The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1889-05-25
AN INDIANS WRATH.

Several years ago my husband built
and conducted hotel for the accom-
mediation of the miners and teamsters at
the terminal point of one of our Cali
fornia railroads. Like many other
small towns in the northern portion |
of the state, it boasted of an Indian |
rancherie, or settlement, within its en-
vironments, the half civilized inhabit- |
ants of which played a more or less inn |
portant part in its local history. With |
few exceptions they were a moderately |
peaceful, industrious community, the |
men spending their time in hunting |
and fishing, and the women doing the |
drudgery, such as procuring fuel for
their fires, the laundry work of their
white peighbors, etc. Every now and
then, however, the wild nature of the
red men, either through the medium of
fire water or intense passion, would be-
come aroused; and at such times crimes
of varying degrees of enormity were
almost certain to be the result.
! We had one child, bright little fell
low about years old, who, by reason of
his cute, babyish antics, had become a
| great favorite with the patrons of the
hotel; and they, as token of their af-
fection, presented him on his second
birthday with a diminutive iron bank,
in which each of the miners and team
sters had dropped a silver dollar AS day
after day came and went, dollar after
dollar found its way into the little treas
ure box, till it became so heavy that
baby could no longer lift it, and placed
it for safe keeping upon bracket in my
dressing room.
One evening, after old Julia, the In
dian woman, who did our laundrying
once a week, had performed her usual
hard days washing, it occurred to me
that had done very careless thing in
permitting her to go into my room for
i the soiled clothes, and, knowing the pro
pensity of her race to steal, at once
proceeded to ascertain whether anything
was missing Baby's bank was. gone!
Old Julia had stolen it,
1t was too late to do anything that day,
but early the next morning we had their
hut searched, with the result that frag-
ments of the broken bank were found,
but no money They were bountifully
supplied with provisions, however, and
inquiry at one of the stores elected the
fact that large bill of goods such as we
had found had been purchased there the
evening before by old Julia and her
spouse. The woman was accordingly
arrested, and, after being convicted was
sent to the county Jail in the adjoining
town for term of three months.
Many predicted that this would not be
, the end of the affair, as the woman's
: husband was dangerous character, and
o might seek to avenge his wife's imprison-
. ment; but neither my husband nor my
self shared their fears, and the matter
was forgotten after day or two.
y One day, about fortnight after Julia's
conviction, was assisting the dining
room girls to prepare the table for
luncheon, when suddenly the sound of a
:, low, cultural, threatening voice at the
window drew my attention. Lookingup,
startled and frightened, beheld a saw
age, hideous looking Indian glaring in at
me. II was Indian Jack, old Julia's hus
band.
Seeing my frightened look, he ad
vanced still closer, put his swarthy face
: in at the open window and, shaking his
r. fist at me, grunted out, "You no give me
back my Julia, me kill you pretty soonr
had him driven off at once, and as
watched him slowly making his way
back to the rancherie on the river bank
half mile to the rear of our house, anC
saw his threatening, angry gestures,
confess was badly frightened. Thii
n feeling soon wore off, however, and al
my husband was inclined to think it NJ
S,f l,,H L. ,-,os
quite forgotten by the time luncheonwa
over.
That afternoon the table girls wen
out in the woods for ferns; the cook ais
was out, and as my husband was seldom
Il about the house except at meals, wa
N for the time being alone. Towhile ava.
" the time / picked up paper, and wa
" just becoming interested in some articl
"A when l was startled by loud, fright
VA ened scream from my little boy, VIII
"A was playing in the back yard. Spring
n ing up ran to the window, just in tim
IA to see Indian Jack snatch up my child i
q his arms and hasten away in the chap
arral A terrible, frightful thought in
:, stantly flashed through my mind II
II was going to avenge the incarceration c
- his wife by taking the life of my pool
innocent boy
There was no help at hand; if he wa
!. saved, alone must save him, and wit
= desperate hope spurring me on,
bounded out of the door in frantic, d.
termined pursuit.
Believing his movements had been III
observed, the Indian had not made &
re hurried flight as he might have dom
and before half the distance to the rancl
erie had been travelled 1 was close benin
him.
n Bring back my boyr cried ] in fraI
u tic tones. "Kill me if you will, bl
spare my childr
An angry grunt was his only rep
~ upon finding me in pursuit, and placir
W. his hand over the baby's mouth to ST
=, his piteous cries, he quickened his pa
. so as to keep out of my way.
Stin I ran on, begging in sobbiI
tones for my child but if it had any
\ feet at all upon the fiendish brute it W
, to encourage him in his horrid purpo
for now and then he would pause, 10
back with an exultant, devilish expr
sion on his hideous face, and then swl
ger off again with low, gloati
.or chuckle that pierced my heart like
dagger.
. In this manner the race was kept
Two until his hut was reached, when
nful bounded inside, closed the door with
The bang, and then locked il. In vaiI
cipe Pounueo upon 'ne uooi' Desseu' ~