The Wadsworth dispatch. [volume] (Wadsworth, Nev.) 1892-1899, 1893-11-01
PULLED OUT HAIR BY HAIR.
a Remarkabie Story of Indian Cruelty SUI
perinduced by Jealousy.

perindueed by Jealousy.
Living near this town is woman
whose prefectly bald head tells curious
story OF Jealousy and Indian cruelty. In
1859 Oswald Thurwald, q Swedish farm
er, had home in the territory close to
the Texas border, and his family con-
sisted OF his wife, two daughters and
son. The Indians seemed friendly pass
ing over the Thurwalds even when slay-
ing the other settlers about and fire.
luenting their place to sell their wares
nnd to purchase such goods as Thur
wald 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 extend
his business, when the tragedy occurred
that destroyed his homo 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 ex-
petitions, 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
overtaken finally. Mrs. Thurwald sank
under the fatigue of her fight 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 sister, who had been seized and held
from the moment of the attack till 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 de-
clared war on the Tonkawas and raided
the 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, overtaking
them close to the Colorado, where an
obstinate battle ensued, but both sides
then consented to 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 d hand to
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 confded 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 nnfor-
tunate 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, organ
lied a rescuing party and succeeded in
liberating her after 18 months of captiv-
ity. Her head took weeks to heal, and
it 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. Oklahoma
Letter in Philadelphia Times.