The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-01-21
RESCUE FROM THE SIOUX

hLCOOE IhUM LIE OIUUA
On the Sd day of May, 1857, a pioneer on
the Solomon river, Kansas, heard the re-
ports of rifles to the west of him just as he
had finished breakfast His name was
Cherry, and his family consisted of wife
and two boys. Only one of the boys was at
home at the time. He was a lad of ~,
named John. The Indians had been surly
and menacing all winter, and every white
man knew that an outbreak was likely to
occur in the spring Believing that the
blow was about to fall Cherry closed and.
barrieaded the doors, and made ready to
hold out as long as possible.
Two hours passed quietly, and then the
settler argued that the firing must have
come from party of hunters. In order
| to satisfy himself on this point he slipped
| out of the back door into the brush. in
! tending to go up the river to the other
cabin. He had gone only a quarter of
mile when five Indians fired On him from
| an ambush. Every bullet, as they after
ward related, inflicted mortal wound.
| Cherry fell to the earth, but as they rushed
4 forward to scalp him lie killed the fore
most man with shot, and then drawing
his knife, he attacked the Others and cut
/ two of them badly before he fell down and
! died.
! The reports of the rifles warned Mrs
| Cherry of what had happened to her hus-
band. He had taken the rifle, while she
had shotgun and Johnny had single
barreled pistol. They did not have long
TO wait. A band of nine warriors came
toward the front of the house waving a
white shirt as flag of truce, and when
within ten feet of the door the leader
called to the occupants of the house:
eve no hurt you if you open door!'
'If you try to get in we shall shoot!' re-
piled Mrs. Cherry.
The Indians laughed in derision. and
four or five stepped forward to burst in
the door. Mrs. Cherry and Johnnie quiet
ly retreated to the back door, hoping to
get clear of the house, but as they opened
it two warriors were found there on guard.
Mother and son fired together and the two
men fell, but before the fugitives had run
a hundred yards they were overtaken The
first impulse of the Indians was to toma-
hawk them, but after a wrangle lasting
two or three minutes the lives of the pris-
oners were spared. They were taken back
to the house, their arms tied behind their
backs, and then, conducted by two war
riors, they set off for the west. The In
dams they had fired on at the door were
both dead before the party started This
made three warriors killed and two wound
ed by the Cherry family
Mrs. Cherry and Johnnie were taken to
the other settlers, whose name was Rob
inson. He had been shot down in his door,
and his wife and sister were prisoners
The house had been ransacked and set
afire, and one of the Indians had Robin
sons scalp at his girdle. The prisoners,
who now numbered four and were guarded
by only two men, were conducted along a
small creek which emptied into the Sol
ONION, and after marching about seven
miles were halted in a grove. The guards
offered them no violence, and they were al
lowed to talk with each other as they
walked along. The two Robinson women
were completely overcome, but Mrs. Cherry
and johnnie were full of courage and de-
termined to escape if possible.
The grove had been named as a rendez-
vous, and the four prisoners were the first
to reach it. One of the guards had an old
wound in the side, and about an hour after
reaching the grove he pulled off his shirt
to dress it. Mrs. Cherry's arms were so
securely bound that she could not release
them. They had been more careless in the
case of the boy. As the two Indians were
employed with the wound the lad worked
his arms loose and with an encouraging
nod from his mother he made rush for
the rifles. With one of them he shot the
wounded Indian dead The other was
wrested from him before he could fire, but
he turned and ran and got clear away,
lodging the bullet sent after him, and the
surviving Indian did net dare to pursue
him for fear the women would get away.
This brought the dead up to four. What
happened TO the lad after his escape no one
viii ever know, as no trace of him was
ever discovered. / myself was employed
for nearly six months searching for him
after peace came, but nothing came of it.
He was not killed as he wandered about,
neither was he retalsen. / believe he per-
ished On the plains from exhaustion.
The remaining Indian sat with his rife
across his knees and guarded the women
until band of seven or eight Of his COM
panions came up. They had as prisoners
two children belonging to family named /
Hsscall, woman named DeerIng and
boy 10 years old named Lswton. This boy
had been living with an uncle named /
Thomas, and both his aunt and uncle had /
been killed. In the raid on the settlers quite 4
a number of Indians had been killed and I
many wounded But for the efforts of the /
subchiefs all the prisoners would have 4
been tomshavked Abo@t ? o'clock in the 1
afternoon the party left the grove and /
headed to the northwest. All the lashings I
were cast of to enable the prisoners to /
Il rruarl Il
ing Mrs. Cherry managed 70 pick up and 1
secrete a hunting knife which had be- /
longed TO the Indian her boy shot After I.
travelling four hours the Indians made q /
lamp without fire, food or water. Here /
one Of the Indians attempted to outrage 1
Mrs. Cherry, and she gave him such a blow
across the throat with the keen edged /
knife that his head was almost severed /
from his body. She was olsarmed and 4
tied hand and foot, and the Indians prom
ised that she should be tortured for three
whole days before death came 20 ker relief.
l must now continue the Story from
different eUper1erca twenty DAYS xfrer
the party 81 prisoners had disappeared int
the Indian country / WAS engaged by the
father Of the Lavton boy and BY brother
Of Mrs. Cherry to make an effort TO End
and rescue them The northern add west
ern parts Of Kansas were then II the kAnds
Of the hostiles, many of the forts ana posts
oesieged, and there were 10 railroads 70
transport troops. Indeed, the letharEy OF
the government in re-enforcins the troops
stations greatly encouraged the
Indians and prolonged the war.
When ! cut loose from the frontier had
Is comrzde q scout and Indian fighter
named Reid We were mounted on fine
and speedy mules. had Winchester r.HAs