The record-union., 1897-09-03
QUANAH PARKER.
Romantic Origin of the Famous
Comauche Chief,

Romantic Origin of the Famous
Comanche Chief.
The reported death of Quanah Park
er the other day called attention to one
of the most famous figures in South
western history, says the st. Louis
"Globe Democrat" His life parallels
the boldest romance of modern fiction
lists. The story of his birth, the cap
tivity of his white mother, and her
unwilling return to her own people,
is as picturesque as his life has been
bold.
Nearly half a century ago a Texan
named Parker lived on a ranch south
of The Red River. At that time the
Comanche Indians were a rowing,
bloodthirsty, marauding group, 10
Gated by the Government on what is
their present reservation, but forever
wandering over the whole Southwest,
from the staked plains up into Nebras-
ka, to the Colorado Mountains, to the
wilds of Arkansas, fighting everybody
they came across, and making their
name terror to the scattered whites,
as well as to other Indian tribes.
It was at this time that the Gov
agent III the person of an Irishman- The
Government was striving to introduce
Christianity among the Indians, and
solicited reports from each of the
agents in the United States. All the
agents except one reported that the
Indians were doing their best to i'm
prove spiritually, and would. in time.
The one exception was this Irishman,
vVhn W. of ho oh Ia
wrote back to Washington that Christ
ianity would do the Comanche Indian
no good; that he was a brutal, filthy,
blood-thirsty, unconscionable scoundrel,
and that the best thing to do with him
was to Fill him on the slightest provo
cation.
The Comanches, in a word, were the
terrors of the plain. One night, with
their famous yell, they came down with
a rush on the ranch Of Mr. Parker
Parker and some of his family fought
for their lives and escaped. Others We're
killed. Afterward, little Cynthia Ann
Parker, a baby girl, was found to be
missing. It was believed that she had
been taken away by the Indians. From
that day on for many years Parker
never tagged in his search for his child
CoIAo Itoi@SSQ anu Ile IOuIlO no trace OIL
her. The Texas Rangers secured the
Indian country, but could hear no re-
port of white child captive among the
Indians.
One day a gang of Texas Rangers
came upon a Comanche camp. A
ranger named Tom Pollard wandered
about among the Indians, talking to
them jovially and promising to buy
their squaws, when he was struck with
the strange pallor OF the face of one Of
the squaws. He wanted to buy her, too,
but the Indians told him she was the
first wife of the chief, and tried to get
him to go away and say no more But
Pollard was persistent, and insisted
However, he gave up at last, and for
got all about the squaw with the white
face, until he brought 1t up at the
camp fire that night. Some of the boys
thought it might be old Parkers
daughter The more they talked about
it the more convinced they were that
she was Parker's stolen daughter
grown up to womanhood. They had no
particular liking for the Indians, and
were anxious to pick a quarrel, any
way; so, bright and early the next
morning, they all went and took a look
at the white squaw. They attempted
to talk to her, but she was mute, and
retiring, and they could get nothing
out of her.
At last they mounted and rode away.
They had not gone far when one of the
men proposed that they go back and
get her anyway. If she was not Par
kers daughter they could return her
So they all rode back and demanded
the white squaw. The chief pleaded
and threatened, but the Rangers were
firm. The Chief insisted on going
along, and so the camp set out. the
white squaw more excited and fearful
than anybody else. When they reached
ParkerS ranch they presented the prize
and Parker at once made a show of
affection for his rescued daughter.
But she repelled him. and the old chief.
her husband looked daggers. Every
manner of means was employed to get
the white squaw to remember some
thing of her youth, but she would
answer no questions and timidly held
her tongue. Word was sent out all
over Parker County, Texas, and people
trooped in and looked at the diffident
squaw and asked her foolish questions
which she could not understand. The
Indians now demanded that as she
was an Indian, she should return. Some
man whose name is not preserved now
appeared on the scene. He went into
an investigation intelligently. He said
that baby which was stolen could
necessarily remember but one thing.
the first thing it had ever learned, to-
wit: It's Christian name He de-
manded that the room be cleared of
everybody but himself, Mr.. Parker and
the Indian chief, and that perfect quiet
prevail He sat down before the white
squaw and waiting until everything
was subdued, said distinctly, twice:
Cynthia Annel Cynthia Annei"
out of the depths of her dull Indian
eyes crept a faint light, and the white
squaw bent her head to her breast and
striking her heart with her open hand.
repeated twice in a low monotone:
Cynthia Annei Cynthia Anne,"
Everybody was convinced and Mr..
Parker was overjoyed After she
learned the English language Cynthia
Anne was told her story. But she
loved the Indian chief and begged to be
permitted to return with him. This
was granted. Her eldest son is Ouanah.