The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1894-07-18
INDIAN CRUELTY.
A Curious Story Of Jealousy and
Barbarity.
The Horrible Manner In Which Squaw
Rcvenged Herself Upon u White
Woman Whom Her CHIEF
Admired.


There is living in Oklahoma, writes
a correspondent of the Philadelphia
Times, a woman whose perfectly bald
head tells curious story of jealousy and
Indian cruelty. In 1859 Oswald Thur
wald, a Swedish farmer, had home in
the territory close to the Texas bor-
der,and his family consisted of his wife,
two daughters and a son. The Indians
seemed friendly, passing over the
Thurwalds 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 preparations to move to Dali
las, 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 Pom
kawa Indians, who visited that part of
the country from the south on raiding
expeditions, 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. Re-
turning home he melted his people
against the Thurwalds, and the follow
ing spring they made an attack on
him. He and his son succeeded in es-
Gaping, but the wife and younger
daughter, though they eluded capture
the first few days, were overtaken final
ly. Mrs. Thurwald sank under the
fatigue Of her hasty fight through a
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, lag
ging 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
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 de-
clared war on the Tonkawas and raid
ed the village, when Elsa Thurwald
was carried off with such of the Indian
women as were spared as slaves. The
Tonkawas returning found the smok-
ing remains of the houses and started
after the despoilers, overtaling them
close to the Colorado, where an obsti-
nate battle ensued, but 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 Tonlsa-
wa chieftain, who claimed her by right
OF priority. This brought on q quar-
rel, which was terminated by q hand
to-hand fight between the rivals, which
resulted in the chief of the Tonkawas
being killed and the bone of conten-
tion falling to the victor.
lie carried her home and con fided her
to the care of his squaw, with the in
junction that IL she were injured in
any way the life OF the woman would
pay for it. But fred by jealousy for
her successor the woman took advan-
tage Of her lords absence TO wreak her
vengeance on the detested object.
Binding her to q tree she deliberately
pulled out the unfortunate 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 cs-
capped 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 In
dians organized rescuing party and
succeeded in libcrating 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 a farmer in the vicinity. Her
hair has never GROWN apain