slave Of q
revengeful tribe, whose hatred of the
white race was exhibited in mal;reating
her to degree which would have ended
in the death of almost any man. The
woman has two ears which are not ears,
both having been cut and slashed until
they resemble pieces Of flesh attached to
her head without purpose. Her fingers
are broken and crippled; she is lame
from dislocation Of the hip which she
received five years ago, and she stated to
our reporter that her body bore numerous
scars to show the dog's,life which she led.
She says nearly eleven years ago, when
she was twenty-five years Of age, her
father, mother, q brother, aged sixteen.
her sister, Henrietta, and herself, left
their home in Illinois, 10 60 to California.
AT Leayenworth tie mother died and
was buried They concluded to 90 on,
and fell in with a Government train, but,
in consequence Of trouble with the team
sters, they left it and followed one day
behind Several days after they were
Joined by another party, named Fuller,
which consisted of four persons, and the
children were quite small, boy named
William being about seven years Old
The third night the party were attacked
by large band of Indians, who swoOped
down on them so silently that both the
men and one of the women were murder
ed at the first cry. The youngest Fuller
child was wounded, and the sayages dash
ed its brains out to still its walls of pain.
Mary's brother escaped during the fight,
but was next day hunted down and killed,
the Indians taking great pains to parade
his scalp p before her face. This left Mary,
the Fuller boy, and his sister and mother
captiVes in The hands Of the brutes. Mrs.
Fuller soon after was horribly maltrepted
taken little ways out Of camp, and there
shot to death with arrows, her screams
being heard by the living captives.
The Indians selected what they wanted
out of wagons and then set FIRE to them
the next day, while the captivcs were re-
ceiyed with kicks and cuffs, and Mary
was especially iIltreated. The lad was
smart and active boy, and the Indians
soon made a fayorite of him. In lie
fifth year of his captivity the lad then a
boy of good size, got lost from hunting
party, or detached himself in the hopes
of escaping, and several days aftcrward
was found dead, having been frozen to
death. The girl was made TO cook, carry
wood, and to do all the drudgery that one
person was capable of doing, and for three
months after her acciden. was daily mal~
treated because she could not use he.
limbs. An Indian doctor attended the in
jury, but performed the service in such u
bungling manner as TO leave the woman
bad cripple. She made several attempts 70
escape. but was each time recaptured and
made 10 feel the weight of their vengeance.
A party of United States soldiers, in the
fall Of 1866, came near capturing her. one
OF the men coming within few feet of
her in charging the Indians during fight
About two months ago she received an
animation that negotiations we're pending
Tor her ransom She bad twice been sold
and was then about 200 miles below the
mouth of the Yellowstone river. In
week or so after getting the first news she
was carried away many miles to a mili~
tary post, the name of which she cannot
speak, and there exchanged for two guns,
a supply of ammunition, keg of whissy,
and supply Of cloth and beads, and WAS
gen. down the river on Steamboat
She arrived in La Sale county three or
four weeks ago, and is now on her way
TO Ulster county, n. Y, where some of
her mothers relatives reside. The wo-
man had we'll nigh forgotten the English
language when exchanged, and now
Ppe"ks IT very badly, frequently using an
Indian word to give emphasis 30 her
meaning Her complexion is very dark,
but her hair is light, and she has a de-
meanoF which is lady-hke and gentle,
despite her years of ilItreatment and slay-
ery-Detroit Free Press, Hay IL.