San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1879-02-01


Deep interest d taken here in Che
narrative Of Mrs. Charles Jones, Of Wash-
ington county, Iowa, who arrived with
her sen last night, and whose story Of
suffering ON the plains, with the aston.
ishing revelations regarding certain In
dams Of the Ysnkton. Agency, has few
parallels in frontier history Mrs. Jones
and her son, il is believed are the sole
survivorsIof q party Of twelve emigrants, /
who left Washington county last Febru-
airy for the Yellowstone valley They
reached Fort Kearneys about March J.,
1875, and when . few days out from
there, in the river bottom they were
surrounded by o party Of seventy Indi.
ans. William Brown, Joshua Brown,
and Joseph lHydtt oal brother of Mrs
Jones, constituting the men Of thelpar-
lty, were Instantly shot sdead.r All the
others were taken. into oeaptivitydA All
but Mrs. Jones and her son disappear
ed, and, astshe believes. were nassaY
cred. br,sy naIosa so.ldnqslI sit
She became slayettc the Chief nam
ed Yankton, cooking, picking Berries,
andr performing other mental Offices.
She was never allowed to meet or speak
to her bon. dHer clothes we're taken from
her and replaced by blanket and moe
nasinsi dDhe camp was moved bitten and
always north. The Warriors several
1imes left the parity and brought back
clothing and plumber, evidently taken
from murdered whites. The interpre-
er who was with the party named Gin
nes, stated that he had been captured
from aIparty'of emigrahts at the age 81
II years, and he was then 40. He adopt!
ed their life, became Catholic, and re-!
|i,eived his education at Jesuit college.
He told Mrs. Jones that the party were
chieAyoa Yanktohs, from the Yankton
Agency, But some we're from Red CLOUD
and Spotted Tail Agencies, They were
out during every summer. and returned
60 the agencies in winter. 2. e'.R
Their slaves ARE kept outsidethe agen-
cies in concealment. Other female white
slaves in the party told her, through
the interpreter, that their friends had
been murdered, and, as they had no
homes, they had no desire to escape.
Young Jones, who is aged 10, became q
favorite and was kindly treated. At the
expiration Of two months they reached
the neighborhood Of small village in
Northern Nebraska, where the Indians
procured liquor, and all became drunk.
That night Mrs. Jones escaped, having
on only ragged blanket and one moe
casin. She travelled south, being guild
ed in her course by the stare, and sub
sisting for many days on raw artichokes.
After five or six days she met occasion
al emigrant wagons moving north, and
Mrs. Jones was given a dress. She beg
ged her way through the State; reach
ing home in Iowa the last day of June.
Here she procured small sum Of
money. She became alarmed at the
-
uncertainty Of her sons fate and return
ed to Central Nebraska, where she trav-
eled from place to place, watching for
emigrants from the north and living
with farmers. AT the expiration Of many
weeks, sick and disheartened, she again
started eastward. One day last October,
while walking through Kearney, she met
an emaciated lad whom she recognized
as her son, who had Just come in from
long and terrible journey. Sheltered
by James Carmichael, farmer, she
watched at her sons bedside through a
long illness. When the boy had partial
ly recovered they both started east on
foot, stopping with farmers and making
slow progress on account Of their enfee-
bled condition.
Citizens have collected some money,
and sent both home this morning. Every
detail of the above story is confirmed.
The naked bodies of three murdered
men were found last March on the plains
north of Kearney, but the murders were
supposed tie be the work of tramps
Men here from the agencies are prepar-
ing to investigate the matter, and express
the opinion that many of the agency In
dams have kept up the systematic muir
der Of settlers during the summer and
successfully concealing their crime At
the Yankfon Agency there will he nm inn