The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-02
STORY OF THE EVERGLADES.
Killing of DIR. Perrine by SemfnOles
and Escape of His Family.
Chicago Times-Herald.

| and Escape of His Family.
| Chicago Times-Herald.
The expedition Of eminent anthropologists
| who recently explored the Florida Reef TO
study the habits of the SeminoleS had no
happy results. In the first place, no Semi
noles were found. which is not surprising
and, in the second place, each member
| caught the malaria, which was to be ex-
| pected.
The Florida everglades kept the secret OF
| their children well for no one knows how
| "Osceola of the Sweet Voice" Now and
| again some husky hunter will appear IN one
| of the sleepy villages along the Keys with
! a deer or some wild fowl to sell; or q SEM
4 mole woman will vend beads and trinkets or
the streets. But they vanish as swiftly as s 9
/ one can answer 1t is the mystery of the
| everglades. Hunters who have penetrated
Of smoke raising above the tops of the tall
| palmettoS. They have heard strange SOUNDS
| far within the green twilight of the swamp
but seldom is gained a sight OF the strange
| denizens of the solitudes. They ere the
| shadow people of the Okeechobee.
The expedition spent consldeeranle inns at
| the smallest links of the long chain OF cora
| islands which, beginning at Key lfiscaynei
| follows the coast, bending around the enc
| of the peninsula and ends with the Tortugas
| group-in all a length of $50 miles. 1t Ma. Mas
| on India Key that DIR. Perrine was killed.
| many years ago, and from which ms young
! son Henry, with his mother and two sisters
made their thrilling escape It is this same
Henry Perrine who married MRS. grover
| CleVelands mother not long ago.
| Old Dr. Perrine was man of conSldera-
| BILE scientific attachments, who had peen
| consul in Central America for many year. :;
| and who was an authority on the nora ana
| fauna Of the so Ithern countries. Wmle III
| Central America he conceived the proJect OF
| transplanting certain tropical plants INTO
| Florida and he obtained from Congress
large grant of land at the extreme enc OF
the Florida peninsula Here was ms = pl ~,
| the opposite side of the small pay. ms
was in the early thirties, ana only louI or
five families had settled on the smali lsla ae1
which at that time was a rampant garden
| of tropical beauty.
In those early days the Seminoles We're
very thick though they kept mostly TO the
| everglades. DR.. Perrine made friends with
many of the chiefs, and, as ne was pny-
| stefan, the Indian warriors mace many VS. ,ls-
| its to Indian Key to consult the 'Medlclne
Man" as they called him. At that time the
| SeminoneS were at peace, ana no oite
| feared. that there would be announcer OUT
| But it is always the unexpected that hap
pens One night as Or. Perrine was watch-
| stiffness was broken by the, Seminole war war
Whoop followed by the crash or rlIles. ne
| went to the window, and the sight tnat met met
| his eyes would have made the stoutest
| heart quail There were at least three
| thousand Indians, hideously dauped Win
war paint, absolutely naked, ana tney MSIe
| dancing in the moonlight, brandisnlng rliles
| and clubs and tomahawks, and were yelilils
| like cacOdemonS. ~ 4o1
Dr. Perrine did not lose his self-controii
| Quickly extinguishing the light. he hurried
| his family to the bathhOuse. Inc feTrlne
house like all of the dwellings on the lslanu,
was built out over the water on stout piles
| driven into the sand, and was approached
| by a bridge. The space beneath the MOUSE
was boarded forming large patntup,
| flight of steps Closing the trap door on his
| family Dr. Perrine aScended 10 the pat
| form on top of the house and addressed the
| indians in their own language The SEM
| ;noIer listened quietly <and the refugees In
| the bathhouse were reassured.
| The doctors voice ceased. Ihere was 7 d
ringing whoop. a shot, and his llfeleSS Dody
| plunged downward to the water lhen
| there was a rush for the house; Inc rooms
| were searched and the tremplns women VIZ a;sl
| below could hear the cries of rage ana dls-
| appointment Once the trapdoor was hIteo
and an Indian face peered down INTO tne
darkness but the foh h n Ignx eve@ Witch
| were accustomed to the gloom or the ever
| glades Then the house was set on nre ana
| the fugitives had only one way or escape
| Adjoining the bathhouse, separated from 1T
| by one side Of the stockade, was similar
| Enclosure, used as turtle kraaI, Wnere
| turtles and fish were kept, when was as
| necessary there as poultry yards are In this
| climate Young Perrine managed 70 re-
move several of the stakes, ana the Ialnily
crawled into the kraal For three hours
| they sat in the uncomfortable quarters,
| hardly daring to draw long breath, and
listening to the cracking OF the names a 4il
| the shouts of the savages. At last the
boards above them began to burn, and they
were forced to the extreme end or the
| kraal. where they stood up to their necks
| in water 80.
| to remain in the kraal and he determined
| to make. an effort to escape Removing
norton of the stockade he crawled out OF
| the kraal and made his way along the
| beach, The sun was just rising above the
| horizon and the Semnoles were SO busily
| engaged in plundering the other houses
| that they did not see the boy. He went
| to the boathouse and dragged out four
| Dared skih 1t was only a moments work
| to help his mother and two sisters through
the kraal and into the boat, and they were
soon speeding down the bay toward the
open sea
They had gone about mile when their
flight was discovered by the Indians, and
there was an immediate pursuit. The boy
and his sister rOwed with phenomenal
strength: but the light canoe. manned by
half-dozen brawny savages, gained on them
RAPIDLY Nearer and nearer they approached
| TO the open sea- and nearer and nearer
| crept the canoe. Exhausted with the yio-
| lent struggle, they were about TO give up
point of an island. flying the stars and
| stripes at her peak. 1t was the United
| states frigate Otsego commanded by
| lieutenant Francis Key Murray. A shot
| was fired from a howltZer on the deck, ana
| the Indians retreated. The fugitives We're
| taken on board and conveyed to Key West.
The murder of DR. Perrine created a
| great stir in the North and the government
| prosecuted the Seminole war with more
| than usual vigor The prominent chiefs
were captured and the major portion of the
| tribe was transported to Western reser-
| vation The Perrine family came North and
| settled in Palmyra, n. Y, their native town.
| Henry Perrine is now retired business
| man and with his second wife. who was
| Mrs. Folsom, lives, believe. in Buffalo.