The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-02-15
TWO BRAVE WOMEN.
Widowed nnd Chiidless Within Mn Hour,
-.A story OF Femnlp tIrrsistn,

so little known, even to the people on
the block in which she lived, that the
Grape ON the door was the first warning
many of them had that she had been i'll
1t was the widow Hutley, and living in
the same cottage, and made widow at
the same time, was Mrs. Ebberts.
As the trial of John ID. Lee brought
back to public recollection the horrors
OF pioneer life i'll the West, the death of
Mrs. Hutley may again uncover that
| page OF history on which was written
the Indian massncres of frontier settlers
III Minnesota. Both widows were vic
tins of that brief and bloody strife which
desolated SO many cabins on that picket
line of civilization. History forgot to
record their names and their heroism.
Let both be chronicled here.
! When the frontier troubles began the
two widows were wives and mothers.
living in log cabins about mile
apart. These two cabins were the only
ones for three or four miles either way,
and when the conduct of the Indians be-
came so suspicious that prudence coun-
seled removal from the frontier the Eb-
berts family left their home and consoli-
dated with the Hutleys for mutual de-
fense. Each family had two children,
making eight persons in the cabin. The
Indians had thus far molested no one,
but they wore fierce and surly looks.
skulked about rs if keeping watch on the
settlers, and the pioneers were living in
state of excitement and apprehension.
One day, when the women had occupied
the same cabin for two weeks, Mr.. Hut
ley started for a settlement seven miles
distant to procure provisions, leaving
Mr.. Ebberts to guard the cabin. All
outdone work had ceased. If the pioneer
moved outside of the barricaded cabin
his life was carried in his hand. and his
eyes were on the alert to detect the pres
ence of the expected foe.
Ihe average woman can sever the ties
of friendship, or rise superior to the
perils of the hour, to carry her point.
Mr. Hutley had not been gone an hour
when the children, rendered nervous and
irritable by their close confinement, en-
gagged in a quarrel. The eldest child
was only five, so that no great physical
damage could have been inflicted, but
the quarrel angered the mothers, harsh
words passed, and Mrs. Ebberts declared
that she would not remain in the Hutley
cabin another hour. Her husband was
weak-minded enough to share in her
feelings, and Immediately preparations
were made to return and occupy his own
cabin. He took the bed on his back,
and the Oldest child by the hand, and
started for home, leaving his wife to fol-
low on with his rifle and the other child.
Anger brought such q spirit of reckless
ness that the man no longer feared any
danger. Mrs. Ebberts did not immedi-
ately follow, having to make up a bundle
of little articles, and the husband had
about twenty minutes start of her.
While both women were heartily
ashamed OF their silly conduct five min
utes after their hot words had been
spoken, yet neither would be the first to
make conciliatory advances, and Mrs.
Hutley stood in her cabin door and saw
Mrs Ebberts and child disappear in the
forest
just as she lost sight of them she
heard the report of rifles and faint wells
IN the direction of the other cabin, and
she instantly OWNED that the long ex-
pected blow had fallen. Forgetting
everything but the fact that her neigh
bors were in peril, she took down the
spare rifle which her husband had pro-
vided, and which she knew how to use.
warned her children not to leave the
cabin, and in two or three minutes she
was running through the woods after
Mrs. Ebberts. 1t subsequently appear
ed that Ebberts had Just reached his
home when he was attacked by band of
at least fifty Indians. The child was
shot dead at the first volley, but the
father prolonged his life for few min
utes by dodging from tree to tree. His
wife was within eighty yards of him
when he was killed. She heard the fir
ing and whooping, and while prudence
warned her to retreat, her love forced
her on to join her husband. The In
dians had caught sight of her and Open
ed fire when Mrs. Hutley came ND.
History will never record brayer
deed. Rendered desperate by the almost
certain knowledge that her husband and
one child had been murdered Mrs. Eb-
berts was like tigress. She had her
husbands rife, and for time the two
lone women held that entire band of saw
ages at bay. Nay, more than that. they
killed three of the redskins and wounded
two more, as the Indians afterward ad-
mitted. When they found that the plan
was to surround them they fell back.
Between that point and the cabin the
child was killed. The women carried the
body for a few rods, but the close pur-
suit obliged them to drop it.
A new horror awaited them as they en-
tered the cabin. The demons had already
been there. The oldest child was dead
on the floor, its head almost severed from
the body, and the youngest had been
carried away. Two Indians were still in
the house, making preparations to burn
1t. One made a safe escape, but the
other was shot down by Mrs Ebberts as
he cleared tine doorstep. There was no
time to remember the scalped and mutt
lated bodies in the forest. The Indians
were at the door almost before the dark
body at the step had ceased quivering. -
LIT was a stout cabin, having more
strength than convenience. Logs and
roof were not yet seasoned enough to
burn, and the single window was pro-
tected by heavy blind. The redskins
knew that there We're only two women in
the house, and they dashed at it and
swarmed around it as wolves would sur
round helpless doe.
Mrs. Hutley was as pale as death
and her hand trembled as she loaded the
rifle, but her eyes shone like fire and
she bit her lips till the b.ool came. L .
suppose | was half crazed, for wanted
to open the door and fight the whole
band.