The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1876-08-23
A Heroic Frontiersman.


was published ss dead But some men
rever die. Y.u may k,ll ,h~m d.z.n
times ii type. ink ard payer. and sill
they will Pup up agsiu alive aud -. VA
tural a. ever Junmy kannun is fru,-
tier character we'll known in every Inii-
an tribe fram the Rio Graud,s 10 th.
Yellowstune. He l. xell known in
Washington. ~herc be figured ss init
prefer for several d-l.gst,oas Il Indians
" ~hich have visited that city at varioas
times II, il better kno M perhaps la
the p~op!e Of Piper City. Ia E.r he
led nm EXPEDITION of 90 or ~ Of the
people ~ that city 10 the Middle Park
in Colorado about year ago. where the
crowd mutinicd and broke up, and af-
terward reported Jimmy Kannen killed
But Jimmy Ramon is no. dead. ~ri he
appesls Ia the newspapers to prove il.
and as he cannot read or write --hs wing
been reared from childhood by thu H..
dians-hc begs that the report Of his
death be coutradicted.
Those who know old Jimmy Ksnnon.
and his acQusintances ara legion, will
recognize the following sketch Of the
old man as he was found in the Black
Hills:
There had been an Indian scare ut
Deadwood. and every body who had =
horse or rifle had been sent out in pur-
suit toward the Belle Pourche. A
of the returned scouting party
were collected in Charley Collwsll' )
store. Among those collected together
dAcussing the raid. WAS an old man with
white hair and long gray beard, aud
attired in garments which were a com
bination of patches. After the first
surprise of recognition the old man sat
down upon log stool and commenced;
:" Dead. Lord no. sonny. Don't you
see amt dead ! So they said l was
dead. did they Yes. yes. that's just
what they would do. No. sir; ain't
dead not bit Of it. Them Piper
City boys lied yes. so they did. What
made me leave 'eD ehI Why. you see
they were the worstcst kind Of tender
feet. an gin 'em up after trying tn
get 'e,n TO go on with me to Arizona. "
Then the old man proceeded to clean
his rifle. while he told his ad-
ventures for the past year. He was on
his way to the Big Horn country with
n large party Of Montanians, where he is
now. If he has not lost his scalp.
Old Jimmy Kannon. who is 80 hastily
introduced above. is the hero Of ro-
nance. 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 corrobor-
atea by others. His romance is IS fol-
lows:
Old Jimmy kannon was lettering
about Fort Laramie. receiving IS per
day a. government SC, ut and interprc.
ter. One evening the post was startled
by the report that AL emigrant train
had been uAssacred about two miles
and half from the fort Worse than
all. white wom%n. Miss Mary
Brand. had been carried OFF by the
Sioux. kanBon volunteered ~ a guide
for company of cavalry. A, dark the
cavalry halted for the night in rx-
vine ten miles northwest If Fort Lara
rpie. on the Rawhidc trail. All the
white men in the train on the Platte
had been mAssacred, and no one had
been left to tell the story except an
Irishinsn. who died soon after being
found. He had been fishing with Miss
Brand. some distance from the ,uain
camp when the attack WAS made.
From him KAnnon learned enough
To satisfy him that the Sioux had gone
over to Rswhide river. There hs re-
solved TO 20 alone and ahead Of the
soldiers. and if possible. effect rescue.
He reached the Indian camp about
midnight and secured his pony to q
bush in the valley. aud soon afterwxrd
crawled into the Indian camp. His
long residence with the Indisns taught
him where To look for the captivs. He
Was soon lying Hat on his belly in the
rear of the lodge. humming . doleful
d,rge. and on raising the edge Of the
tepee or lodge be discovered another
old hag seated near email
straws. lie also saw the Captive
white woman lying with h.r head "a
the outside of the tepce less than two
feet away. He whispered words ol
caution and cheer to Miss Brand, rho
started up in alarm. This startled b,,l
Of the sluaws. aud the ona on the out
side walked around TO the rear Of the
lodge. where she met n sudden and 81
lent death At the hands Of the old scout
The other squaw, suspecting something
wrong. gave the alarm. Quick 50 q
flash Kannon raised up the edge of the
lodge and drew out the captive. and
throw ing her upon his shoulders. made
q dash out into the dsrtn-ss. Tht
camp Was soon in an uproar. Blu, Kan
nou made his escape with his horse
although an arrow had pierced his bod,
through. lie took - course eastwart
down the RA~hidc. while the Indian
started toward Fort Lu,mic. which
was due srathwari & 'o,n th.1n camp
Finding him~, II getting wcSk.r I, ou
los of blosi. Ramon dr, W forth th,
arrow which hsi passed through hi
body aud projected in front. aud tilled
his ckskin shirt Srouni the wound,
with wet mud. and then continued hi'
flight, A, daylight he found himself
on the head Of Dry Cottonwood Creek
twelve miles from Laramie. But thu
Indians were between him and the fort
He KEEP, out OF sikh, and saw them NEE
and engage the soldiers h. had left ib'
nigh, before, aud made his way hal
dead 10 Fort Laramie without beins
discovered by the Indians.
The result Is .onn told. kannon va
taken into the pos, hospital, and hi