The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-04
PULLED OUT HAIR BY HAIR.
A Curious Story of jealousy and
Indian Cruelty.

A Curious Story of Jealousy and
Indian Cruelty.
Oklahoma letter in the Philadelphia Times.
Living near this town is a woman whose
perfectly bald head tells a curious story
of jealousy and Indian cruelty. In 1859
Oswald Thurwald, a 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
Ihurwalds even when Staying the other
settlers about, and frequenting their
place to sell their wares and TO purchase
such goods as Thurwald brought out from
the states for barter He was rapidly
growing rich and had made his prepare
lions to move to Dallas, where he intended
TO extend his business, when the tragedy
occurred that destroyed his home and
scattered his family
1t seems that the chief of the Tonkawa
Indians, who visited that part Of the
country from the south on raiding expe-
dltlons, had seen Elsa, the elder daugh-
ter, and fancying her, offered TO buy her
of her father But Thurwald, though
fond of money, refused which gave great
otfense TO the chief. Returning home, he
melted his people against the Thurwads,
and the following spring they made an
attack on him. He and his son succeeded
in escaping but the wife and youngee
daughter, though they eluded capture thr
first few days, were overtaken finally
Mrs. Thurwald sank under the fatigue Of
her hasty flight through rugged coun-
try, and when the Indians came up with
them it was to find the girl holding her
mother in her arms, the poor woman hay
ing just expired.
The next day the girl herself, tagging
n In
her ankle, was shot in the presence of her
sister, who had been seized and held from
the moment of the attact until now. She
was taken to 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 OF
with such of the Indian women as were
spared as slaves. The Tonkowas return
ing found the smoking remains OF the
houses and started after the despoil-
ers, overtaking them close to the Colo
RADIO, where an obstinate battle eusued,
but both sides then consented to truce
The chief of the Kickapoos, however,
stipulated that the white woman should
be given to him. This was opposed by the
Tonkawa chieftain, who claimed her by
right of priority. This brought on a quar-
rel, which was terminated BY a hand-to-
hand fight between the rivals, which re-
suited in the chief of the Toukawas 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 injunc-
ton that if she were 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 object. Binding her to tree
she deliberately pulled out the unfortu-
nate beauty's hair thread by thread.
This torture lasted several 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 a rescuing
party and succeeded in liberating her,
after eighteen months of captivity. Her
head took weeks to heal, and it is thought
her mind was affected by her savage
treatment, though in 1875 she married n
farmer in this vicinity Her hair has
never grown again.