Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-02-24
TOM HEMPER'S ESCAPE.

"a Tom Hemper from the vengeance OF
H. Comauche Indians fifteen or sixteen
~ aors ago has been discussed in many q
aStern fort and around many hunters
IN fire That his adventures were
no in every particular can be vouched
~ Nv n dozen living persons today, though
IA rom himself was wiped out dozen
ears ago. He was a scout, hunter and
rrde and he took a party of amateur
Snntcrs and sportsmen from Santa Fe
avn the Canadian river into Texas and
m land of the Comanches. The party
rumbered twenty-five men, some Of them
beine English tourists, and they were I'M
J,stnrbed for two weeks after getting
Sown to what is called the great elbow Of
M Canadian Then Indian signs became
rorv fresh, and one morning old Tom
started out on a scout Two other old
hunters with the party remained In
camp.
the Canadian runs alongside of noun
tain range for several hundred miles, and
this range is broken with many small val
leys and creeks. Tom went to the east as
he left camp, keeping between the foot
hills and the river. He was on foot and
alert but after walk OF an hour he dis
covered no signs and had to conclude that
the lIl0laLS Ldu IIU'l1 bilt OlIlcF
direction. Just as he was on the point Of
turning back he found spring of ice cold
water. and had to lie down on his stomach
to reach it and satisfy his thirst He was
drinking when something alighted on his
back His first thought was that it was
panther. but next instant he saw the
leggings of red skin and knew that he
was a prisoner. When pulled to his feet
he found himself in the presence of three
Comanches, who were out after game.
His great surprise seemed to please them
immensely, but they offered him no vio-
lence whatever He was first disarmed,
his hands then tied behind his back, and
the Indians gave him to understand that
he was to accompany them to their village.
While there was no Indian war OF that
time, the savages were hostile to any and
all white men who invaded their domain,
and old Tom swiftly realized that he was
In bad scrape He could speak and
understood the Comanche dialect with per-
feet ease but this fact he kept to himself.
As they moved away one of his captors
said:
'He is an old hunter, and we shall have
good time burning him. He is probably
the leader of the party below"
I'VE went out after a deer and captured
n white man, laughed the one addressed.
4 keep your eyes on him, for he is evil
IDENTIFY as brave as bear and as strong az
a horse"
Il The prisoner was conducted about three
q miles up the river and a mile to the east,
a at which point Comanche village was
d located, 1t was in valley about three
miles long and mile wide, and contained
4 sixty or seventy lodges. Nearly all the
& warriors of the village were away watch
ing the white party, but as soon as the
4 prisoner entered the village messenger
was dispatched to bring them in. Before
noon all had returned, and there was
great rejoicing over the capture of the
hunter. The head chief of the tribe was
expected at the camp on the morrow, and
1t was decided not to do anything with the
prisoner until his arrival.
Tom was showed into lodge and three
q warriors placed on guard over him. While
n they evidently feared him, they at the
4 same time wanted to keep him fresh and
strong for the fun" next day, and they
therefore gave him plenty to eat and
arlnk and did not even tie his hands. He
realized what was in store for him If he
could not make his escape, but any at
Il tempt to take French leave with three
IA ""AAioio vi SuttII WOuiu nave Dctn MS
death. Every five or six minutes one of
tnem looked into the lodge, and until a
late hour of the night the whole populace
were on the move and helping to keep
watch. All thoughts of attacking the
party below were given up for the time
oeihg, and every one looked forward to
lhe entertainment on the morrow. Tom
neara the fiends discussing in what ways
they should torture him. One of the
guards said that he had seen white man
\ nahs up to limb with stick thrust
Il through the bones of his legs, as the
.hrmer hangs up slaughtered hog, and
mat he lived for half day. One wanted
osKn him alive, another believed in
sow IRE, and almost every one who came
up naa suggestion to make. twas con-
tiuuea that he would die game, and that
As ~, equal mad not been captured for years.
seeing there was no chance of escape
n !us' .hef said Old Tom, 81 made up my
s a.lu there was no use fretting over the
sn se' anu l took things easy. / ate hear
si!i ana about 10 o'clock at night turned
~ anu slept like brick until after day
sne l intended to take advantage of the
WI WI! nrst opening, and knew that would
NY come before l was led out in the
r ,nO.nlns Where they set out to have a
,Ieul'r holiday over prisoner, running
o orS sauhtlet is always the first thing in
bolt.n 'Ao ohis opportunity W
az was D s'clock next morning before
NO. h,u NY ehlef and his staff arrived, and an
Tb a' later the prisoner was brought out.
~, .ne warriors had arranged themselves in
s smu ules and We're armed with clubs and
NJ rS Old Tom was taken to the head
speaf hInes, and warrior who could
st.nJ a. NIUE English made him under
Gna u mat he was to run to the foot of the
ma auu return, and that if he ran fast
bia strong he would be set at liberty on
bn, ' ~ This was all stuff, of course,
onar ~ Always given out to every pris-
mn, ., 70 encourage him. The chief called
basa 'ne men not to hit the prisoner too
Ton u' ana all was ready for the start.
NV Intended to -heel square about and
sIa ior The river. There was not one
far. .ise IN thousand for him, but he pre-
,o,., ueath by the bullet to death by
his r,' lie was even bracing himself for
all "hen there were shouts of alarm
how 1u MN, and he saw two Indian
'onlng down the valley on horse
waa wax making signs as they came. Tom
wss n am back to the lodge, the village
stt. al excitement, and in five minutes
Tan H ~afriors We're riding up the valley.
sron.i nsured that some of his party were
thar around to learn his fate, and that
baaa nau come into the valley and had
Az aa seen by the village sentinels. This,
rcct sas Mterward ascertained, was the cor
nv IN supposition.