The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1875-05-13

faithfully carried out this pledge, N In
1926 made a long and expensive journey
to Upper Sandusky to see a woman who,
there was no reason to hope, was the
enc for whom they were searching.
Disappointed again, they finally came to
the conclusion that Frances was dead,
and the search ended.
In the month of January, 1886, Col.
George W. Ewing, a gentleman con-
nected with the public service among
the Indians, and able to speak several of
their languages, was benighted neal an
Indian town known as The Deaf Mans
Village, on a branch of the Wabash.
He applied for lodging, and was hospit-
ably received at a respectable dwelling.
He was fatigued and unwell, and after
eating lay down upon some skins in the
corner. The household consisted of a
venerable woman and O number of chill
dren, all of whom treated her with the
greatest Difference, and who departed to
their own rooms.
AS Col. Ewing lay upon his pallet he
watched the old lady moving about, and
noticed particularly the color of her skin
and hair. The result of the scrutiny
convinced him that she was a white wo-
man, and he opened a conversation with
her. She admitted that his suspicious
were correct. She said that she was
stolen by the Indians when a very small
child, and she had carefully concealed
that fact from those of her own race
whom she met for fear that her relatives
would come and take her away. She
was now so old that she felt she could
not live much longer, and if any of her
friends were living she would be glad to
see them. In short, she was Frances
Slocum, and she remembered distinctly
the name of her father, though her own
given name was forgotten.
Col. Ewing was SO impressed with her
narrative that he addressed a long letter,
giving the particulars, to the Postmaster
at Lancaster, Pa. He had never
heard of the Slocums, but he judged
from certain answers made by the old
lady that her home was somewhere in
that State.
The letter reached its destination, but
when the Postmaster came to read it he
concluded it 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
overhauling 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 misssive to
the Lancaster Lntelligencer, a copy of
which, containing the letter, fell into
the hands of Rev. Samuel Bowman,
who was intimately acquainted with the
Slocum family, and be mailed a paper to
her brother, who lived in Wilkesbarre.
The reception of the letter threw the
whole community into excitement, there
being not a 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 a premonition of death. an in
quiry was addressed to Col. Ewing, by
John J. Slocum, the nephew of Frances.
A prompt reply, dated at Logansport,
came to hand saying hat the old lady
was still alive, and would be glad to see
them. The letter contained minute di.
r~ections as to the course they were to
take to reach her. Arrangements were
at once made to do so. Mr.. Isaac Slo.
cum and Mrs. Mary Town, brother and
sister of Frances, resided in Ohio, but
not in the same neighborhood. JOSEPH
Slocum, of Wilkesbarre, another brother
started in his carriage, taking his sister
while Isaac went in advance, it being
agreed that they should meet at Deat
Mans village. Isaac reached the plac,
ahead of the others, and accompanied b,
an interpreter, made a call upon til,
} lady, who received them pleasantly, bu
evidently with suspicion. The brothe
found her to all appearances q perfec
Indian, but he had fixed in his mind al
l unerring test of her identity. Previou
. to being carried away, ifty-nine year
t before, her brother Ebenezer haC
) crushed the forefnger of her left ham
> with a hammer. Taking hold of he
| hand and raising it, he saw the disfg
. urement. "What caused that2" h
added. "My brother struck it with
hammer a long time ago" was the an
swer.
He remained some time in converse
ton, but the woman did not seem
ease, and he returned to the village @
Peru to await the arrival of his brothe
and sister. When they came the thre
made them another visit. She treate,
them with the same kindness as before
but was stoical and unmoved, and whel
: she saw tears in their eyes and every IL
dication of a coming "scene" she locke
anything but pleased. The only tim
she showed any signs Of emotion wa
: when she was asked her name. She re
t piled that it was forgotten. els
d Frances?" Her dusky features sudden
ly lit up and she nodded her hea6
eyes, yes, Franco, Franca." The Wis
Q was prolonged for several days, an
L some months later was repeated, som
n of the nieces and nephews joining til
party.
On the day when little Frances Wa
e captured, fifty-nine years before, sh
!, was carried rapidly through the woods
a final halt was made near the Genese
river. In the following spring she we
taken to Sandusky, where she stayed III
til autumn, when her Indian friend
moved to Niagara, where she lived
J year. In accordance with the nomadi
L habits of her people, her home was col
Z tinually changed. Her greatest drea
was of being discovered by her relative
: and taken away, and there is no dout
that when the weary mother was huntin
. up and down the earth, she more tina
. once came within hail of her lost chile
Z who carefully avoided her. 1t was fo
= tunate they nevermet.
Frances had been married to a MAN
u by whom she had four children. Sh
was wealthy and held in the highest ve1
Grafton by her tribe and descendant
I many of the latter being around he.
After a time she seemed to form quit
u an attachment for her brothers, who, {
: course, were old men, and she offere
3 them half her land if they would lfv
, near her. They in turn pressed her
:, join them further East, but she thanke