American citizen., 1875-04-24
Lost For a Lifetime.

y
Adams attracted considerable attention
In Congress by a strong speech in favor
OF bill introduced by B. A. Bidlack,
OF Pennsylvania, which provided that
one mile square of the land then occu-
pied by the Miami Indians, embracing
the house and improvements of Frances
Slocum, should be granted in fee to her
and her heirs forever. The bill became
law and she occupied this special re-
serve until her death in the spring of
1Sl7.
The history of this woman was re-
markable. She was the daughter of a
Quaker who lived in the Wyoming Val
ley during the Revolution. Several
months after the massacre of IT'S she
was caught up by a party of marauding
delaware Indians, who got of before
any attempt could be made to rescue
her. She was five years old at this time
About a month later her father was shot
dead by the Indians while at work in a
field near his house. Knowing that he
was gone to his eternal rest the widow
in time became reconciled to her loss,
but she could never forget her child, the
last sight of whom was when she was in
the arms of a brawny Indian, struggling
and calling piteously upon her parents
to come to her help.
The sons of Mrs. Slocum became pros
porous business men, and after the close
of the Revolution they used every effort
to recover their lost sister. In 1884 two
of them visited Niagara, where a large
number of Indians were gathered, made
diligent inquiries and offered liberal re-
wards for any information of her. They
prosecuted the search for several weeks,
and returned home with the impression
that she was dead.
The vv,nthor bnxravar could nof ha Nor
suaded that such was the case, and four
years later the Slocums spent several
months in the West among the Indian
agents and traders. publicly offering $500
to anyone who would give any authentic
information of the fate of their sister,
but their success was no better than be-
fore. A similar expedition was undertak-
en- in 1897 by four of the brothers, with the
same result. As in the Ross case the
search brought numbers of stolen chill
dren to light, but none was the one par
ticularly wanted.
Mrs. Slocun- never lost faith in her
daughters existence. She believed she
was somewhere waiting to be clasped in
her arms and she continued the search
with scarcely any intermissiOn until
1907, when she died, her children promis-
ing to use every effort to learn what had
become of the little one abducted nearly
thirty years before. They faithfully
carried out this pledge and in 1926 made
q long and expensive journey to Upper
.Sandusky to see a woman who, there was
no reason to hope, was the one for whom
they were searching. Disappointed
again they finally came 20 the conclusion
that Frances was dead, and the search
ended.
In the month of January, 1885, Col
George w. Ewing, gentleman connected
with the public service among the In
dians, and able to speak several of theiI
languages, was benighted near an In
dian town known as the Deaf Mans Vii
lage, on q branch of the Wabash. He
applied for lodging, and was Hospitality
received at respectable dwelling. He
was fatigued and unwell, and after eat
ing lay down upon some SKINS in the cor
ner. The household consisted of a ven
cradle woman and number of children
all OF whom treated her with the greatest
difference, and who departed to theil
own rooms.
As Col. Ewing lay upon his pallet h.
watched the old lady moving about, ant
noticed particularly the color of her skin
and hair. The result of the scrutiny
convinced him that she was a white
woman, and he opened a conversation
with her. She admitted that his sus
piciOns were correct. She said that sht
was stolen by the Indians when VERY
small child, and she had carefully con
cealed that fact from those of her owl
race whom she met for fear that her rel
atives would come and take her away
She was now SO old that she felt sh,
could not live much longer, and if an,
OF her friends were living she would b.
glad to see them. In short, she wa
Frances SlOcum, and she remembers,
distinctly the name of her father
though her own given name was forgot
ten.
Col. Ewing was so impressed with he
narrative that he addressed long letter
giving the particulars, to the Postmaste
at Lancaster, Pa. He had never hear,
OF the SlOcums, but he judged from Ger
her home was somewhere in that State
The letter reached its destination, bu
when the Postmaster came to read it he
concluded it a hoax and flung it ssid
among some waste papers, where it la,
for two years. At the end of that tim
the postmaster died, and his widow Il
overhauling his effects came upon Col
Ewlng's letter. She had never hear,
the name of Slocum, but, thinking ther
was something in it, she sent the mis-
sive to the Lancaster Intezigencer, a COP
the hands of Rev. Samuel Bowman, wh'
was intimately acquainted with tn
Slocum family, and he mailed a pape
to her brother, who lived in Wilkes
barre.
The reception of the letter threw tn
whole community into excitement, ther
being not particle of doubt as to tn
identity of Frances. AS two years ha,
passed since the letter was written, an,
as it is stated that the old lady at tina
time was under premonition of death
an inquiry was addressed to Col. Ew
ing by John j. Slocum, the nephew O
Frances. A prompt reply, dated at Lo
gansport, came to hand saying that tn
old lady was still alive, and would b
glad to see them. The letter containe,
minute directions as to the course the
were to take to reach her. Arrange
ments were at once made to do so. MI
Isaac Slocum and Mrs. Mary Towr
brother and sister of Frances, re
sided in Ohio, but not in the sam
neighborhood. Joseph Slocun, O
Wnkesbarre, another brother, start
ed In his carriage, taking his sis
ter, while Isaac went in advance,
being agreed that they should meet a
Deaf Mans Village. Isaac reached tn
place ahead of the others, and accompa
MED by an Interpreter made a call upo
the lady, who received them PLEASANT
but evidently with suspicion. TIL
brother found her to all appear
ances a perfect Indian, but he ha
fixed in his mind an unerTing ties
of her identity. Previous to being cal
ried away fifty-nine years before he
brother EbeneZer had crushed the for.
finger of her left hand with 4 hammer
Taking hold of her hand and raising
he saw the Disagreement. What cause
that 81, ba ookoI Nv J.r,tha. o,.,.1I