Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-01-21
RESCUE FROM TIE SIOUX

On the 3D. day of May, 1867, 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 a wife
and two boys. Only one of the boys was at
home at the time. He was a lad of II.
named John. The Indians had been surly
and menacing all winter, and every white
man knew that n outbreak was likely to
occur in the spring. Believing that the
blow was about to fall Cherry closed and
barricaded 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 so 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, rs they after
ward related, inflicted a NJ ortal wound.
Cherry fell to the earth, but rs they rushed
forward to scalp him he lied 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.
Cherry of what had happened to her hus-
band. He had taken the rifle, while she
had shotgun and Johnny had a 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:
I'VE no hurt you if you open door,
eff 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
1t two warriors were found there on guard
Mother and son fired together and the two
men fell, but before the fugitives had run
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 We're taken back
to the house, their arms tied behind their
backs, and then, conducted by two war
riors, they set of 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
lnson. He had been shot down in his door,
and his wife and sister were prisoners.
The house had been ransacled 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
small creek which emptied into the Sol
ONION, and after marching about seven
miles were halted in grove The guards
oHered them no violence, and they were al
lowed to talk with each OF her as they
walked along. The two Robinson women
were completely overcome, but Mrs. Cherry
and Johnnie were full of cou -age and de-
termined to escape if possible.
The grove had been named ms a rendez-
vous, and the four prisoners were the first
to reach 1t. 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 ca reless 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 a 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 not dare to pursue
MIN for fear the women would get away
This brought the dead up to four. What
happened to the lad after his escape no one
will ever know, as no trace of him was
ever discovered. l myself was employed
,-r,-- h.,
after peace came, but nothing came of it,
He was not killed as he wand cred about
neither was he retaken. l believe he per-
ished on the plains from exhaustion.
The remaining Indian sat with his rifle
across his knees and guarded the women
until q band of seven or eight of his COM
panions came up. They had as prisoners
two children belonging to ia mily named
Hascall woman named Deering and a
boy 10 years old named Lawton. 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
a number of Indians had been killed and
many wounded. But for the efforts of the
subchiefs all the prisoners would have
been tomahawked. About = o clock in the
afternoon the party left the grove and
headed to the northwest. All the lashings
were cast oil to enable the prisoners to
move faster and in the confusion of start
ing Mrs Cherry managed to pick up and
secrete hunting knife which had be-
longed to the Indian her boy shot After
travelling four hours the Indians made q
camp without fire, food or water. Here
one of the Indians attempted to outrage
Mrs. Cherry, and she gave him such blow
across the throat with the keen edged
knife that his head was almost severed
from his body She was dis armed and
tied hand and foot, and the Indians prom
ised that she should be torture for three
whole days before death came t 0 her relief.
must now continue the story from a