Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-09-25

4uCA SCCAu W ucdT Jue Wllu waves chanting
As they break DER the rocks upon the bars,
or golden home where joys are never want
| ing
| home beyond the silent silver stars!
The Murderous Indians.
A THRILLING STORY OF THE WESTERN
| PLAINS.
A correspondent, writing from Fort
Ellis, M. T., under date of August %,
gives some details of the capture and
treatment of the Radersburg party by
the Nez Perces. The correspondent
writes:
| 1.-The women, one Mrs. Gowan. and
the other her sister. Miss Carpenter, were
mounted upon Indian ponies, while the
man, Mr.. Carpenter (all of Radersburg,
M. T.,) came afoot. They had been
members of pleasure party to the Gey-
ser region, which had been captured by
the retreating Nez Perces on the oath,
and had had miraculous escape. They
were just making their camps when a
small party of Indians came in, soon to
be followed by a second, who told the
whites they must go to Joseph's camp.
This done, the savages moved on, after
awhile, mounting themselves upon the
horses of the excursionists, to whom
they gave the use of their ponies. The
second day, when in ravine, body of
some sixty Indians suddenly surround
ed the devoted party of ten whites, who
were, with one exception, close together,
and began firing ucon them-ene Old.
ham being killed, and the three 1 have
mentioned, and Mr.. Gowan, escaping
unhurt, and the remainder either getting
into the timber or being killed, which is
not yet known. But for the escaping
four an experience was reserved not Of
ten recorded, except as an episode of In
dian warfare, and may be briefly narra-
ted as follows:
"After the skirmish the two men and
two women were carried along with the
Indians, the monotony being finally re-
lieved 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 rs she held
him in her arms. He was a lawyer at
Radersburg, and received his first shot
from Nez Perce who had been wound
ed in the head in the Gibbon fight. The
second shot was administered with re-
vOlver by another wounded savage, and
out his brains with a rock, as his shriek-
ing wife was pulled off by a crowd of In.
dians, who thirsted for her blood. The
poor woman, hardly year married,
begged the savage brutes to kill her out
right, not supposing she would be SPAR
ed moment, but no murderOus attempt
was made upon her young sister. The
brother, f. Carpenter, was next singled
out, and, being taken off a short dis
tance and ordered to kneel, burly saw
age raised his gun to fire, when the in
tended 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, I can no kill you,'
he said. A council of five was then held,
to decide the fate of the three trembling
prisoners, at which young Carpenter
was present, his sisters being sheltered.
for the time, in the camp Of the chief,
White Bird. The action of this chief
forms part of the romance of the epi-
sode. From the beginning he appears
to have objected to dealing violently
with the prisoners, and advocated the
release of the entire party. He continu-
ed his kindly offices even after the at
tack upon the unfortunate company and
the murder of Gowan. During the coun-
Gil the demand for the blood Of the three
prisoners was loud and determined, one
Indian detailing, with savage earnest
ness, the fact that the whites had killed
his squaw, his father and his son, and,
appealing for the chance for revenge, he
could not be appeased. The while young
Carpenter sat by, his life and that of his
fvryrc ci Of har ,rrs, H. Ill
the arguments of the savage council
proving of deadly interest to him who.
but an hour before had knelt down to
die, 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, appealed to it to sacrifice him and
spare them asking if he were to be kill
ed, that they be sent in safety to the set
tlement. To this warrior named Jo-
seph (not the chief who had shown
friendly intentions from the beginning,
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 ofits conclusion by the bloods
and squaws. You go quick-go by this
trail-don't stop to camp or eat, or wa
ter your ponies-don't go up the river
hurry to the Hot Springs and join your
people there-get away-hurry And
mounting the almost naked women up
on broken-dOwn ponies, and giving each
a small piece of bread and some match
ss, Carpenter himself going afoot, White
Bird guided them mile out of camp
and then left them to wend their way to
where they met Lieutenant Schofield.-
The women were hatless, shawlless the
man had been robbed of everything ex-
cept 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 pro-
lection for the women but an old quilt
presented by White Bird, and made in
mOmentary dread of re-capture, must
have been one to which the term horri-
BILE may be aptly applied. This is the
story as obtained direct from the escap-
ing party and while late news from the
1eloWSCoHe lHulcateS Iue escape VI ali
but perhaps three of the excursionists,
it is yet impossible to conclude positive
ly as to the number killed."
MORAL CHARACTER.-There is moth
ing which adds so much to the beauty
and power of man, as good moral char
acter. 1t is his wealth-his influence
his life. 1t dignifies him in every sta
ton, exalts him in every condition, and
glorifies>him at every period of life
Such character is more to be desired
than evervthinr alse On oortb TT rooboc