, 1877-10-13
THE MUREEROTS INDIANS.
) THRILLING STORY OF THE WESTERN PLAIN:

:, THRILLING STORY OF THE WESTERN PLAIN
A correspondent, writing from Fort Eth
Montana Territory, under date of Augu
2Sth, gives some details of the capture III
treatment of the Radersburg party by Il
Nez Perces. The correspondent writes:
The women, one q Mrs. Cowan, and IL
other her sister, Miss Carpenter, We're noun
ed upon Indian ponies, while the man, a NJ
Carpenter, iall OF Radersburg, VI. IT, cam
afoot, They had been members of plea:
ure party to the Geyser region, which ha
been captured by the retreating Nez Perce
IF the Path inst, and had a miraculous es
cape. They were Just making their camp
when small party of Indians came Iii, 500
to be followed by a second, who told tn
whites they must go to JoSeph,s camp. Thi
done, the savagcs moved on, after a Will
mounting themselves upon the horses of til
excursionists, to whom they gave the use o
their ponies. The second day, when in
ravine, body of some sixty Indians sudden
ly surrounded the devoted party of tel
whites, who were, with one exception, clos
together, and began firing upon them-on,
| Oldham being killed, and the three | hav,
mentioned and Mr.. Cowan escaping unhurt
and the remainder either getting into tn,
timber or being killed, which is not known
But for the escaping four an experience VA.
reserved not often recorded, except as al
episode of lndian warfae, and may be briefly
| narrated as follows:
After the skirmish the tyG Iaen and two
women were carried along with the Indians,
the monotony being finally relieved by the
shooting of Mr.. Cowan. He fell from his
pony, and, being caught in Mrs. Cowan's
arms, was again shot and his brains beaten
out as she held him in her arms. He was 4
lawyer at Radersburg, and received his first
shot from Nez Perez who had been wound
ed in the Gibbon fight. The second shot
was administered with a revolver by another
wounded savage, and the third completed
the work by dashing out his brains with a
rock, as his shricking wife was pulled off by
a crowd of Indians, who thirSted for her
blood. The poor woman, hardly year
married, begged the savage brutes to kill
her outright, not supposing she would be
spared moment, but no merderoGS attempt
was made upon her young sister. The broth
er, Carpenter, was hext singled out, and, be-
ing taken of short distance, and ordered to
kneel, buriy savage raised his gun to fire,
when the intended victim, bethinkIng him
of the Roman Catholicism of the Nez Perces
crossed himself. As the magic symbol was
traced before the Indian who was to shoot
him, he hesitated, dropped his gun, rose to
his feet. and told Carpenter to go, as, after
that, Il can 10 kill you, he said. \ council
of five was then held to decide the fate of
the three trembling prisoners, at which
young Carpenter was present, his sisters be-
ing sheltered, for the time, In the camp of
the chief, White Bird The action of this
chief forms part of the romance of this cpl
sode. From the beginning he appears to
have objected to dealing violently with the
prisoners, and advocated the release of the
entire party He continued his kindly of
fees even after TIE attack upon the unfor-
tunate company and the murder of Cowan.
Daring the council the demand for the blood
of the three prisoners was loud and deter
mined, one Indian detailing. with savage
earnestness, the fact that the whites had
killed his squaH, his Either and his son, and,
appealing for the chance for revenge, he
could not he appeased- The while young
Carpenter sat by, his life and that of his two
sisters hanging In the balance, and the argu-
ments OF tie savage council proving of dead
ly interest to him, who but an hour before
had knelt down t, de leaving his sisters to
the mercy OF the Indians
while the council was sitting young
Carpenter, deSpairing of success, and fearing
for the lives and honor Of his sisters, appeal
ed to it to sacrifice him and spare them, ask
ing if he were to be killed, that they be sent
in safety to the settlement, To this a war
rior named Joseph mot the chief, who had
shown friendly intentions from the begin
ming, responded, that if possible the wish
should be granted, and that he himself would
perform the service.
but they all escaped. The council of five
voted three to two in favor of release and
Life, and White Bird bore the news of their
escape to the camp, where the trembling
women awaited their fate And then White
Bird, lately so cool and deliberate, became
nervous and excited, fearing reconsideration
by the council or defiance of its conclusion
by the blooGs and squaws- You 90 quick
90 by this trail-dont stop to camp or eat,
or water your ponies-dont 60 up the river
hurry to the Hot Springs and JOIN your
people therc-get away-hurry.' And then
mounting the almost naked women upon
oiohSh St'Sh "a Hii'sii
piece of bread and some matches, Carpenter
himself going afoot, White Bird guided them
mile ont of camp, and then left them to
wend their way to where they met Lieuten-
ant Schofieid. The women We're hatless,
shawlless; the man had been robbed of every
thing except his shirt, trousers and boots,
and, as the trail was rough and the nights
were very cold, the trip to the soldiers camp
almost without food, with no protection for
the women but an old qnilt presented by
White Bird, and made in momentary dread
of recapture, must have been one to which
the term horrible may be aptly applied
This is the story as obtained direct from the
escaping party; and while late news from the
Yellowstone indicates the escaDe of all but
perhaps three of the excursionlsts, at Is yet
impossible to conclude positively as to the
number killed"