The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1898-01-16
SWIFT FAWN'S LIFE.
RESCUE OF AWHITE GIRL FROM SIOUX
INDIANS.

In the Children's home i'll Sioux
Falls, MS ward of the government, is
beautiful white girl, once a protcgee
of the famous Sitting Bull, whose ante
cedents are shrouded in the deepest
mystery. She was taken from the Sioux
Indians through the efforts of the Rev.
0. II. Sproul Of Pierre and Senator
Kyle, and an endeavor is now being
made to find her relatives, if relatives
she has. Had her presence among the
Indians not been discovered when it
was she would by this time have been
the squaw of one Of the braves of the
tribe.
Last fall the Rev. Mr. Sproul was on
a hunting trip along the upper waters
of Cherry creek in Missouri, aud III his
wanderings he came upon a small set
Element of Sioux Indians, the members
Of which We're preparing to celebrate
with savage ceremonies the wedding of
Black Dog, ono of the Sioux braves
and Swift Fawn, girl whose beauty
was known far and wide.
The clergyman, whose labors are
mainly among the red men, naturally
supposed Swift Fawn to be an Indian
maiden, and being interested in the
welfare of the red people requested to
be allowed to attend the wedding.
| When this request was refused, his sus-
picions were aroused, and no determined
to attend in spite of the warnings he re-
ceived to attend to his own affairs and
let the Indians alone
In the meantime Mr.. Sproul had
summoned the Indian agent from the
nearest reservation, and together the
two men invaded the circle i'll which
stood Black Dog and Swift Fawn, III
stead of an Indian girl Swift Fawn was
found to be white girl, q little beau
ty, with an olive complexion and long
blond hair worn down her back i'll two
braids in Indian fashion.
Taking i'll the situation at glance,
the Indian agent commanded that the
ceremony cease Immediately, and that
Swift Fawn be taken back to her guard
ians, Here she was seen by Mr.. Sproul
and the agent. She spoke the Sioux
tongue, but gave evidence in thousand
ways that she was originally from
home of refinement.
By threatening with dire punishment
the Indians III whose care the girl had
been Mr.. Sproul and the agent secured
from them promise that no further
steps should be taken toward giving the
girl i'll marriage An order was secured
through the efforts of Senator Kyle re-
moving her from tho reservation to the
school at Sioux Falls
This order came very near proving
worthless for the Indians had become
alarmed when the wedding was stopped
and were trying to have the marriage
performed secretly when the order
reached the reservation. When Mr..
Sprcul presented the document giving
him authority to take charge Of the
girl, the Indians, especially the pair
who claimed to be the father and moth
er of Swift Fawn, were furious, and for
time it looked as if the clergyman
would never return alive to Pierre. A
plot to kill him was conceived, but this
was frustrated by Swift Fawn, who
warned the minister of his danger and
thus gave him an opportunity to pro.
tect himself.
Finally the Indians, when they saw
that their fight was useless agreed to
give up the girl, and then her reputed
father and mother told Mr. Sproul all
they knew of her, and their story recall
ed wildly raid made by Sitting Bull.
Some years ago. they said, band of
Indians, with Sitting Bull at the head,
broke away from the reservation and
made a raid upon the settlers of lower
Manitoba, killing men, women and chill
dren and setting fire to all the cabins as
well as driving off the live stock.
Among the settlers put to death were
Mr.. and Mrs. Andrew Russell, who had
recently come from the cast with their
little baby girl.
This child was about four years Of
age and remarkably pretty infant, and
for this reason the Indians spared her
life. The child was taken by Sitting
Bull as his especial protegee.
The only clews to the relatives Of tho
child are Il small linen handkerchief
marked with the name of Russell
and little silver drinking mug upon
which is engraved the namo lucia. +"
These articles the Indians who have
pretended to be the father and mother
Of the girl refused to surrender, insist
ing that they wanted them as me
mentos Of the little one they loved. They
promised to carefully guard them and
to produce them at any time they might
be needed.
Swift Fawu who is now called Anna
Russell, was overjoyod when she found
that she was to be taken away from tho
Indians. She had hard work to become
accustomed to tho ways Of tho white
people, and her mistakes Of various
kinds we're many and amusing but she
has won the love Of all by her gentle
manners and pure simplicity. She is
remarkably well developed for "a child
of her years and has already made Won
derful progress i'll her studies.
Efforts arc being made by a family Of
Washington which has become interest
ed i'll the case to secure control Of the
girl, and il is more than likely that the
future Of Swift Fawn viii be pleasant
one.
The child says her real name is