The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1875-04-21
WHOLE NO. l24l.
strange Adventure

A young Texan who was captured
by the COmanche indians about q
year ago gave the following account
of his experience recently to a cor
respondent Of the Galveston Ns,Cs:
Il was trying to get Eve beefsteers
back to the herd early one morning
last May, when I was suddenly sur
rounded by about twenty-five Com
anche Indians and taken prisoner.
This happened near sunrise. | was
tied on 6 horse and carried some
twenty miles that day. Atnight we
arrived at sort Of camp, where we
joined fifty more Indians, and |
found they had another white man
prisoner. l was not allowed to speak
with this man, but / could see from
the blood on his face and clothes that
be was wounded
"As soon as the Indians had
kindled a FIRE and eaten some meat.
they began 20 torture this second pris-
oner, though for what reason l have
never learned. They beat him with a
cartridge box strap with a large
buckle on the end oft, after stripping
him Of his clothes. TLev cut gashes
on him with knives. They sawed
offhis thumbs with an old cavalry
sabre, and smashed his tees between
a rock and the butt eni ola carbine
After gouging out some Of bis teeth
with a bayonet, and sticking cactus
thorns in his flesh, they poured pow
der in his ear and burnt it. All this
time the man did not complain or
cry out, as be probably expected, by
his fortitude, to induce the Indians 70
spare his life. But in this he was
mistaken, for they, finding that be
did not complain Of these tortuTes,
began to cut pieces Of flesh out Of his
legs and back and eat them, or az
least pretend to eat. | think they
only chewed mp the flesh and spit il
out. Seeing that all Of this torture
did not make him cry out (for he bad
fainted) the chief stepped up with a
sharp knife and cut out one of bis
eyes, and put q live coal Of fire in The
socket and then put an end to his life
with a knife
"The Indians then had Q great
dance. l was tied to q small tree
/ ] had no water or anything to eat
for thirty-six hours. The next day
about midday the party moved in {
northwest course, travelling abou
twenty miles, and after this We
moved in q northwest course abOu
800 miles. whore we met severa
large parties Of Indians, some o
whom had been on raids in northern
Texas. / remained in that section 0
country with the Comanches, anC
was kept employed mostly herdint
ponies, and sometimes dressing deer
skins and buffalo hides Ny clothes
were all taken away from me few
days after / was captured, and | on
Iy had a pair Of drawers and Q blanke
afterwards, l often had to eat raw
venision aud buffalo meat withou
salt"
After | had been with the Indian
some six months they ceased to trea
me as q prisoner, aud | was alloweu
| to 20 some distance from the camp
| think it was about the lst Of Febru
ary | left them. l was herdinI
ponies, and was allowed to ride OF
Of the best without q saddle. Tn
second night l took my buffalo rob
and used it as a saddle, filed a sac
with dried meat and strack out 70
the settlements, which l reache,
towards the last Of the month.
sold my horse and buffalo robe an
collected three months pay that wa
due me az the time ! was captured
and now, with Gods help, l shaI
keep out of the way Of the Indian
7 hereafter"