Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1879-11-06
A PATHETIC STORY

The Captivity of the Women and Children
From White RiVeT Agency AmIOnO the
UteS.
The Denver Tr6bune's Los Pinos special
gives the following history of the prisoners
during their captivity. 1t forms most pa
thetic chapter: After the killing of Agent
Meeker the women attempted to escape into
the brush from the burning building. Mrs.
flesh wound on the hip, four inches in length.
Miss Meeker and Mrs. Price were called to:
Indians no shoot white woman; stop, In
dian no hurt" They were mounted, Miss
Meeker with Mrs. Prices Oldest child, four
years old, tied behind; Mrs. Price with her
infant in her arms, and Mrs. Meeker, who is
sixty-three years of age, and lame from her
wound. When they struck the camp at mid
night Mrs. Meeker was dismounted and
FELL TO THE GROUND,
unable to move, and the Indians surrounded
her and added to the misery of the situation
by jeering and taunting the old white squaw.
The next morning they were separated,
Douglass retaining the charge of Mrs. Meek
er and Persune taking Miss Meeker, while
Mrs. Price and children were in the charge
of an Uncompahgre Ute. The sufferings of
Mrs. Meeker were indescribable during her
stay with Douglass, whose squaw abused her
by neglect, pushing, striking and taunts. On
one occasion Douglass threw down blankets
and compelled Miss Meeker to dismount,
saying they were going into camp. He then
said they were gong to stab them, and ex-
hibited the butcher knives to be used for the
purpose. Then he placed musket to her
forehead and said:
"NDIAN GOING TO SHOOT"
The courageous girl never finched, and
laughed at the burly savage. He asked her
if she was afraid, and her ready response,
81 am not afraid of Indians or DEATH"
elected the admiration of the red devils.
They turned upon Chief Douglass with de-
cision, and he SUNK from the presence of
the brave Miss Meeker. Soon after this
they were placed in charge of Chief John
son, and through the instrumentality of
Johnson's squaw their condition was very
much improved, and further indignities pre-
vented. Apprehensions as to the treatment
of the captives to a fate worse than death
have happily proven not to be sustained by
the facts, and the captives arrive save, but
worn out by the indignlties detailed above.
Susan proved to be
THE GUARDIAN SPIRIT,
and had it not been for her intercession the
fate of the women would have formed one
of the blacklist pages of Indian deviltry.
Last night, on the arrival of the captives,
Ouray expressed great satisfaction, and this
morning, on their leaving, Chapota, wife of
Ouray, wept like child. The agency effects
were destroyed, the women only saving such
clothing as they happened to have on.
MRS. MEEKER
was permitted to enter the burning building
to gather money and TIE esprit Book" as
she told the Indians it was. The money,
$50, was taken from her. Miss Meeker had
$50 in the building and Mrs. Price small
amount, which was destroyed by the flames.
Through the fearful ordeal of captivity Mrs.
Price and Miss Meeker almost fought for
the rights of poor old Mrs. Meeker. They
could use little Spanish and Ute, and their
defiance of intruding Indians and readi-
ness to
RESENT INSULTS TO THE OLD LADY
challenged the respect of even the blood
thirsty aborigines. They would push the
savages right and left when interfered with,
and, on making complaint to Susan, would
face the Indians while Susan laid down the
law and the penalty. Her bravery has been
unexampled, and to this fact may be attrib-
'uted the many favors of which they would
otherwise have been deprived. The Indian
runners prior to the release of the captives,
reported "White squaws heap brave" The
statements in detail by the captives have
been taken by Inspector Pollock for public
use.
TEE FEELING IN DENVER.
This community is greatly incensed by
Mrs. Meeker's statement of the indignities
suffered by herself and associates at the
hands of the Utes, and no doubt is enter
tertained of the entire truth of the state
ment. It confirms the impression of the
people that the entire tribe is disaffected in
stead of being peacefully inclined. Douglass
shows up as the worst Indian of
the gang, being thief as we'll as
an assassin. There ia no
doubt he intended to outrage Miss Meeker,
and only the girls splendid bravery saved
her and those of her companions. Indians
admire courage above all things, and Miss
Meeker's defiance of Douglass everawed the
tribe. Schurz's denial of the participation
of Ouray's band in the fighting up north is
met by the captives' statement that one of
the guards was an Uncompaghre Ute from
Ouray's agency, and Father Meekers' letter,
dated Sept. 25, to Gov. Pitkin, states that
Uncompaghre Utes were at his agency that
four days before the fght-going
out with his Utes to hunt buffalo. The AS |
ISOLATED Press dispatch to-day from Los