Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-05-18
Tied to a Tree and Tortured.
GRAND RAPIDS, Wis, Nav 16.

! y
Editor Reporter DEAR SIR: |
wish, (if you will permit me the space
in your columns, and [ will be as brief
as possible) to relate TO the readers of
your paper an affair, which recalls to
mind the actions of many Of our bar
barous tribes Of Indians in times gone
by, that took place not eight miles be-
low this city on by-way that leads to
Barnum, eight or ten days ago. The
following is the story as related to me
and on good and safe authority
Mr.. Dolan, better known
in this vicinity as Laroque, man of
about 45 years, married lady of our
city of about 80 years. This took
place on the evening Of the 9th. AZ
ter their marriage they gave dance
at the Frechette House to satisfy their
friends who were threatening to chart
vari them. Three or four days after,
Laroque started for Barnum in search
of employment. When he had gone
as far as about two mile below Barkers
he came across three men, who were
sitting on log by the side Of the
road. They hailed him, and asked
him where he was going and he said
to Barnum. They then asked him if
they could accompany him as they
were going there also, and he replied
certainly gentlemen. They had not
gone very far when they came to a
! by-road and one Of the three suggested
that they had better go that way and
so they did. They had not gone a
great ways, (this being in the morn
j ing at about 9 o'clock) when one of
the men bounced upon him from be-
hind and crushed him to the ground
while another drew knife and said if
he made bit of noise he would fix
him and at the same time brandishing
| it before his face and cursing him.
They then bound him hand and foot
stripped off all the clothing he had on
excepting his shirt, then re-tied him,
| tieinc him with his back to tree and
began plunderinS. First they went
through his pants then his satcheI,
and failing to find any money began
torturing him. One pulled his hair,
another pricked him with pms, while
the third lighted matches and burned
the hair off his body, and doing every
! mean cruel and barbarous thing they
could think Of, when luckily, two dogs
came running past, at which the scala
was were frightened and started off
for parts unknown, leaving their poor
victim to perish When the Williams
were gone, Laroque set up fearful
Yelling. but was soon exhausted and of
course. as that was but by-road no one
came to his rescue. He remained in
the condition above described the bal
ancc Of that day. all the night and all
of the next day till 4 clock IN the
afternoon, through the cold, rainy
weather, when fortunately for him an
Indian WHO was roaming around In the
woods having heard some yelling, and
wondering what it might be, started in
the direction he supposed he heard it
and thereby came to his rescue. The
Indian had quite a time in bring Lar
oQue to his senses. He was almost
frozen, naked, starved and dripping
wet having remained there about 81
hours. The Iudian built a good fire
wrapped him up in his blanket and
did all that he could do for him, after
which the Indian accompanied him
back as far up as Corcoran's farm and
there they separated. He says the
three men were IriShmen. The scoun-
drels have made their escape and it is
we'll for them that they have, should
they be caught they would be severely
dealt with. 1t is an awful affair to
have occur so near where (could they
be caugAt) justice could be meeted out
to them as they deserve.
Respectfully Yours,
A. TRUE.