The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-04-29

" IF her friends were living she would
be glad to see them. In short, she was
Frances SIocum, and she remembered
distinctly the name Of her father
though her own given name was for
gotten.
Col. Ewing was SO impressed with her
narrative that he addressed long letter
giving the full particulars, to the post
master at Lancaster, Pa. He had never
heard OF the Slocums, but he judged
from certain answers male by the old
lady, that ner home was somewhere II
that State.
The letter reached its destination.
but when the postmaster came to read
il he concluded it was a hoax, and flung
It aside among some waste papers,
where it lay for two years. At the end
of that time the postmaster died, and
his widow, in overhauEng his effects,
came upon Col. Ewing's letter. She had
never heard the name of Slocum, but,
thinking there was something in it, she
sent the rnissive to the Lancaster intel
ligencer, a copy of which, containing
the Letter, fell into the hands of Rev
Samuel Bowman, who was intimately
acquainted with the Slocum family, and
he mailed a paper to her brother. who
lived in Wilkesbarre.
The reception of the letter threw the
whole community into excitement, there
being not particle of doubt as to the
identity of Frances. AS two years had
passed since the letter was written, and
as it stated that the old lady at that
time was under premonition Of death,
an inquiry was addressed to Col. Ewing
by John j. Slocum, the nephew of
Frances. A prompt reply, dated at Lo-
gansport, came to hand saying that the
old lady was still alive, and would be
glad to see them The letter contained
minute dire ctions as to the course they
were to take to reach her. Arrange
ments were at once made to do SO. Mr..
Isaac Slocum and Mrs. Mary Town,
brother and sister of Frances, resided in
Ohio. but not in the same neighbor-
hood. Joseph Slocum, Of Wilkesbarre,
another brother, started in his carriage,
taking his sister, while Isaac went in adj
vance, it being agreed that they should
81 nJo,o'o Niilana
reached the place ahead of the others,
and, accompanied by an Interpreter,
made call upon the lady, who received
them pleasantly, but evidently with
suspicion. The brother found her to
all appearance a perfect Indian, but he
had fixed in his mind an unerring test
of her identity. Previous to her being
carried away, ffty-nine years before,
her brother Ebenezer had crushed the
fore finger Of her left hand with ham
mer. Taking hold of the hand and
raising it, Isaac saw the Disagreement.
"What caused that ?" he asked. my
brother struck it with hammer long
time ago." was the answer.
He remained some time in converse
ton, but the woman did not seem at
ease, and he returned to the village Ct
Peru to await the arrival of his brother
and sister. When they came the three
made them another visit. She treated
them with the same kindness as before,
but was stoical and unmoved, and
when she saw tears in their eyes and
every indication of coming scene, she
looked anything but pleased. The
only time she showed any signs of emo
ton was when she was asked her name.
She replied that it was forgotten. SIS
it Frances - Her dusky features sud-
denly Lit up, and she nodded her head.
eyes, yes, Franco, Franco" The visit
was prolonged for several days, and
some months later was repeated, some
Of the nieces and nephews joining the
party.
On the day when little Frances was
captured, fifty-nine years before, she
was carried rapidly through the woods,
and final halt was made near the
Genesee river. In the following spring
she was taken to Sandusky, where she
stayed until autumn, when her Indian
friends removed to Niagara, where she
lived a year. In accordance with the
nomadic habits Of her people, her home
was continually changed. Her greatest
dread was OF being discovered by her
relatives and taken away, and there is
no doubt that when the weary mother
was hunting UP and down the earth. she
more than once came within hail of her
lost child, who carefully avoided her.
1t was fortunate they never met.
Frances had been married to Miami,
by whom she had four children. She
was wealthy, aud held in the highest