The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-12-21
ARoMANCE OF THE FonEsT.
story OF an Abducted Child Told BY a
Dying Indian.


OTTAWA, oAS, December 2O.-Indian
report buffalo very numerous between Gy
press Hills and the south branch OF tn
Saskatchewan, and that they are travelling
inward, A great many are being killed
and hunters are saving. every pound o
meat, News from the northwest Terrific
ries says: Sometime ago war party Of SOl
Black Feet and 800 Crees left for Low
River on the warpath across the line agains
the Crows, A large number is said to have
been killed. An old and well known In
dian, who has Just died, before his death
made confession which entirely cleared
up what had been u fearful mystery for q
half century, Fifty years ago Nicholas
Garland, pioneer, took tract Of land
situated in what is now the township oi
Beckwith, In the county OF Lanouk, built q
cabin upon itand proceeded to clear away
the dense forest Standing upon the tract.
At that time he had vile and one small
child, very pretty little girl named Alice.
One day Alice did not return from the
edge OF the clearing, where she had been
playing with two other C. ildren, An alarm
was raised and all the wOOdmen In the
country thereabOuts joined In q search
which lasted for many days, but resulted
in no clew TO the missing child, and the
general verdict arrived ut by the hunters
was that Alice had been carried of and
devoured by one Of the bears with which
the country then abounded. The conclu-
sion seemed to be Corrobonted by the
discovery Of some clean, small
bones few months aiterward In n
deep hollow couple Of miles from Gar.
lands cabin. They were gathered careful.
ly together and buried by the father and
mother Of Alice near their home, all the
people for miles around attending the fu.
neral, which was the first ever held in that
section by tho whites. The loss OF her
child and the terrible strain OF the long
suspense, and the ghastly discovery subse'
quGnt, broke down tho strong constitution
OF Mrs. Garland, and she died with u
broken heart not long after the funer =.
Mr.. Garland, after his wife's death, became
hard and ascetic, never referred to his
trouble, never associated with his neigh.
bOrs, and has ever since lived u hermit
in the cabin he first built. This
old Indian, who died yesterday,
however, says that ho saw Alice
on that day when she was playing
with her companions on the clearing, be-
came fascinated with her childish beauty
and carried her away and raised her US one
Of his own in his family. When she be-
came marrlNgeable she was thoroughly In.
diani2ed and her abduCtor managed 10
have her married to one OF his sons. She
Is now living in Bruce county, and is the
mother Of large family. She has never
shown that she had any recollection Of her
parents or home, and appears happy, The
dying Indian said that 80 well llad she
been cared for that lie believed no one
could have convinced her Of her real ori.
gin or induced her to change her lot, ind
he added that no ono but himself and the
son who married her wls ever made ac.
quainted with her history The confession
is believed to be true, and has caused
profound sensation.