Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-10
rsPEcIAL TELEGRAM TO TEE DrsrAroz.i

rsPECIAL TELEeRAM TO TEE DrsPAroHi
SAN FRANCISCO, August "a T-Year-
old Indian boy from Alaska, who has just
arrived in this city, is q most appropriate,
subject for dime novel hero. His brief
experience of life is far enough removed
from the usual commonplace monotony Of,
childhood to furnish all that the most dar-
ing frontier novelist could demand. His
name is Tom and he is an Alaskan Prince,
the son of the chief of one of the Northern
tribes of that territory,
He had the misfortune to be born with
more sense than the members of the tribe
thought was natural and proper for boy
to have. For an Alaskan Indian he was
unusually bright, but intellect not being
held in as high esteem among the
Alaskan tribes as it is in some other
parts Of the world, his bright
ness caused him to be watched
with suspicion and disfavor. They
thought he must have dealings with the
evil one. It is not the first time that small
boys have been more or less seriously de-
clared to be in league with the gentleman
from below, but in this case the suspicion
was most serious and brought disastrous
consequences to poor Prince Tom.
ONE RESULT OF THE GRIP.
While the grip was on its journey around
the globe q few months ago it took in
Alaska in the course of its wanderIDgs, and
the savages clamored to their medicine man
for relief from their sneezing and quivering.
And they began to be still more suspicious
Of their bright little prince, and to feel
quite sure that it was Toms evil spirit that
was the matter with them,
The medicine man hustled around, looked
wise, and gave them pulverized lizard, and
when they still sneezed he looked solemn
and followed the dose up with beetles
mashed in fish oil, and when they still
shivered everybondy began to be certain
that it was Tom sure enough. Then the
medicine man himself took to his bed with
the grip, and he realized that he must make
a master stroke if he wanted to preserve
his reputation.
So he announced officially that the boy
was a sorcerer, in league with the evil one,
and.that he must be killed or everybody
else would die. The oldest men in the tribe
held council, drank kettle of hot whisky
and decided that the boy must be sacrificed.
TIED TO A STAKE.
But it might be possible that if he were
tied to a stake and tortured the spirit in
him would be brought 10 terms and the peo-
pie allowed to get well. So they tied the
little fellow naked to a stake, giving him
just enough to eat to keep him alive, while
they waited to see whether or not the
medicine man would live or die. If he got
| we'll it would be taken as proof that theI
spirit had been conquered and the little
| prince would be released.
If the old man died Tom was to be burned
alive. In the meantime the news spread
through all the neighboring ribes that the
young sorcerer who was responsible for all
their sneezing and shivering was to
be sacrificed, and that then every
the ears Of certain Captsin William
Brown, who had sailed for Alaska from San
Francisco about April 1, and who was then
travelling into the very heart of that wild
region prospecting for mines. He had with.
him q half dozen white men and some In
dians, and he decided at once that he would
20 10 the rescue of the little doomed
chieftisn.
They travelled day and night, and reached
the place in the evening before the fires
were TO be lighted, for the old medicine man
had grown worse, and on the eighth day it
was evident he would die If something was
not done. The 7-year-old lad had been tied to
the stake seven days and nights, and the
built around him and he was to be burned
alive.
A DARING RESCUE. =
Captain Brown and his men hid in the
darkness, crept on their hands and knees as
near as the fated spot as they dare, and
waited for the savages to get through singing
their death songs, and go to sleep. Then
the Captain crawled up to the boy and cut
him loose. He was so cold and stiff that
when the thongs that bound him were cut
ne could not stand. The Captain caught
him in his arms and hurried away. Then
one of the Indians awoke and gave the
alarm.
For a minute it looked as if there would
be general massacre. Then the Captains
men rushed forward with drawn revolvers
and Winchesters and covered the saYagcs,
while the Captain marched of with
his prize. When the Indians got
over their first rage they philosophi-
cally concluded that if the boy was gone his
spirit went with him and that it was good
riddance. The party made forced march
to the coast and took the first steamer which
carried them to Victoria, whence they came
on the Umatilla to this port.
The boy is a very bright, interesting and
prepossessing little lad, and is so curious
over all his new surroundings aud so thank
full to have escaped horrible death that
he feels no homesickness and has no
desire to return to his tribe. He is
to be educated here and his lot henceforth 10
to be among civilized people, who, while
they may individually play him mean tricks
once in while, will not collectively burn