The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-01-03
A HEROINE'S CAREER.
The Incidents in the Tragic but most Heroic
Life of Anna Meeker.

National Republican, Monday.
Anna Meeker died at her clearinghouse
in the northwestern part of the city last
Saturday morning, after a very brief Illness
Of pneumonia. The life thus ended was one
OF the most tragic and yet most heroic order
1t was patiently lived, and its sharp termina-
tion though sad enough, was one OF its most
grateful points. Every one remembers the
Ute outbreak little more than two years
ago in which Agent Meeker was murdered
The girl who died last Saturday was Agent
Meekers daughter. For some time previous
to her father appointment to office the fam
lily had been in closely straighted circum-
stances. Anna lad been employed in a tent
and awning makers establishment at Den
yer, where the amount OF labor she was
obliged to perform was unduly large in pro-
portion to the amount OF money she re-
Ceived for performing it. When
her father took charge of the agency
she decided to go there with him. One OF
her friends an elderly gentleman now living
in Washington, warned her against this step
! representing the da gers and hardships of
existence on that remote frontier, among
savnges of cruel and surly character. 81
will GO all the same" she answered him.
If mother can stand it, l can, and she will
want my companionship, for she is old, and
it will be very lonesome and very hard for
her ont there and she went.
The life was hard enough, but by her own
accounts of it they got on very well and even
happily. until one day there came a horror
that made their little corner of the noun
tains fearful forever in the memory of the
whole country. On that bloody morning
Anna Meeker saw her father butchered. and
her mother SUI fer far worse than death be-
fore his dying eyes The whole story of
what was then done never has been, and
never can be told. 1t comes back now,
brought up by this last result of it, with a
pity and a terror in it none the
less vivid by reason of the time
that has interviewed Anna was car
ried off by the Indians. and for weeks
that must have been ages of DESPAIR, she was
kept captive among them, subject to treat
ment brutal beyond all thought, much less
all naming. When at last she got away her
health. that never had been sound, was hope
lessly broken, and burdened with infections
from which there could be no escape short of
the grave AT first she was taken up by some
of those sentimentalistS, who are never lack
ing in attention to a new object where no.
toriety is involved, hut when public interest
began to slacken, and no more talk was to be
had out OF connection with her case these
people gradually wore away and left her, all
alone in the world as she was to fight for
herself as best she might. Somehow she got
to Washington, ard here for months sick
and starving, she struggled to find some
means by which she might maintain herself.
1t would have been well enough with her
had not the ladies who at first interested
themselves in her behalf, rich and comfort
able ladies, who should have had humanity
enough to consider the question of her utter
innocence and helplessness, dropped her as
soon rs they learned the nature OF the
troubles she had known among her captors,
| Then after all manner OF diSheartening diff
culties, she found a minor place in one of
the bureaus of the Interior Department,
which she held until Mr.. Teller became Sec
rotary, To Mr.. Teller, who had known her
father, and who knew her story, she APP
pealed, and in compassion for her hapless
state he promoted her to place in his own
Office which she held during the brief re-
mandcr of her days. Whoever has had oc-
casion of late to pass through the small room
between the office of the Secretary and that
of the Assistant Secretary may have noticed