The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-21

the DiowS That Tell upon MS BACK before ne nnaly
succeeded In reaching the lodge. The run
ming of the gauntlet was only the prelude to
more tragic ordeal through which they were
| TO finally pass. A council of the chiefs was
forthwith called to decide the fate OF the pris-
oners. There were q number of noisy speeches,
p,snctuated with violent OSCILLATIONS and angry
/ looks. The council ended however. without
| any conclusion being reached. The prisoners
were told that their fate would not be decided
until the arrival of other chiefs from the Scioto
| and Big Miami, who were expected within o few
days
BURNED AT THE STAKE.
| In the meantime Hinton determined to make
his escape He whispered his intentions to his
companions. He knew, he said, that the chances
were against him, and that if recaptured he
would be Immediately killed. Rue and Holman
demonstrated against his making the attempt as
| hazardous in the extreme The announcement
ran through the village one morning soon after
| wards that Hinton had escaped, taking with him
| the gun and accoutrements of one of
| the savages The Indians were furious and
the remaining captives were menaced with in
slant death by the exasperated savages. A party
| of warriors Immediately started in pursuit of
| the fugitive. 1t expected that he would be
| intercepted on the trail between Chillicothe and
Sandusky, and eight of the party started for that
| point. While stealthily creeping through the
forest in the early evening, frequently hating to
| his enemies, he ran into an ambush and was re-
captured. He was told to prepare for immediate
DEATH as he would be burned ut the stake dur
| ing the night He pleaded piteeusly for his
| life--not for his own sake, bnt for the sake of
| his wife and children, for whom he had endeav-
| ored to escape from captivity. His captors,
| however, were memorable. He was bound to
| tree and burning fagots were piled about him.
| For three hours the savages danced about
| him, yelling and brandishing their
| weapons, before he died from the effects of the
| slow, intense heat AS he sank to the ground,
I the savage who had first seen him in the evening,
| with frightful yell crushed the skull of the
! dead man with his tomahawk and took his scalp
| as trophy. When it was brought back to the
! village it was tauntingly thrust in the faces of
/ Rue and Holman, and they were warned that if
| they attempted to escape they would be treated
IN the same way.
| RESCUED FROM A HORRIBLE DEATH.
| 1t was not long after that general
rendezvous of all the Indians in the
/ Northwest Territory was ordered at De-
trot, where Girty proceeded with large num-
Der of his warriors and the prisoners After three
days of marching the party approached an Indian
village on the Maumee river, and it was de-
| termined that the prisoners should here be
compelled to again run the gauntlet for the
amusement of the savages after which it
was decided to hold council to decide the fate
of Rue and Holman. The punishment which
| was inflicted upon them during the running of
| the gauntlet was as severe as they could endure,
| and it was only after being repeatedly Knocked
down that they finally succeeded in getting
| through the lines, badly bruised and bleeding
profusely. The usual feast was then spread.
! followed by scalp Dance" in which all the
warriors participated, and the council on the
| lives OF the prisoners began After sitting in
| silence for several moments, and smoking their
| pipes, the oldest chief arose and addressed the
| warriors in an animated style. He was followed
| one after another by the warriors until all had
| spoken At times the debate was stormy, and it
4 was with difficulty that the presiding sachem
could keep order. The vote was finally taken
and it was evident to the prisoners that
| we're verdict had been rendered against them.
| A half hour afterwards Girty came to them
/ and told them that they to
| be- burned at the stake that night The
| preparations for their death were begun Fagots
were piled about two stakes and the faces of the
prisoners, in accordance with the usual custom,
| were backened. While the preparations were
! ia progress there appeared to be great excite
| ment about the council house. 1t was evident
| from the loud words and angry gesticulations
| that there was not unauimlty or sentiment
| among the members Of the council At pause
| IN the wrangle an Indian approached the guards
| Of the prisoners and spoke a few words in the
Mingo language to them. The cords which
| bound Holman were then cut and he was lifted
to his feet. The Indian who had ordered his
release said TO him: II adopt you as my SOD, to
| fill the place of one have lately buried. You
are now kinsman of Logan, the white mans
friend" The words were interpreted by Girty.
with evident reluctance.
The preparations for the burning of Rue con-
| tinued. He was bound to the stake. and
! the savages were about to light the fagots
| around him when. young Shawnee
approached and released him from
| his perileus position defying the angry savases
who protested against his lawless action. The
| action of the council and the threatened death
| of the eaptives are believed to have been III the
| nature of mock proceedings for terrifying the
two young men before adopting them into the
| tribe.
| ESCAPE FROM CAPTIVITY.
Rue and Holman were in captivity among the
Indians more than two years before they found
a favorable opportunity for escaping. The
Indian warriors had again gathered at Detroit
| for general conference, and the tribes were
indulging in drunken revelry. 1t afforded them
a chance for flight and before daylight they
were hurrying through the wilderness in the
direction of Louisville. They travelled all day
| and all night, encamping the following morning
| in thlcket surrounded almost entirely by
swamp At night they resumed their journey,
guided in their course by the stars and
| the moss on the north side of the
trees Thus they travelled for several
| days, not daring to shoot game, for
! fear that the report of the gun would reveal
their hiding place to the Indians whom they
| knew would De pursuing them. After three
days of travel without any food but the little
| they succeeded in stealing before leaving the
village, they began to grow weak from hunger,
and the fear of starvation compelled them to
| turn aside to hunt for game A day. however,
passed without finding any. They were becom-
! ing desperate. They had become so exhausted
| from need of food and from fatigue that they
| could no longer proceed rapidly. 1t seemed
| that their death from starvation was inevitable.
| On the fifth day deer ran past their hiding
| Mace and it was shot by Holman. They were
enabled to resume their journey with renewed
energy and courage. The twentieth day of their
! travel brought them to the Ohio river, fifty
miles above the falls They built a raft, on
which they hoated down the stream, reaching
| Louisville in safety. Their friends had sup
posed that they were dead. The brother
| in-law of Rue had administered his estate, and
| sold four acre lot belonging to him, which was