New-York tribune., 1879-10-31
JOSEPHINE MEEKERS STORY
HOW SHE LIVED AND WHAT SHE SAW DURING HER
CAPTIVITY OF TWENTY THREE DAYS AMONG TIE


From me Heraid or Yesterday
Twenty armed Indians came To the agency
from the camp Of Cnie Douslass anI began nS, ny "1 r.
in the kitchen with my mother Washing the u'-ncs' -
wrs after noon Hooked out Of the wIndow anu 81"
the Utes shooting the boys who were "9lkhg on [ ,n
new building. Mrs Price was at the d"or WaShins
baby TO Nv just then Frank Dresser. an
empIoye staggered IN. shot through me @ ieg'
1t lay on the bed He took IT, and Just ms we were nee
OUT by the door, the widows we're snashed III, anu
Dresser and killed Jonnson's brother We ran int9
tnr milk-room " hch had on y one small window, "hu
several hours at intervals. There was no shouting,
noise. but frequent firing We stayed ~ me miA-Ioo
years OLD aud We all ran to fathers room II "a- hot
disturbed The papers 4nd books were usi AS ne io'
thrn. " PepSs' Diary lay open on thr table
"" knew The building would be- burned and ran across
Douelass've for held oi sag, oEush oey@nu ,n ,,n
Utes us They tLr, down the blank Is an c,ue
running toward ns' hring ~ the' came ne no
tb"y tT,rd rn shoor F,ank Dresser, VINO had almost
Gcsh wound three Inches long A. the Indians came
nearer ln,y shouted: We rhootl Come
dian named Pursune said Tor me to 90
with hlm. lie AMI another U,c seized mo by
tnc arms ana started toward the river. An Unc9m-
was taken to quarters OF Douglass We came 10
q wide irfIga.iug canal which ialnef had the inliaH,
build ,aii could not cross The Indians answered
by pushing ihrougl the water. | had on only mecca
sns and { e wafer and mud were deep The DaDs
wadcd 100, ami both of us ont wet 10 The skln
A, We were walking IN Chicf Joseph came ana pusheu
away Pulsune tnd IA great anger, told him 10 give me
up. uu .er-lood some of thr anguagc. Pun r-unr r.
cd TO sure der mc. Hot words eu.ucd. and feared
the would hshtTor moment. thought Would
ASK Douglas, 90 take me, hu' as born were drnA kept
silent. and aftrrWaid was glad dld not 20.
Douglass nnaly went away ana We walked on toward
the river. Before reaching he stream, not more tndh
200 yards away, both conductors pulled 0ut bours
ANA drank twice. No wnlsRey was sold al tue agency
Their bottles were not agency uottcs Ia1A"-
was finished lt dark. and started for the wilderness
N. soutn. rode horse with saddle. but 10 br-
ale. The natter strap was 80 short mat IL ui"Pped
me Pursnne aud his assistant rode euch
About twenty other Iudians were in the parry. Mother
came later, riiing bareback behind Dousas- Doih on
one nor sue wa siXi -four ar oia ieeoie III nea
wounded. recovered from broken thigh caused
by fal two year, go. Ch'e' i''ns aS saF iSi @
ddie nor DanSets We totted along hhblinin
oc elk when htlled for hall an hour. All the lnd
ans dIsInounted aud blankets were spread on HE ground
and iad down 10 rest WIN moth'I Hlhs hot 1ai Lo
me Chic Douglass was considerably excited uHiduc
speech To me win many gestures ana Srru .inrnass
lie SAID pictures o the dgcn' ana an ms laiy, women
aud children, nad been found on IhuInDuIsh's bOdy
u,i before attack the agency nud the pictures
covered with blood and showed marks 81 Anves on
different parts O che bodies Inc thIoats were cut lhe
was represented one Of the pictures as shot through
tue breast Douglass SAID my iatner mad made these
pictures representa- the pro prctIvr tate OF ms amy
and them Washington To he used 10 influence tue
soldiers and hurry troops forward To nght
tne Indians. THIS RENAL kanie statement strange
a. Il may sem, aiIerward told me by "A
dozen different Indians, aud the recital ana the
telling thi- stood trout of me- with hls gun. ana
ns anger dreadful. Tneu he swore fearful oathin
enrn he udns with Fort steele aud the calaboose aud
threatened Kill eother Indians at Nhte Rive the
agent wouldn't have been ma-saored Iuen the brave
chlrf, Douglass, VINO had eaten 90 our table that very
day, walked of a few iee, returned ana placed MS
olord gun to my forehead tire, tines aud asked me II
was going 10 run away. told linn was not AFRAID or
him nor oI death, aud snould no rn away When he
found MS repeated threats could uO frighen me- all the
made So much n OF hm that he sneaGtd OF and went
ID frtEl
Pursune led my horse me, ana knelt down on nls
hands and knees for me to mount my morse from his
We urged our horses forward and journeyed IN the
moonlight through to the Grand Mountains with the
Ind ans talking III low tones am"ng themselves IL was
attrr when made the second halt IN deep
and sombre canon, with tremendous mountains tower
ing on every siae. Pursune hld plenty OF blankets.
my and rolled up some Tor nay pillow and told
an and ~ grnncd aud siSbefsG in their own grim
way. When 1 had lam down on the blankets
The bed. ana sang and danced iantastically and
Jos 0usJ at my feet The srangeness aud wild novelty
when Tell INTO a doZe, and did not awake until The
was shining over the mountains
h sa" pred wh,f orders they say had been broushf
from Chief Quay. They great eommotIon. and
did know what to 10 They talked ali nght and the
next they struck half their tents and put them
up again. Part were Tor going away, part Tor staying
Jacks were all day coming up into camp. They
Ie ON Tuesday for Grand River, and We mad a long ride
The cayacadr fully two miles long The wind blew
hurricane. and the dust was so thick We could not
ten feet back the llne ana could write my
my hand IN the dust Most oi tue Indians nad had
breakfast and travelled all day without dinner
water. A part OF the agency herd driven along
with procession, ana beef was killed each day As
was requested cook most of the tIre and make
bread aid not suffer from The hth oI Ordinary Indian
fare No whites adm tied to the tents while the
Utes sing their medicine songs over the sick. but l.
being considered one Of Pursunes family. allowed
TO remain When their child sick his family asked
me TO sing y 1h them, which dId ,,..
said that next day Geuersi Adams, wnon they called
Washngton coming after the capuvos. felt very
glad ana told the lndiius tnat ready To The
ext day, about IL o'clock while was sewing In Pur-
sune's tent. MS boy. about twelve years old,
picked up a buffalo robe and wanted
10 bed. I told him / was not sleepy. Then
souaw came and hung blanket before he door. aud
spread both hands 10 keep The blanket down, 40
saw General Adams and purity outside on hOrses.
pushed the squaw aside and walked out to meet them
They asked my name and dismOunted; said they had
come take us back II We cared 10 go Next morning
left Tor Uncompa1gre IN charge Of Captain Cline
and Mr.. Sherman To these gentlemen were indebted
for safe and rapid journey TO Chief Ourays house
the UncOmpahgre kiver near Los Pnos. We
rode on ponies forty miles the three first
days aud reached Captain Cliue's wagon on
"A small tributary OF the Grand Here took buck
board wagon aud travelled next day 10 the Gunni.on
River anu he next ana last day OF fear we travelled
forty-ye miles, aud reached the house OF good Chef
onray about shutdown. Here Inspector Pollock and my
brother Ralph met me. aud was happy enough chief
Ouray and his noble wife did everything possible To
lasted with Mrs Ouray, who shed tears ~
bade goodDy. Tnen we took mail wagons and stages
Three davs and one night OF constant travel over
feet nhoye the sea- brought 10 the beautiful park OF
San Luis The shining brightly, aud Mount
Baco the highest peak III Co oado, stood out grandy
nom thr four great ranges which surround the park
In .1a lef ftF a