The Lake Charles echo., 1893-10-13
NO 38
PuLLEp our AAIR RY AAIR.
A RemarknbIo story of Indian Cruelty 81
psElndneed hy JeaIoasy.


psEindncod by Jealousy.
Living near this town IS woman
whose prefectly bald head tells acuricus
story OF jealousy and Indian cruelty. IN
1853 Oswald Thurwald, . swesish farm
en-, had home In the territory close to
the Texas border, and his family con-
sisted Of his wife, two daughters and q
son. The Indians seemed friendly pass
ing over the Thnrwalds even whom slay-
ing the other settlers about and fire.
Quenting their place 10 sell their waras
and to purchase such goods a. Thur
wald brought out from the states for
barter. Hs was rapidly growing rich
and had made his preparations to move
to Dallas, where he intended to extend
his business, when the tragedy occurred
that destroyed his home. and scattered
his family.
II seems that the chief Of the Tonkawa
Indians, who visited that part of Tho
country from the south on raiding e1-
peditions, had seen Elsa, the elder
daughter, and fancying her offered TO
buy her Of her father. But Thurwald,
though fond Of money, refused, which
gave great offense to the chief, Return
ing home, he melted his people against
the Thurwalds, and the following spring
they made an attack on him. He and
his son succeeded in escaping, but the
wife and younger daughter, though they
eluded capture the first few days, were
ovartaken finally, Mrs, Thurwald sanls
under the fatigue of her flight through
q 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 gir2 herself, tagging
on the march from an arrow wound in
her ankle, was shot in the presence Of
her sister, whohad been seized and held
from the moment Of the eattaok till now.
She was taken to a village and given
into the charge Of the squaws until tho
men should have returned FROM the war
trail,
In the meantime the Kickapoos de.
clared war on the Tonkawas and raided
tho village, when Elsa Thurwald was
carried off with such Of the Indian
women as were spared as slaves. The
Tonkawas, on returning, found the
smoking remains Of the house and
started after the despoilers, oyertalSing
them close to the Colorado, where am
obstinate battle ensued, but both sidea
then consented to a truce, The chief of
| the Kickapoos, however, stipulated
| that the white woman should be given
him. This was opposed by the Tonka-
wa chieftain, who claimed her by right
of priority, This brought on quarrel,
which was terminated by q hand Ia
hand fight between the rivals, resulting
| In the chief Of the Tonkawas being
| killed and the bone Of contention fall
ing TO the victor, @
He carried her home and eonhded her
to the care Of his squaw with the injunc'
tion that IL she were injured Ia any way
| the life OF the woman would pay for II.
But, fired by jealousy for her successor,
the weman took advantage Of her lords
absence to wTeak her vengeance on tho
detested object, Binding her TO a tree,
she deliberately pulled out the unfor-
tunate beauty's hair thread by thread.
| This torture lasted several hours, until
| tho white wonan'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 il q
the bush, but was recovered and tha
sentence executed. Thurwald had now
died, but his son, hearing of his sister
being in the hands of the Indians, organ-
lied a rescuing party and succeeded in
liberating her after 10 months Of eaptiv.
ity. Her head took weeks to heal, and
1t is thought her mind was affected BY
her savage treatment, though In 1875 She
married farmer In this vicinity, Her
hair has never grown again,-~O Oklahoma
Letter in Philadelphia Times,