The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1897-10-08
BOUND TOAW WILD BISON
An Exciting Story Of Frontier Life Sixty
Years Ago.
st. Louis GlObe-DemOcrat.

An Exciting Story Of Frontier Life Sixty
Years Ago.
St. Louis Globe Democrat.
The recent death Of Mrs. Molly Bari.
son, at her home at Rio Grandc City,
in Texas, will cause all old Texans to
recall one Of The most horrible pieces
OF cruelty ever pernctrated by the Co.
mancle Indians. In 1898 old Capt.
Mcnefee settled on one OF the Yeguas
about thirty miles west of old Wash.
ington. on the Brazns. He had large
family of boys and girls, and the old
settlers had frequently warned him
that he was exposing them to great
danger hy locating so far out on the
frontier. The old gentleman had
built a strong log house, with plenty
Of port holes and doors and windows
that could be securely barred. He
had several SONS old enough to handle
rifle, and five or six negro men, who
could be depended upon to fight for
old "massa's" family. Although the
Conanches raidcd the settlement near.
ly every full moon, they had never dis
turbed Capt. Menefee's house, and he
began to feel pretty safe. His daugl-
ter, Molly, was quite a belle on the
frontier and she had many suitors for
her hand. In the fall Of 1886 she be-
came engaged to Il young man by the
name Of Eugene Barison.
Providence had crowded into young
Barison's short life almost as many
adventures and narrow escapes as Il
dime novelist would accredt to his
favorite hero. When a boy about If
teen years IF aye he had been captured
by the Conanches and adopted into
the family OF furious old chief by
the name Of Lame Wolf. The old
savage appeared to think great deal
OF his white son, often declaring that
he would make a good COmanche and
IA big chief ont OF him. Barison stayed
with the Indian three years before he
found an opportunity to escape. After
this his knowledge OF the habits Of
the Indians, his familiarity with their
language, and his desperate courage,
made his services very valuable to the
people Of the frontier. Upon several
occasions the Texans were indebted
for the advantages they gained over
the rcd warriors to young Barison's
knowledge Of the geography Of the
country aud his skill in following the
trail. Lame Wolf found an oppor-
tunity to send the boy word that he
had given orders to his people to take
him alive. lie intimated that Mr..
Barison was devoid OF gratitude, and
said that lie intended to cure him of
his sin by flaying him alive and burn
ing him a whole day. Lame Wolf had
Il daughter who was in love with
Barison, and it is possible that wo-
mans Jealousy and spite had much to
do with the terrible crueltics to which
the young man and Miss Menefee
were afterward subjected. 1t seems
that the Indians, especially the.fam'
lily Of Lame Wolf, kept well posted as
to the affairs Of young Barison. AT
any rate, they knew that he was to bG
married on a certain day, and about
that time they made raid on tho
frontier in greater force than usual.
The guests were assembled at tho
house Of Capt. Menefee to celebrate
the marriage feast when the alarm
was sounded that Indians were in the
neighborhood. The sky was already
liz up mt several different points b!
the flames from burning dwellings
1t was known that there were fami
lies In the ncighb0rhood entirely de
fencelcss, and 1t was hastily deter
mined that young Barison, with ter
or twelve men, should at once gathc
all the people that he could and brin,
them tn Capt. Mcncfce's house. The.
had hardly mounted before a vOlley o
bullets and shaver OF arrows fel
upon them, and half Of their saddle
were cmptied. The attack was fol
lowed by the usual war whoop Of til
Comanchcs, and the wedding guest
| realized that the house was surrounde,
BY Indians.
They might easily have witllst0o
the siege until help could have reach
cd them, but It had been an unusuall
dry season, and everything was in