Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-08-17

peace. JOEL How could 1 know?
Besides, is not Miss McRea my be
trOthed2"
'eThe more fool and traitor Tory
knave thou theni" rOared the other,
half beside himself BY Jupiter, Ed
ward Jones! 1t would be q dark
Nemesie upon you were your sweet
mistress unthinking lus6 words Tor
yOu to come true and her whole head
Ofhair to reach you, as q trOth-phghU
tress, dangling from a wampum belt
Jones recOiied, and then found re-
fuge In kindred anger.
you're a-rebel spy, Joe Stan
dish!' he replied. 81 give you, out OF
the old fellowship you're undeserving
of, one hour IN which to quit this
camp, on peril of short shrift and
hangman' S nOOsei''
Indignant as he was, the young
Continental lost no time in accept
inc the hint, and taking to the woods.
His wild words to the Troy ieuten-
ant We're to receive q terribly tragic
verificatiOn such as he could not
dream of.
At dawn of the next day he was set
upon by a Hessian soldier, lost in
gle that ensued, Joel killed the Hes
sian.
Two hours later, having apprOpri-
ated the mercenary's uniform, the
better to mask his identity, he was
captured by a band of Indians in
their war paint, and held over as q
possibly suspicious character.
Shortly after this, while they were at
their campfire breakfast, they We're
Joined by another savage band. haY-
ING among them Mrs. O'Neil and Miss
AcRea as prisoners. The spy was
not recognized in his Hessiah garb,
and, much to the mitigation Of his
affection att this unWelcOme discovery,
presently learned from some pluckY
and scOrnful words that the widow
let fall to her chief captOr, who could
speak good English, that Clara and
the two negro servants had succeeded
in cOncedling themselves successfully
from the raid on the Fort Edward
cottage. and that his bethrOthed was
probably secured from harm.
A portion of the newcomers pres
entity started for Frazer's camp,
taking Mrs. O'Neil with them, but
leaving Jenny behind at theinsistence
Of two young chiefs, who seemed at
the same time struck by her rare
beauty
What followed is Il matter Of his
tOTy, and young Standish was the
eyewitness.
A terrible dispute arose between
the rivals chiefs, and at last they fell
TO belabOring one another with the
stocks of their muskets. One Ofthem
subsequently, in a towering rage,
suddenly stepped up to the beautiful
captive, and discharged his musket
full at her breast. She fell dead in
5tantly- The savage then drew his
hunting-knife. and, after stabbing
his rival to death, took off the young
WOman's scalp 50 slilfully that near
ly the whole Of her long sunny hair
came off with it.
When the savage band entered Gen.
Frazer's camp a few hours latter, it
chanced that, Just as Mrs. O'Neil re
eOgnized with a shrek the scalp dang
ting at the chieftain's belt, the red
cOundrel himself shook it triumph
antly alOft and directly in Edward
Jones' face.
Livid with horror, the Troy lieu
tenant Drained the savage with a
pistol shot; snatched the hair, Ga
trOth-plight tress at last, Utin what
awful guise!) to his breast and faint
ed away.
1t is only known Ofhim subsequent
" that shortly after this he retired
into Canada, where he lived to be an
old man, never marrying solitary,
melancholy recluse, cherishing to the
md the sOmbre rOcOllectiOns OfWhich
the golden scalp Ofhair was the tragic
token.
Mrs. O'Nei was at once set at lib
arty, and Joel Standish reiOined the
Continental army on the same day.
Clara O'Neil and he We're happily
married at the close of the war, and
numbers Of their descendants are still
living.
The murder Of Jane McRea was of
historical Importance, and is said to
have contributed not a little to the
frenZied valOr that achieved the VIC
tories OfBemis Heights shortly there
after; though it is not with the fullest
Justice that Gen BurgOyne has been
charged with the responsibility Of
the crime since, in employing the saw
ages as allies, he was but the military
instrument carrying out the com
mands of his superiOrs. The story
went Ike Wildfre; it aroused the en-
tire northern country as no other
appeal could have done; and TOFyisn
was thencefOrth more obnoxious than
ever with Americans TheharrOWing
tale was told by Edmund Burke in
the British House of Commons, and
soon became q familiar story through
out Europe
Jenny's grave still stands near the
ruins Of Fort Edward. marked by a
-.Insr r-Llta rnar.hIa sIan r-ith The