The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-28
BETTY FRAZIER, HEROINE
A HOOSIER PIONEER WHO HELPED
CLEAR THE WILDERNESS.
Story of a Merry Woman .~Sauatter,
i'm Fayette County Afterwards As
s~assinated by an Enemy.

John Arnold. in Nashville Graphic.
Often when i'm reminiscent mood my heart
Is stirred by the memory of the men and
women. the incidents. the adventures. the
toll, the endurance and the wild surround
ings OF the long ago. and 1 feel tempted to
Jot down some Of these strange tales of
the now almost forgotten past. Corners
vile was located I'm the twelve-mile pur-
chase. which was ceded by the Indians
some ten years previous to the time Of the
treaty Of st. Mary's, when they coded what
was called the New Purchase. extending
from the twelve-mile strip to the Wabash.
So that what is now Fayette county had
the start of us. John Connor. one of the
famous Como brothers, established a
trading post. which became the nucleus OF
the town now bearing his name.
The fertility and beauty OF the country
tempted many a brave pioneer to settle in
the Whitewater valley. in spite OF the dam
ger of death and pillage from hostile bands
of Indians. The land was sold at Cincin-
natl.
Some time in the teens probably, about
1916, George Frazier and his wife, Betty.
and children squatted on land about a mile
above the little town. Frazier was a help
less cripple whose only avocation was
shoemaking. SO that the support OF the
family depended on Betty. The neighbors
built their cabin and stable, and then Betty
and the boys cleared the ground for a
truck and corn patch. In a couple of years
they were making a good start TO buy
their section OF land. She had a fine
stock OF young hogs and there was a
most abundant crop of mast In the rich
bottom lands. and they had wintered well.
Her corn was planted and growing luxu-
riantly and promising an abundant crop TO
TO pay for her land. She had but one horse
TO cultivate her crop. But a sad change
came over the spirit of her dreams when
one Gay she saw a horseman in full uni
form ride I'D to her cabin.
GENERAL HANNA'S CALL.
She recognized him as General Hanna.
Of Brookville. He was the sheriff and had
come to serve an execution on her property.
There were no stay laws in those primitive
days. Betty told him she had nothing but
her horse and hogs. and that he would have
TO take her horse. She led him TO the
stable, and as soon as he entered TO get
the horse Betty slammed the heavy punch
con door to and drove the two-inch oak pin
into the log its whole length, thus securely
fastening him in. The stable was built OF
heavy. round logs, without any windows,
and was overlaid with a solid platform OF
logs, on which was piled her wild hay,
and above that the clapboard roof. Betty
then went to her cabin, got her family their
supper and did up her evening chores, pay
Ing no attention 10 the calls Of her prisoner
for supper and release. 1t was impossible
for him to get out. and he spent the night
with the horse for company. In the morn
ing Betty went to the stable and hoped
he had had a pleasant night, though he had
tasted. She told him ne would remain
there without food until some satisfactory
nrrn AA..ll
TO her horse. He said he was willing to
compromises: that he would enter on the
execution No property found" If she would
let him out, so that he could go to his
brigade muster that day. She said: Honor
bright. general?" He replied. Yes" and
proceeded to make the desired entry on
and he mounted his horse. asking her
to show him where he could cross the
river, as it was very high and muddy and
out OF its banks. She directed him TO go
In by a sycamore and come out by a nav.
After q few steps he and his horse went
under the rushing current. his military
cooked hat floating away. but he quickly
recovered ii Cor his horse was a good
swimme., a valuable quality in those days.
and he vas an old pioneer, ever ready for
the perils of flood or. field. Betty shouting
that the officer had better let her pay for
her land ere he visited her cabin again.
There was no further interference and
Betty fattened her hogs, mounted her
horse. and with the aid of her two boys
started with them 10 Cincinnati. a journey
of ten days through the wild woods. Every
thing went we'll until she reached New
Trenton and stopped at Rockefellers tav-
ern- During the night a heavy fall of snow
had fallen. but Betty was early mounted
and carried in her arms an infant. born to
her during the night: Through the kind
ness of her iandlady her babe was clothed
and warmly wrapped, and. strange 70 re-
late. made the journey without injury TO
either. She reached the city. sold her hogs
and entered her land with her babe I'm her
arms. This is so far AZ I know unprece-
denied in the white race. but not
entered the wilderness 10 make a home
were OF sterner stuff than the present gen.
Grafton.
ASSASSINATION OF BETTY.
/ cannot close without relating the tragic
fate of this wonderful woman. / will here
give some of her personality. for many,
after reading the above. will doubtlessly
fancy her a coarse Amazonian of vast pro-
portions, but nothing Is farther from the
truth. She was a small. handsome bru-
nette. with flashing eyes and an abundance
OF black hair. Her face was bronzed by
her exposure to wind and sun. in her
farming work. Her temper was quick and
fiery. and she had frequent quarrels with
her scattered ~neighbors, in which she dis
played a bitter and vindictive spirit. A
man named WILSON,. with three or four
rough boys ranging in age from fourteen
10 twenty, we're engaged In a desperate
feud with her, and one night their stable.
containing their two horses. was burned
and they accused Betty of the deed. Short
" after, she was sweeping her door, when
she was shot through the head with a rife
ball, droDping dead amidst her Mortified
children. This coWardly assassination
aroused great excitement not only on ac-
count OF its atroclty but because Betty
was = useful and valuable member OF the
settlement. She was a skilled midwife, and
sustained a high reputation I'm all the
Whitewater valley. IL was the general
consensus OF opinion that the Wilson's
were the guilty parties. and the suspected
family soon found that the climate Was
getting too hot to be wholesome for them.
sold their farm. sent their goods TO Gin
cinnati. and took a boat for some point
I'm Mississippi.