The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-24
roUvD xrrER rHrRrr. FRYE YEARS.
Albert srith's Story OF Hts Abduction BIZ
IndInnn and MS Life With Then.

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich, Nov. 17.-Albert. the
3-year.old son of Lyman Smith, a Grand Ira
verse county pioneer, whose log cabin stood in
a little clearing near the north end OF Silver
Lake, six miles south OF here. disappeared on
tho evening OF July 20. 1861. Tho boy had been
playing In the yard near the lake and no trace
could be found OF him. Various theories we're
advanced to explain his disappearance. Ono
was that bears had eaten him; another that he
had been drowned, and still n third that he had
wandered away into the woods and been lost.
After thirty-fve years tho mystery has been
solved. The boy was stolen by Indians.
John Pulcipher, q young man living with his
parents q few miles from the Smith place. was
among those who joined in the search for the
lost boy. Ho employed the Indians about his
farm and was on friendly terms with the red
men. To him, after several years. thoy told tho
secret Of the disappearance of the boy. Their
story was that there was TO have been an lnhihn
To- sound The war cry' He stnyed here FOR some
time, but his mission failed and In anger he de-
parted, swearing vengeance, His trail for home
the little boz: That the story was trHe hal. just
now a hroad.shouldered man of 80 years.
Early last summer Gov. Rich received u letter
stolen by Indians from northern Michigan early
IN the sixties, and asking assistance in, finding
pnps pst'1P5S alcIp pnS reud th @1 is,i pao, asG this is h has
tNf hNeA wv sNANa fHsR 'N,
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. Hcknows. however. that 1t was White
foot who stole him away. lie was taken to Port
Huron. and lived with the Indians there and at
Sarnia until they migrated to the Northwest.
For fourteen years the Indians. Chippewaws
and Canadian Sioux. lived a rowing life, with an
occasional forRy against the whites. and all
these years the young captive lived as the
Indians lived and travelled with them In their
wnndcrings. In 1876 trnp ole arose between the
whites and the Indians. and. tired of his wild
the United States troops as to where the Indians
were located. His treachory was discovered.
He was tied toa stake and tho 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 n man
was doing scouting service for a party OF set
tier bound FOR the Northwest. James went to
Montana and then TO Colorado, and smith ac-
com panied him. In 1873 lie started for the
mountains from Denver with his family on n
prospecting tour. Eighty miles out Of the city
the little caravan was attacked by masked men
and Indians. James was killed. and when the
made of with the horses. Smith started for
Denver with lames's four children. leaving the
mother in an tmproviSed camp near the wagon.
Twelve days later. when n relief party arrived,
the mother was dead. Following this episode
Smith became n cowboy, and in his wanderings
who recognized him and told him something OF
his early days. She told him he had been stolen
by Whitefoot from n lrthern Michigan. and that
II he would write to Port Huron he would hear
further particulars. Smith wrote to Gov. Rich,
and this led to the discovery Of his family.