Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1888-03-24
THE cow BOY PREACHER.


now preaching in East Dallas, gives
the following history of his life
/ was born in San Francisco coun-
ty, Missouri, and at an early age
came to Texas, accompanied by my
uncle, Sam Crowley, with whom |
then lived, A few months after CON-
ing to Texas drifted away from my
uncle and wandered out West. There
/ fell in among cowboys, hunters,
trappers and Indian traders. Being
small boy-an orphan with no one
to protect mel was subject to all
kinds of kicks and cuffs from the
frontier rufflans. / got tired of this
and made the acquaintance of some
Comanche Indians who came into
the country to trade, and | deter
mined to leave the white people and
go among the Comanches. Leaving
the white men one morning l struck
out on foot for the Indian camp,
which was in sight. Arriving there
/ was received and treated kindly.
This was something was not used
to. The white men had never treat
ed me thus, and / was determined to
return to them no more remained
among the Indians for several years.
l threw aside my own clothing and
adopted that of the Comanches. My
hair grew out, my face, which was so
sun-tanned that it could hardly be
called white, was painted. Altogeth-
er / looked rather "Injun," and it
was not long until / had mastered
considerable of the vernacular. The
Indians loved me and would deprive
themselves of comfort for my sake
but one thing was laid down to me
very clearly, and that was not to try
to escape, or l might suffer for it.
After residing among the Indians
some years, on and off the reserva-
ton, upon hunts and the warpath, |
managed to get separated from them
against my will, for by this time |
had become so attached to them that
| did not want to leave.
L finally got lost from the tribe
somewhere south of the Horse Head
crossing on the Pecos river, and the
next day ran upon ranch outfit.
The ranchmen took me for an lndi-
an until / explained that | was a
white man, and they then suspected
me Of being spy. After explaining
that / was not, they, with caution,
permitted me to remain at the camp
that night. | staid there several
days, hunting cattle and helping
around the ranch, until finally Mr..
Ruin, the owner of the cattle, gave
me Job at herding, while the "boys"
kept their eyes peeled. They knew
that if l was a spy that they had
nothing to fear so long as remain
ed with them and had communication
with no one. / was with them six
months. ,Afterward, in July, 1875,
went to Fort Griffin, and now occur
red one of the most remarkable cpl
sodes in my career. Judge w. IL.
Ledbetter, who in 1866 had boy
stolen by the Indians, claimed that |
was the stolen boy. | was convinc-
ed of it against my will, and for three
years went by the name Of Ledb9t-
ter. Having discovered the mistake
| made trip to Missouri in 1881
and there | met all my mothers peo-
pie, after first having come across
Sam Crowley, the uncle with whom |
had come to Texas. In Missouri /
found that l had forgotten my peo-
pie, and / there secured chain of
evidence which has never been brok-
en- by the Ledbetters, who still claim
me as their son. Having remained
in Missouri year, returned to
Texas and went on the range, where
| punched cows" until 1888. ! left
the frontier in the fall of 1884, and
undertook-that is, / tried to under