Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-05-07
4Misfellanu.
A TreacherOus q" GobbIer.D

the Ohio river. There were then but few
settlements on the river below the fort II
Wheeling. and those were n the Virgini;
sie along the eastern bank. 1t WAS sew
eral years later before land was taken vi
on the Ohio side, for that was the " Indiar
country;' yet the settlers on the eastern
shore used to cross often to the western
side to hunt for deer and wild turkeys
which were there very abundant.
From the cabin doors in the early
morning the pioneers would sometime
see flucks of from ten to fifty magnificen
turkeys break suddenly forth to the water
or e,py them sitting in rows on the pro
ycting branches of the long -limbed oaks.
Often the vociferous "gobbling' of tn,
males resounded across the water, inter
luded by the plantive "yeap- -yeay- yeap
yop yop-yop!" or quickly changed to
sharp "qnit!' at the sudden appearance O
II wolf or fox.
1t was but few minutes work for the
settlers to paddle across in their log Gu
noes. and with few discharges of sho
secure turkeys enough to last each family
u week. Tul key was the dish most easily
procured, and the gobbling Of flock on
the opposite slope across the stream camu
10 he Il signal for a turkey hunt.
In the fall of 1881 willy savage of the
Shawanese tribe, named Wy-an-lo-wit
who had no doubt watched the settlers il
some Of their hunting expeditions, hi
upon plan to secure II few scalps so tha,
it could be done with little danger to him
self Daring all these years there was
almost constant war with the Indians, and
th, nr;t;eh :, 90 en;l h,,1 cnt urinn ,,,
American scalps. The ruse which this
cunning savage had hit on will soon be
understood.
One morning as settler named Bing-
man was feeding his hogs just at sunrise,
he heard Il wild turkey "gobble " across
the river, which at that point was not
more than two hundred yards in width.
The gobblng was repeated. So clear
and still was the air that Bingham could
even hear the old "chock!" in the COB
bler's throat us it "slrulted." A moment
after, too. the plainlive "yeapm of II
second turkey came to his ears.
Calling to his wife to bring his gun,
Bingham got into his canoe and paddled
across the river to shoot the turkeys. Mrs.
Bingham saw him land on the opposite
shore, and so cautiously in amongst the
bushes.
FIVE minutes later she heeard him fire.
as she supposed, and thought he would
soon be back; but half an hour and an
hour passed, and he did not come.
The forenoon dragged by. The poor
woman thought he must have started II
deer, and gone in pursuit of it; but be-
coming much alarmed before night, she
went to the clearing of a neighbor named
Mcintosh. and in company with him
crossed the river in sealch Of her missing
husband.
A few rods up from the bank, where
his canoe lay, poor Bingham was fouud
lying dead and scalped.
Only the next morning a settler name(
Woodiin, seven or eight miles above
Bingman's, WAS sheling corn at his cabir
door, and on going into the shed where
his handmill for grinding stood. he, too
heard gobbler across the river, accom-
panied by the "yeaping > of "A whole
fuck of turkeys.
As his family had nothing but corr
meal from which to make Il breakfast
the chance of securing Il fine turkey ol
two was not 10 be lost.
Wuudlin took his gun, and at once
crossed the river. The report of II gur
was s,on heard. but Wooulin. like Blng
man, did not come back Late that even
ing party of his friends found him lying
dead, sculped and robbed of his gun ant
clorhing, II little way back from the river,
That same forenoon Freeman Hustled
n youth Of seventeen, WAS fishing on the
bank several miles above Woodlin's wher
lie heard turkeys in the bushes on tn,
opposite shore. Two girls OF fifteen anC
eighteen, named Ruth Miller and Harrie
Beakman, were with him. and were jok
ing him on his i'll success in fishing.
On hearing The turkeys, Freeman tolC
them he wonld have II turkey for each o
them in fifteen minutes. They were neal
the clearing of Mr.. Beakman. and his owr
boat and that of II neighbcr named Miller
We're drawn up close by.
Young Hustled stepped into one Of th'
canoes and poled across, for the water wa
then very low. The girls soon heard hin
fire his gun, as they thought.
Some time passed; he did not return
They supposed he was searching for ,
8, cond turkey. AT last they began calling
to him, and soon after Mrs. Beakman an,
some of The Younger children saw boti
girls get into the other canoe and paddle
OVER to the west bank. Ruth and llarrie
were both somewhat used to the canoes
The children heard them laughing, ant
the ratling and snlashing of the paddles
aS they went Hcros5.
They were never again seen alive. Lat
er in the day Mrs. Beakman becomin!
very uneasy about her daughter. Mr.
Beakman waded the river.at the "rips,"
little farther up, where the water wa
then not much more than waist deep, an
after Il brief search found the bodies q
the two girls close together. They ha
both been scaiped scarcely minute afte
they had lnughingly padded the cano
across.
A little farther up the sloping bank, j
front of Il thick clump of paw paw bushes
young Hustled lay dead
At their funeral day or two late
there was most ptiabe scene, for thes
young people had many friends, and Ruli
The oldest, was shortly to have betn maj
ried.
II he scene of this triple tragedy was bl
few miles below Wheeling Fort.
The next day or next but one, at abol
two clock in the afternoon, turkeys wei
heard across the river at the clearing OF
Mr.. Guthridge, some twenty miles belo
the Beakman place. As news travele
slowly from one isolated post and house
another, the Guthridges had rs yet hear
nothing of the sad fate OF Hustled and tt
girls.
MIR. Gulhrdge had boy of thirtee
named Casper, whom he had taught to fiji
bis rifle gun and 10 hunt. Instead OF 10
bidding him the use of the gun, he hi
taken great pains 10 teach him how
Shoot and how to charge the gun proper
and safely, as also how to SWIM.
Casper was bright, sharp by. with i
eye like young lynx. 1t was he th
heard the turkeys in the woods across Il
river.
MIR. Guthridge himself had gone o
into a back field after dinner to cut |
corn, leaving Casper to hew out II pig
trough from IL section of cottonwood 10!
for BESIDES teaching The lad to hunt al
swim. Mr.. Gulhridge had taught him no
to do all kinds of fam jobs. such as MIA
ing troughs. gates and ax-helves. :,
As Casper chopped and hacked nt
hn 4