American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-01-04
ESCAPED FROM CAPTIVITY,

4
ESCAPED FROM CAPTIVITY
Four Years Among the Comancies an
Apaches. r--- ~ f,
From the San Antonio Express.I
Yesterday morning a young ma
about twenty-one years of age called 8
the Express office and stated that he ha
but recently escaped from four years
captivity among the Apache and Conan
che Indians, and was on his way hom
in Fannin County, Texas, where he hat
parents living. He was, about six fee
in height, well proportional, had al
intelligent countenance and an easy
self-possessed manner, although for -four
years under not the most refining inhu
encss. His garo was Enthusiastically
frontier in its character.
HIS cAPTUREs
He gave his name as S. M Wills, and
that four years ago, when bat II year.
OF age, hearing glowing accounts O
frontier life, became. one of party O
buffalo-hunters on the Staked Plains
Game was plenty and they were making
money fast slaughtering the bison fol-
it's hide. This was in 1874, the season
so many thousands of buffalo were kill.
ed. Becoming more venturesome, the
party penetrated to the heart of the
! plains and in close proximity to the In
dams engaged in the same business.
One day four of the party, among whom
was young Wills, gave chase to very
fine herd of buffalo and followed them a
long distance, and many fine bull fell
victim to their ,unerring rifles. On a
sudden they came on large party of
Apache Indians in the same business
who upon seeing their natural foes, left
the chase and attacked the white men.
Wills. was away from the other three
men and seeing them shot and sca1ped,
surrendered at discretion without resist
ance.l His youth saved him from i'm
mediate death, and he was taken to
camp, and pow-wow held as to his fu-
ture fate. He being tine-looking boy,
it was decided. to give him a, chance for
life by allowing him the doubtful privi-
lege of fi,.. al
RUNNING THE GAUNTLET.
The savages arranged themselves in two
long lines, armed with arrows, spears,
knives, I tomahawks. and clubs Wills
was stripped of his clothing. and being
placed at the head of this almost certain
avenue of death, started on his terrible
race for life. Each savage, yelling at
the top of his voice, made deadly pass
with his weapon as the poor boy fairly
faw along the kland-thirsty pathway.
The one who succeeded in hitting the
prisoner wasto have the disposition of
his.fate, which Is usually that of death
by the most horrible slow torture that
could be conceived in the breast of the
brutal American savage. On, on, sped
the fated youth, and hundred deaths
had already been passed, while the end
of the terrible lane was rapidly APP
preaching, when his strength failing
and pace slackening, a tomahawk buried
itself in his leg, and he fell victim to
savage barbarity.
SAVAGE MERCY.
Demonical yells filed the air as the
"noble red men" surrounded their fallen |
prey, eager to finish their hellish work
the lucky captor conceived
an admiration for the brave white boy,
and resolved to spare his life, at the same
time claiming him as his especial prop
erty. He was attired in Indian garb, |
the ceremony of initiation as
q "brave," war paint was applied, and
he was now cheap big warrior" AL
though ostensibly one of the tribe, |
nevertheless he was a prisoner, and the |
strictest guard over his movements was
never withdrawn. He was privileged |
TO hunt and fight, but always, acknowl-
edged ownership in the warrior who
him in his race for life. |
They were always on the move, and
they travelled hundreds of miles up and
down the plains and in the Rocky Noun
tains. The Apaches and Comanches at |
This time were at war, and his band |
party of Comanches, a battle
ensued. He entered fully into the fight |
with his Apache "friends," and having
his pony shot was
CAPTURED BY THE CoMANCHEs.
Being already considered virtually an
Indian, he was spared the terrible ex-
periences of his first capture, and was
without further ceremony admitted into
the band as Comanche warrior, and
soon he became a great favorite.
He had now been among the Indians
over year, and had become Injured in |
The hardships of Indian life. His was
. band of what is usually termed among
frontiersmen "dog soldiers" being
principally of young men
who refuse to come under treaty re-
striction, and are consequently outlaws
before the law, and are so treated by the
military authorities. Consequently
they must be constantly on the move,
and the band with whom was the hero
Of this sketch, in the three years that he
was with them, travelled from Texas to
The British Possessions. His varied ex-
periences-privations and hardships-
would fill a volume, and are altogether
too long to embody here.
HIS ESCAPE.
Last summer the band got back to the
Indian Territory and on the Texas bor-
der, and the hope of seeing his home
again took strong hold in his mind, and
he determined to make an effort to es-