Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-11-30
LIrTLEDEER ANDwHITEEAGLE
A Half-Breed Indian and His White
Slave.

slave
NOrthfOrd is a rural hamlet a few miles
from New Haven, says a Hartford
Conn special, and even in thickly-
settled Connecticut has but a scattered
population Of farmers. Their petty crops
| are in and they have abundant time to
perch on cracker barrels in the village
store, white pinesticks, and discuss the
mystery which has recently arisen in
their midst. On the North GuilfOrd pike
! is a tumble-down old red house, into
which two strange occupants have just
moved their scanty belonging. The man
calls himself ''Little Deer, "and purports to
1 be full-blOOded Indian, but there are stray
| traces Of the negro in his face and ways.
/ However, he betrays Indian characters
I tics in his aversion to labor and his
rowing habits, with gun or fisning-rOd in
! hand. He is a dead shot, and reaps some
profit from his captures of small game
| with which the region ab0unds. He has
! lived in the county for two or three years,
and public attention was first attracted
to him last December, when he inhabited
rude hut on Totoket hill, mountainous
elevation in the adjacent town of North
Guilford. In the month named Eldredge +.
Johnson, weIl-to-dO farmer residing in
the vicinity, was mysteriOusly murdered,
and suspicion rested on Little Deer. No
proofs could be discovered, and, after
vainly questioning the fellow and getting
only surly monosylabic replies, the
| authorities turned to other clews.
lnhabiting the hut with him at that
time was a young woman whom no one
recOllected ever having seen until the
authorities visited the place. He called
her White Eagle, and claimed that she
Z rr~nu "a rxrffn hn Tu f~I ao1f
blonde, quite pretty, with large blue eyes,
fair skin, and pearly teeth. She refused
to answer any questions at the time CT
the inquiry into the murder, and her hus-
band gave the impression that she was
mute. Where the couple came from or
how long they had inhabited the hut on
TOtOket Mountain was never ascertained.
The NoTthiOrd gossips have been more
fortunate in probing the mystery, and to
their surprise have discovered that the
woman is not dumb and that she speaks
English, although with the errors of an
uneducated person. She has been given
occasional work by the farmers wives in
the neighbOThocd, and their persistent
questioning has yielded fruit, although
the poor woman is reluctant 10 speak of
herself and manlfests great fear OF her
lord and master. She says that in the
old house where they live, which was
years ago the home Of the ancestors Of
Gov. HOadlv of Ohio, the greatest destitu-
ton prevails. The couple have no furni-
tuTe, and eat and sleep on the floor, with
only a few old rags for covering. Food is
always scarce, aud she seldom has full
meal excepting when Given her by those
who employ her. Little Deer treats Ter
brutally at times, yet with this and her
miserable life present and before her she
refuses to change her condition, or leave
him. The fact appears TO be that she has
been so long under brutal subsection that
she fears him abjectly. Regarding her
past, it can only be ascertained that her
mother is living, and that she has a
brother who is a teacher in or near West !
field, Mass. She is %, and Little Deer
about ten years older.
The conclusion reached by the North
ford people is that the affair is the result
Of disgraceful runaway match. A few
years ago there occurred in Western Mas |
sachusetts two cases of elOpement Of
white girls with negroes employed on
their fathers farms, and it is possible |
that this is one of the couples. Since |
their affairs have been aired lately, the !
man has intimated that he married the |
girl in Canada. Direct questioning he /
resents or maintains moody silence. The |
authorities have been requested to investi- !
gate the mystery, but have no ground |
upon which TO take action, unless the |
man is detected in some violation Of law. |
He cannot be reached under the Yagrancy |
act, as he refrains from asking assistance |
from any one. His brutality to his white |
slave, if he can be caught in the act, is /
what the authorities will rely upon for a /
prosecution. Once brought before the |
village court there will be some Opportu- |
nifty of ascertaining the facts and releasing |
the woman from her wretched life.