The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-08-16
Forty Years a Squaw.

The Akron (Ohio) Daily Beacon pub
fishes the following interesting narra-
tive:
In the year 1881 Mr.. John NJ. Arm
strong, residing near Detroit, Michigan,
sent his little daughter Mary, girl of
seven years of age, unattended, of to the
district school. On the way to school
she was kidnapped by the Indians, who
at that time were found in large num-
bers about Detroit. The stricken parents
could scarcely be cOnsoled for the loss OF
the child, and finally gave up all hope OF
her recovery.
When she was taken by the Indians
she was carried of to Texas, and suffered
untold bardships and privations at their
hands. In Texas she lived for five years,
and when she had reached her twelfth
year was compelled to marry "Iallery,n
an Indian warrior. The tribe with
which she lived then removed to
Nebraska, where twelve moons, the
length of the Indians married life, hav-
ing passed away, she was no longer the
wife of Nallery, and was sold to an
Irishman, David Ward. David was a
Catholic, and was burned at the stake
because he refused to abjure his religion,
after which Mary was carried into an
other tribe, and there after some years
married an Indian Chief called Big Son.
Big Son soon got tired of his new spouse,
and sold her TO Mr.. Carman, a pale
/ face, and with him she lived until a
melancholy event occurred, which at
once deprived her Of her husband and
children.
Near San Francisco is n place called
''Black Hills,n which, last fall, was the
scene of a bloody fight between the Dig
ger and Snake Indians. Mrs. Carman
at the time was with the Digger Indians,
having been sold to them, together with
her husband and children, a short time
before by the Snake Indians. In the
battle between the Snake and Digger
Indians, Mrs. Carman's eleven children
and husband were killed. She alone
/ escaped, and remained with them a short
time until an opportunity presented
itself, when she fled to San Francisco.
From San Francisco, in company with
four others, she was sent by General
| Sheridan rs far as st. Joe, Mo-, from
which place she is now on her journey to
] Columbus, where her aged father and
mother are residing.
About ten years ago her father heard
Of her being yet alive among the Indi-
ans, and Immediately opened a cores
pondence with parties in the West to
see if he could find any information
which would lead TO her return to her
parents. After long waiting the intelli-
/ gence was conveyed to him that she was
found and would soon be in her home,
after forty-One years of wandering
among savages. She has made her way
from town to town, and a day or two
since reached Kent. Until this time she
had worn her Indian costume, but the
Mayor of Kent compelled her to eX-
change her half civilized garb for one
which accorded more with Kent tastes.
Yesterday she reached Akron, and has
been here soliciting aid to complete her
journey. Such, in brief, is her tale.
Whether or not she is an impostor, we
are unable to tell. Certain it is that she
tells a straightforward story, and the
most rigorous questioning could not
cause her to change the least portion OF
her narrative. She is very intelligent
/ looking, and answers all questions very
readily, and with an appearance of truth
and simplicity. When Marshal Parker
told her he had been among the Indians
she commenced talking to him i'm the
Indian language, but the Marshal, not
wishing TO show his ignorance of the
language by inability TO reply, "va-
mOosed," i" much to the amusement of the
crowd which had gathered about her.