Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-08-16
REMINISCENGE
In THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE MAU-
MEE VALLEY.
AtrOCiOus Murder Of Three HyandOt
indians
IN HENRY COUNTY AS LATE AS
THE YEAR 1s41.
The Murderers Were Notorious Des-
peradoes From Wood County
Arrested but Made their Es-
cape and Were Never Re-
captured.
A REMINTSCRNCE

The following account of the murder of
three Indians in this county, in the year ls4l |
BY white men, was read at the meeting Of the
Maumee Valley Pioneer association, yester-
day at Defiance, by Prof. @. W. Williamson.
principal Of the Wapakoneta schools, and |
Superintendent Of the Napoleon
schools:
The details of the following "reminiscences
of Northwestern Ohio have never, to our
knowledge, appeared in print Like much
of the early history of the valley they are
known only TO few.
The bloody conflicts that occurred between |
adventurous white men and the Indians of
this section of the state. extended over
period of nearly thirty years, and did not
cease until after the final treaty of peace at
st. Marys in 1918. The year following the
treaty. emigrants from the eastern states
and the older settled sections of Ohio began
to Sc tie in the valley. Along with the set
tiers there came class of lawless men-at
that time called "frontiermen." Many of
them we're gamblers, horse thieves and other
fugitives from justice. Up to 1916 the set
tiers were greatly annoyed by them, robbery
and murder being of frequent occurrence.
The dense forests that covered the valley
had, up to the time of the treaty, been the
favorite hunting ground of the Indians, and
the fear of losing them was the principal
cause of their desperate resistance to the
encroachments of the white man. For years
after the treaty parties of them returned at
certain seasons of the year to hunt. In The
fall of 184l party of Wyandot Indians went
to Fulton county to hunt, and remained there
until late in the season. The party was led
by Sum Nun De- Wat, an Indian preacher,
who had been converted at the Methodist
mission at Upper Sandusky, under the min
ITERATION of the Rev. James B. Finley. Hav-
ing many horse loads of fur and other skins,
Sum- Num- De-Wat started for home few
days in advance of his comr any, with his
nephew and little Nancy, his niece.
Before leaving Upper Sandusky he was
provided, by traders, with about five hundred
dollars in money with which he pas to pur-
chase fufs. He expended about three hun
drec dollars and was returning with the
remainder of the money on his person. The
fact that he was in possession of an amount
of money became known to Ellsworth, a
notorious outlaw who kept hotel in the wes-
tern part of Wood county, near the Henry
county line. This hotel was rendezvous
| for criminals. Ellsworth immediately called
| to his assistance two of his confederates
James Lyon and William Anderson. Aft, T
consultation they decided to waylay the
| the Indians and il possib'e secure the money.
Sum Nun De-Wat and his two relatives en-
camped the first night of their journey home
ward in the northeastern part of Defiance
county. Ellsworth gave directions to the
two men as to where ihe Indians could be
found, accompanying them over half the dis
tance.
About 3 o'clock D. M, they discovered the
Indian party. Gore caaling themselves uutll
evening they approached he camp and asked
ior something to eat and permission to lodge
with them over night, which were reluctan-
| tly given. The Indians, however, was so
wary during the night that they had no op-
portunity to execute their designs. After
taking breakfast the next morning, to allay
any suspicious that the Indians might enter
tain, they told them that they were gong to
the white settlement down the river.
| AS soon as Lyon and Anderson we're out of
/ sight the Indians continued their journey
and camped in the evening in what is now
known as Monroe township, in Henry coun-
| ty. bell on one of tile ponies enabled
Lyon and his confederate to keep within
hearing distance of the party during the day.
Waiting until about o'clock at night they
stealthily approached the camp, and after
satisfying themselves that the Indians were
asleep, they armed themselves with axes that
lay near the firs and entered the wigwam.
Two strokes of the ak in the hands of Ander-
son were sufficient to crush the skulls of
Uowan and Nancy. The first stroke of Lyon
however, was not so effective. Owing to the
darkness the blow fell upon the shoulder and
arm OF the Id man, who Immediately arose
to his fest. second bow felled him to the
4 ground. when the bloody work was complet-
ed. The bodies were then removed aud
| placed beside log few rods distant and
covered with leaves and brush, after which
they returned to the camp, and after satisfy
ing their hunger, lay down and slept until
morning.
After counting the money In the morning
and securing the ponies and other property
that the Indians had with them, they started
for their homes in Wood county. After pro-
ceeding eight or ten miles on the way they
were met by Ellsworth, when they halted and
consultation was held. Ellsworth desired
to count the money then and there and il
was handed to him for that purpose. After
counting it he remarked that that was no
place to divide money and put the whole
amount inko his pocket ar d started for home.
| A day or two after the horrible tragedy the
bodies of the murdered Indians were discov-
/ cred by the remainder of the hunting party
! on their way home. The horror-stricken
Indians wrapped the bodies of their dead
4 friends in blankets and bore them to Upper
Sandusky, where they were inferred in the
mission graveyard.
At the same time messengers were sent to
i Napoleon and Perrysbnrg, the nearest white
4 settlements, to notify them Of the murdere.
After the lapse ofa f.w days hunter report
4 ed that he had noticed a number Of ponies
| grazing in the vicinity of EIlsworth's tavern.
i Suspicion at once pointed to Ellsworth and
1 his confederates as the guilty parties. VIM.
O. Brownell, who was sheriff of Henry
county at the time, with five assistants, pro-
4 ceeded to Wood county and arrested Ander-
son and Lyon and found all the property OF
the Indians in their possession, with the ex-