The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-08-01
DEAD MANS STORY.

: All bills due on the nrSt appearance oi
the advertisement.
A DEAD MANS STORY.
A Romantic Episode TN the Life ola
sioux Captivity.
From the Kansas City Times.
Jimmy Ramon is supposed to be dead.
He was reported dead by the Piper ex-
pedition which passed through Kansas
City year ago for Arizona, and was
published as dead. But some men never
die. You may kill them dozen times
in type, ink, and paper and still they will
pop up AZ ain alive and as natural as ever.
,Jimmy Ramon is frontier cbaracte we'll
known in every Indian tribe from the
Rio Grande to the Yellowstone. He is
also well known in Washington, where he
figured as interpreter for several delega-
tons of Indians which have visited that
city at various times. Heis better known
perhaps to the people of Piper City, ILL.,,
for he led an expedition of 60 or 10 OF
the people of that city TO the Middle park,
in Colorado, about year ago, where the
crowd mutinied and broke up, and after.
ward reported Jimmy Ramon killed.
But Jimmy Ramon is not dead, and he
appeals to Tie Times to prove it, and as
he cannot read or withdrawing been
reared from childhood by the Indians
he begged that the report OF his death be
contradicted.
Those who know old Jimmy Ramon,
and his acuuaintances are legion, will
recognize the following sketch of the old
man rs no was found in the Black Hills
There had been an Indian scare on
Dead wood. and everybody who had
horse or rifle had been sent out IN pursuit
toward the Belle Pourche Anumber of
the returned scouting party were collect
ed in Charlie Caldwells store. Among
these collected together, dis
cussing the raid, was an
old man with white hair and long, gray
beard, and sttired in garments which
were combination OF patches. After
the first surprise Of recognition the old
man sat down upon log stool and COM
menced:
"Desd Lord, no, sonny. Don't We see
amt dead? So they said was dead,
did they? Yes, yes; thet's jest what they
would do. No, sir, amt dead; not n
bit of it. Them Piper City boys lied; yes
SO they did. What made me leave 'em
Ell? Why, you see they wor the worstest
kind of tender-feet, an gin 'em up after
trying to get 'em to go on with me to
Arizona Then the old man proceeded
to clean his rife, while he told his adven-
lures for the last year, He was on his
way to the Big Horn country with
large party of MontanIans, where he is
now, if no has not lost his scalp.
Old Jimmy Kennon, who is so hastily
introduced above, is the hero OF u
romance. A real, complete natural TO
nance, one that has never been in print.
The old man lives to tell it, and the main
details have been fully corroboroted by
others. His romance is as follows:
A few years ago Jimmy was lettering
about Fort Laramie, receiving his So per
dsy as government scout and Interpreter.
One evening the post was startled by the
report that an emigrant train had been
massacre Ell about 2 miles from that tort.
Worse than all, white woman, a Miss
Mary Brand, had been carried OF by the
Sioux. Ramon volunteered as guide for
company of cavalry. AT dark the cav
airy baulted for the night in ravine
about 40 miles northwest of Fort Lara
ME, on the Rswhide trail All the
white men in the train on the Platte had
been massacreed, and no one had been
left to tell the story except an lrishmsn,
who died soon after being found. He had
been fishing with Miss Brand some dis.
lance from the main camp when the In
dian attack was made From him Kan
non learned enough to satisfy him that
the Sioux had gone over to Rawhlde
river. There he resolved to 20 alone and
ahead of the soldiers, and il possible, ef-
feet rescue. He reached the Indian
camp about midnight and secured his
pony to bush in the valley, and soon
afterward crawled into the Indian camp.
His long residence with the indians
taught him where to look for the captive
He was soon lying flat on his belly IN the
rear of the lodge containing Miss Brand.
lie found one old squaw sitting in front
of the lodge, humming doleiul dirge,
and on raising the edge of the tepee or
lodge he discovered another old hag seat
oil near small fire feeding . feeble flame
with straws. He also saw the ciptiv.
woman lying with her head to the outside
of the tepee less than two feet away. lie
whispered words Of caution and cheer to
Miss Brand, who started up in alarm.
This startled both of the squsws, and the
me on the outside walked round to the
rear of the lodge where she met sudden,
silent death at the hsnds Of the old
SC ,ut. THE other squsw, suspecting some
thing wrong, gave the alarm. Quick rs
flash Ramon raised up the edge of tn
lodge and drew out the captive, and
throwing her upon his shoulders made
dash out into the darkness. The camp
was soon in an uproar. But Ramon
made his escape with his horse, although
An arrow had pierced his body through.
He took q course eastward down the
Rawhide, while the Indians started to
ward Fort Laramie, which was due south
ward from their camp. Finding himself
getting weaker from loss Of blood, Kan.
non drew forth the arrow which had
passed through his body and projected in
front, and filed his buckskin shir, around
the wounds with wet mud, and then con-
tinucd his flight At daylight he found
himself on the head Of Dry Cottonwood
creek, u miles from Laramie. But the
Indians were between him and the fort.
lie kept out OF sight and saw them meet
and engage the soldiers he had lon the
night before, and made his way half dead
TO Fort Laramie without being discovered
by the Indians ID. t.
The result 10 soon said. Ramon was
taken into the post hospital and his nurse
was Miss Brand, the rescued white wo-
man. She stood by the aide Of the pris-
oner until he recovered and being with