The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-12-07
STOLEN BY INDIANS.
ALBERT SMlTH's STORY OF HIS LIFE
WITH THEM.

Was Abducted by Revengeful Brave
When He Was Three Years Oid-After
Thirty-hve Years an Old squa,v Told
Him OF His Percentage.
Albert, the 3-year-old son Of LYMAN
Smith, g Grand Traverse county pho.
neer, whose log cabin stood in little
clearing near the north end of Silver
lake, six miles south Of Traverse City,
Mich, disappeared on the evening of
July ~, 1861. The boy had been play
ing in the yard near the lake, and no
trace could be found of him. Various
theories were advanced to explain his
disappearance. One was that bears had
eaten him, another that he had been
drowned, and still third that he had
wandered away into the woods and been
lost. After 80 years the mystery has
been solved. The boy was stolen by In.
dams.
John Pulcipher, young man living
with his parents few miles from the
Smith place, was among those who
Joined in the search for the lost boy. He
employed the Indians about his farm
and was on friendly terms with the red
men. To him, after several years, they
told the secret Of the disappearance of
the boy. Their story was that there
was to have been an Indian rising. An
Indian named Whitefoot came to sound
the warcry.
He staid near Traverse City some time,
but his mission failed. and, in anger, he
departed, swearing vengeance. His trail
for home skirted the Smith place, on
the border of Silver lake, and as the
warrior passed he abducted the little
boy. That the story was true has Just
been proved by the return Of the abduct-
ed boy, now broad shouldered man Of
38 years.
Early last summer Governor Rich
received letter from the west stating
that boy had been stolen by Indians
from northern Michigan early in the
sixties and asking assistance in finding
his parents. The letter was published in
the papers. Pulcipher read the letter,
and this has led to the return of the boy.
Albert Smith is now with his mother
and family at Silver Lake. His father
died in 1882.
Smiths recollections of his abduction
are very dim. He knows, however, that
it was Whitefoot who stole him away.
| He was taken to Port Huron and lived
| with the Indians there and at Sarnia,
| until they migrated to the northwest.
| For IA years the Indians-Chippewa
| and Canadian Sioux-lived rowing life,
with an occasional foray against the
| whites, and all these years the young
captive lived as the Indians lived and
travelled with them in their wanderings.
| IN 1876 trouble arose between the whites
| and the Indians, and, tired of his wild
| life Smith endeavored to give informa-
ton TO the United States troops as to
where the Indians were located. His
treachery was discovered He was tied
to stake, and the fire was lighted about
him, and then the Indians were obliged
to hurry away to avoid the troops. Smith
was badly burned, but was rescued by a
man named John G. James from New
York, who was doing scouting service
for a party of settlers bound for the
northwest. James went TO Montana and
then TO Colorado, and Smith accom-
panied him. In 1878 he started for the
mountains from Denver with his family
on prospecting tour. Eighty miles out
of the city the little caravan was at
tackled by masked men and Indians.
James was killed, and when the ma.
rauders had stolen all they wanted they
made off with the horses. Smith started
for Denver with James four children,
leaving the mother i'll an improvised
camp near the wagon. Twelve days
later, when relief party arrived, the
mother was dead. Following this cpl
sode Smith became cowboy, and in his
wanderings ran across an old Indian
woman in Winnipeg who recognized
him and told him something Of his early
days. She told him he had been stolen
by Whitefoot from northern Michigan,
and that if be would write to Port HUI
ron he would hear further particulars
Smith wrote to Governor Rich, and this
led to the discovery OF his family.-Cor.
New York Sun.