The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-10-17
IN CHIEF JOSEPII'S HANDS.
The Fate that Befel n Party Of Tourists In
tn the Yellowstone RcRi0n-An Indian
Jury nud Their Fnt e fnl Decision.

The Fate that Befel n Party Of Tourists In
tn the Yellowstone RcRion-An Indian
Jury md Their Fate fnl Decision.
A correspondent, writing from Helena,
Montana Territory, gives thrilling &C.
count of the adventures Of party of
tourists who fell among the hostile band
of Nez Perces Indians, under command
of Chief Joseph. The tourists consisted
of Messrs. .Dingel, Oldham, Myers,
Mann. Arnold, Cowan and Carpenter
and the two sisters of the last-named,
Mrs. Cowan and Miss Ida. They had
wagon and buggy with them, and were
camped in piece of timber in the Low
er Geyser basin. At daybreak one
morning they found three Nez Perces
seated at their fire, who said that they
belonged to Joseph's band and that the
camp was couple Of miles away; that
Joseph, Looking Glass and White Bird
were the chiefs, and they would not kill
citizens. After consultation the tourists
concluded to 60 to the Indian camp, see
the chiefs and try to get permission to
continue on their way home, and at noon
reached the camp Of looking Glass,
other Indians having joined their guides
to the number of fifty or sixty. Look
ing-Glass shook hands with them and
said he was a friend to- .citizens-" no
kill citizens and White Bird, who
soon after came up, said the same thing,
though he was going to cheap kill Lew
iston soldiers. White Bird " traded"
horses with the party, took away the
guns and pistols, and told them to go
around through the woods, hitch their
wagons and be off. The main body then.
pressed on and the tourists turned back,
followed by some twenty Indians, two of
the party, Dingee and Arnold, here be-
coming separated from their comrades.
The Indians then began to take the
blankets and clothing of their prisoners,
and took the guns of Cowan and Old
ham. "Then," says Frank Carpenter,
in his simple but intensely interesting
narrative, "after going few yards we
were told that Joseph wanted to see us.
We turned and went with them to the
foot of hill, where they tried to get us
in heap Ito facilitate the killing. but
I advised the boys to keep apart. I told
the young chief that we wanted to go
where White Bird was. He said No. ,
I said Yes, I 60. You kill, kill now.
He said No; go;' and we moved SLOW
ly about twenty yards, when the young
chief and I stopped and the party moved
on. We moved about fifty yards further
up in the timber, when the Indians COM
menced firing. We went few steps to
the left among the timber, when the
young chief jumped off his horse and ran
down the hill. I then saw my sister
running down the hill, >shrieking, to-
ward Cowan. looked about him and
SOW Indians on all sides, with their guns
in their hands, and escape was impossi-
BILE. I next recollect seeing this young
chief on his knee, about thirty feet from
me, with his gun cooked and pointed at
my breast. I thought my time had
come, and instantly made the sign OF the
cross on my breast, thinking he was a
Catholic. The Indian threw up his gun
and said: Come quick-no KLINE
save you We came near to where Cow
an was lying, with my sister on he:
knees beside him crying. "Cowan said
Frank, for Gods. sake, get me some
water I said: 8 George I can't
are all gone-there is no:show for US. ,
Just then my chief grabbed me, and
saying Come quick-Indian kill, led
me behind some brush, where I was told
to keep still-not to move or the bad In
dams would kill me. I asked him to
save the white girls and he said he
would" Mr.. Carpenter, still in charge
of his young chief, found Mrs. Cowan
two miles further on, and she told him
thdt all the party had been killed except
Ida, whom all Indian had taken away on
q horse. She had seen Oldham shot and
fall from his horse, then her husband,
Cowan was shot in the leg. Fearless
for herself, his wife ran to him. An In
dian came up, placed q pistol near their
heads, fired, and her husband sank
down with his wife's arms around his
neck. She saw that the ball had gone
through the back part ofhis head. The
Indian dragged her way, and as she was
being put on a horse she looked back
and saw her husband, writhing in agony,
place his hand to his head; then the hor-
rifed woman saw m Indian throw big
rock on his head, crushing it. She
recollected no more until she found her
self on horse behind IN Indian. The
captives were taken2to Joseph, tall,
finely-built Indian, forty-fve years old,
with o thoughtful and intelligent face.
His word in the camp, says Mr.. Carpen-
ter, was law. He shook hands with
them, and said he was friend to citi-
zens, and gave the prisoners permission
to remain in his tent.
Next morning Carpenter was told that
he was to be killed and his sisters placed
on pack animals aud allowed to depart,
but he pleaded with White Bird not to
do 80 till they had reached settlement
or road, as the girls would inevitably
perish in the wilderness. Moving on
ward the prisoners were overioyed to
find their sister Ida unharmed and at the
noon halt all were united, while the
seven chiefs held q council to pass upon
their fate. White Bird spoke in favor
Oh GuelE Te1c1tSe, DuG Al1ulc Dull, Ouc VI
Snakes, urged the killing of Carpenter
and the taking of his sisters as squaws,
selecting Mrs, Cowan for himself. Then
White Bird filled and lit his pipe and
took few whiffs at it, thus voting for
their release. The pipe was passed to
Little Bear-he sullenly declined it. A
Grow chief took it, but passed it on, and
the hearts of the prisoners died within
them. So did young Nez Perce chief.
The young chief who had made them
prisoners and saved Carpenters life,
next took the pipe, and, nodding in o
friendly manner to them, puffed it vigor-
ously. Another chief followed his ex-
ample, and the calumet was handed to
the last one of the judges. How eagerly
the captives watched his actions, and
what silent, heartfelt prayers Of gratitude
assembled to heaven when the stoical
savage placed the mouth-piece of the