Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-11-24
A story of Indian Torture.

Living near Oklahoma, |. T., is wom-
an whose perfectly bald head tells a curl
Gus story of jealousy and Indian cruelty.
In 1850 Oswald Thurwald, Swedish
farmer, had home in the territory close to
the Texas border. and his family consisted
of his wife, two daughters, and a son.
The Indians seemed friendly, passing over
the Thurwalds, even when Staying the 9TH
er settlers about and frequented their
place to sell their wares and purchase such
goods as Thurwald brought out from the
states for barter He was rapidly growing
rich, and had made his preparations to
move to Dallas where he intended to eX-
tend his business, when the tragedy occur
red that destroyed his home and scattered
his family.
1t seems that the chief of the Tonkawa
Indians, who visited that part of the cOun-
try from the south on raiding expeditions,
had seen Elsa, the elder daughter, and fan
cying her offered to buy her of her father.
But Thurwald, though fond of money, re-
fused, which gave great offence to the
chief Returning home, he melted his
people against the Thurwalds, and the fol-
lowing spring they made an attack on him.
He and his son succeeding in escaping,
but the wife and younger daughter, though
they eluded capture the first few days,
were overtaken finally. Mrs. Thurwald
sank under the fatigue of her hasty flight
through rugged country, and when the
Indians came up with them it was to find
the girl holding her mother in her arms,
the poor woman having just expired
The next day the girl herself, tagging on
the march from an arrow wound in her
ankle, was shot in the presence of her sis
ter, who had been seized and held from the
moment of the attack till now. She was
taken to a village and given into the charge
of the squaws until the men should have
returned from the war trail.
In the meantime the Kickapoos declared
war on the TOnkawas, and raided the vii
lage, when Elsa Thurwald was carried off
with such of the Indian women as We're
spared, as slaves The Tonkawas, return
ing, found the smoking remains of the
houses, and started after the despoiers,
overtaking them close to the Colorado,
where an obstinate battle ensued, and both
sides then consented to a truce. The chief
of the KickapoOs, however, stipulated that
the white woman should be given to him.
This was opposed by the TOnkawa chief
tain, who claimed her by right of priority.
This brought on a quarrel which was ter
the rivals, which resulted in the chief of
the Tonkawas being killed and the bone of
contention falling to the victor.
He carried her home and confided her to
the care of his squaw, with the injunction
that if she was injured in any way the life
of the woman would pay for it, But, fired
by jealousy for her successor, the woman
took advantage of her lords absence to
wreak her vengeance on the detested OBJ
ject. Binding her to tree, she deliberate
ly pulled out the unfortunate beauty's hair
thread by thread. This torture lasted sew
eral hours, until the white woman's head
was covered with blood and she shrieking
with agony.
When the chief returned and learned
what had occurred, he ordered the witch
burned at the stake. She escaped into the
bush, but was recovered and the sentence
executed Thurwald had now died, but
his son, hearing of his sister being in the
hands of the Indians, organized rescuing
party and succeeded in lberating her. after
Is months of captivity. Her head took
weeks to heal, and it is thought her mind
was affected by the savage treatment,
though in 1875 she married farmer in
this vicinity. Her hair has never grown
again.-FOrt Worth, Ter, Gazette.