The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-08-08
LOST WIFE AND FORTUNE.
A Romantic story from the Osnge
Reservation.

Virginia s. Miller was a happy woman
when. a few days ago. she stepped from
Santa Fe train a POnca and took the
stage for PaWhuska, the seat of govern
ment Of the Usage tribe of Indians.
where she is now once more pleasantly
domiciled among her own people.
The feelings of John 5. Miller, her erst-
while husband and father OF the little
dark-haired boy who accompanied the
mother are undoubtedly somewhat diff
ferent as he wanders over the streets Of
Chicago and pOnders over the recent
past, wherein he has lost wife. son and
fortune, because Of his own culpable ac-
tons.
The story Of the last half-dozen years
of the life of these people reads like a
chapter from a romance.
Six years go John S. Miller was an en-
gineer on a California coast steamer. ply
ing between san Diego and San Fran
cisco. One day while his boat was TAX
ing on passengers a the wharf in the lat
ter city a woman fell overheard. it was
Miller's fortune to rescue her from q
watery grave, and il was the womsn's
fortune 10 fall IN love with her rescuer.
When Miller learned that the dark
skinned, sparkling-eyed young woman
was OF Indian parentage though well
educated. the holder OF many broad acres
Of fertile land in the beautiful and -O-
mantle Oklahoma. the owner of consid-
cradle real estate in Kansas City, and
the recipient Of 4 goOdly annuity from
the government, he proposed marriage
with declarations of undying love and de-
votiOn. The cOurtsnip was brief and the
Indian girl became his wife in the City
OF the Golden Gate.
But a few weeks later and Miller was
comfortably established on his wife's
farm in the Usage Indian reservation.
His wife ably managed the farming OF
her 4S0 acres Of dne land. and prosperity
seemed TO attend her every venture. In
a year a son was born TO them and un-
der the Usage law this child was entitled
20 an annuity of 1920 per year from the
government from the very heur Of its
birth.
The mother wished to invest iris
money fer the chsid as it was paid each
quarter. but the father said that the boy
would finally, in common with the rest
Of the Osages, receive his share OF the
tribal funds, amounting to $4,000, and he
did not see any need Of saving the little
amounts received each quarter. but
would take them FOR his own pocket
money. Here rose the first difference In
the family circle. Miller was overbearing
IN all his ways toward the Indians living
about them. and from the first was very
unpopular As time wore on he became
tired Of his pretty young bride, and when
he would have a difficulty with other
members OF the tribe would go home and
take out his revenge Ia abusing her. So
cruel and abusive did his treatment final
~ become that about the first OF the
present year the wife left home, and soon
after filed a petition IN the district court
at Pawnee for divorce. Soon after this
Miller received notice to leave the reser-
walton, and he did so the next night
taking with him the child, Louis, now
grown to be a rollicking boy of five. A
party OF Osages pursued him, and when
0vertaken he declared that he was only
going to Arkansas City Kan, 10 trade
and would be back the next day. and
they allowed him 10 return without any
trouble. a few days later. however, he
escaped with the child and went to Chi
cage.
The mother at once started In pursuit.
but for many months she was unable to
secure a clew as to the wheres bouts of
the missing boy. In the meantime the
suit for divorce had come up In the Ok
lahoma court, and Mrs. Miller had been
granted divorce and awarded the GUS
tOdy of the child. Soon after this she
again learned OF Mllier's whereabouts In
Chicago, and promptly had him arrested
and conveyed before Judge Tuley. who
listened 20 the whole story. and at once
ordered the boy turned over 10 his
mother. hence her return home in SO
happy a frame Of mind.--Guthrie, Ok. T.,
special 10 the Gsobe-DemOcrat.