The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-17
THE STORY OF a BTRTRMARK.
An Explanation of a Peculiar Scar
Found on the Face of an Indian Who
Died in Canada.
From the Norwich Telegraph,

From the Norwich Telegraph.
One day this week the exchange editor
saw in Canadian paper an account of an
aged Indian falling from an embankment
and breaking his neck. This paper adds
that the old mans face was disfigured by
a terrible scar, which resembled a hunt
ing knife. There was not much to attract
the attention of the casual newspaper
reader, and nothing that would, ordinar-
lily. hold the glance of man who reads
hundreds of such items every day. But
the description of the man and the man
ner of his death brought to the mind of
the editor story as romantic as any
Cooper tells.
One Sunday in the late summer Of '93
the newspaper man started for tramp in
the country. His walk took him up the
road that leads to South New Berlin and
also to Chenango lake. Every resident OF
Norwich knows Of the little ravine on the
north side OF and far below this road, a
short distance east from the main river
road. 1t is a narrow, shady crevice in the
rocks. On the southern side is a bank or
terrace about fifteen feet high. at the foot
of which, over bed of rocks, shallow
lazy stream wanders on its way TO the
river, little distance below
Walking through the ravine the writer
saw, lying in the water, what he thought
Il mas
tened to investigate. and found il was
indeed man that he saw, but DE was not
dead, only stunned as if by fall, or he
might have tainted. Turning the man
over on his back the newspaper man was
Mortified at the fearfully Scared face.
He saw what was the exact image of an
Indians hunting knife, starting with the
handle near the right temple and extend
ing clear across the face. The man was
evidently of Indian blood, and very old.
A little water brought him to conscious,
ness, and he told this story, first exactinq
promise that it should never be repeated
till he was dead:
MY father, said he, ''has often told
me the story of my birth and how came
by this fearful scar and desire which
cannot resist, the result of which Won
have just seen. My father was d chief or
under chief of the Mohawk Indians. On
some Of his hunting or trapping expedi
tions toward the south he met and loved
maiden of the Otsegos A brave of her
own tribe loved her, too but she seemed
TO think only of my father and TO mourn
for him when he was away. Atlast oppo
sition from the sages of both tribes drove
the yong brave and his sweetheart to run
away and marry. They built themselves
little hut in ravine near the banks OF
| the Chenango river and were happy there
together
An that summer my mother for II
was my father and mother who came TO
live alone, used to come and sit in the
shade on that little bank on the southerly
side of the ravine. She was sitting there
one day when noise disturbed her. and
looking up, she saw her old lover of the
Otsegos. Drawing a hunting knife. he
held il close to her face and told her if
she could not belong to him she should
belong to no one else. My mother, in her
! excitement, sprang 10 her feet and seized
| the powerful, angry Indian by the arm.
In his endeayor to shake her of, they
slipped and fell from the embankment to.
gether into the water below. The Indi.
ans neck was broken. My mother man
aged to get to the little hut. That night
| was born and my mother died.
You see this scar-that is the legacy
the Otsego Indian left me. And he left
me more. Every year on the same day.
my birthday, ! come TO this place. l can,
not help it. Though know what ia 20.
ing TO happen, come. Every year it is
the same. ] come TO the edge OF that
bank, look at the stream below and fall
This is the first time l have ever been
stunned. This is my destiny [ shall
come here once every year on this same
day till die. l cannot help it, ! do no,
know that | would if | could Promise
me that you will never tell this story
that no one shall ever hear it till | am
dead. ~
The writer made the promise. The old
man marched straight I'D the ravine
never looking back That is all there i
TO tell The Canadian paper furnished
the conclusion