The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1899-04-29
SIOUX MEplclNE WOMAN.


l S4OON 0sStsS = " ~ - ~
An Actress Said to Possess Some VaAaab1s
Indian secrsts
Henrietta Crossman, the actress. II
4 full-ledged medicine woman Of the
Sioux tribe of Indians, among whom
she Is held in high esteem. 1t Is not
to be inferred from this that Miss
yrossman has Indian blood In her veins.
The story Of how she obtained the SCI
,rets she Is alleged to possess illustrates
The mortal hatred which one tribe OF
indians may feel toward another, while
At the same time showing the graft
tude and appreciation Of kindness that
sometimes crop out from beneath the
calm and reserve of the redskin. When
Miss Crossman was a baby her father.
Major Crossman, well-known Indian
fighter of the regular army. was sta
toned in Minnesota. At that time the
chippewas were almost continually
turbulent. During a brief period OF
peace one Of the Chippewa braves TOOK
to wife a Sioux maiden. This was =
serious breach of Chippewa etiquette
and the new squaw had to face the
bitter jealousy and hatred OF several
other wives. While peace lasted she
was comparatively safe, but as soon as
hostilities broke out again and her hus-
band was called away to fight her life
was made miserable. About this time
Mrs. Crossman was deeply concerned
about her baby girl, who was suffering
from pneumonia and lay lowering be-
tween life and dcnth. One evening the
mother was sitting beside the cot OF her
suffering little one when q young
squaw dashed into the house and
sought protection. It was the Sioux
girl who had been driven from her hus-
bands tepee by the other wives. One
Of them had attempted to stab her.
but the young Sioux seized the knife
and thus saved her life, at the cost OF
a terribly wounded hand. Mrs. Cross
man gave the poor creature such aid
as was possible while the wounded
squaw told her story. Then the dusky
visitor asked to look at the sick baby,
and on learning the cause Of sickness
declared her ability to relieve the little
one, adding that her father was the
great. medicine man Of the Sioux, and
that from him she had learned many
secrets. Mrs. Crossman, feeling that
the Indian girl would at least not harm
the child, gave permission for an ex-
pertinent to be made. The sQuaw at
once departed and in an hour returned
with some herbs which she combined
into medicine which actually seemed
to afford the child speedy relief. A
few days later the baby was as well as
ever. Then the Sioux girl disappeared
and succeeded in reaching her own
people. When Miss Crossman was old
enough she told the story. In after
years she met the Sioux woman and at
the latter's request was formally
chosen a medicine woman. A number
Of Indian secrets were confided to her,
and now her fame is great among the
Sioux. Thus 1t happens that whenever.
with her company, she chances to be
playing near an Indian settlement she
Is sure to be overwhelmed with dusky
bringing all sorts of offerings.
Sne has smattering of the Sioux
language. and 1t seems strange to see
the big chiefs and warriors bow down
to this dainty little woman.
Two weeks later the camp boss was
killed by fallen limb. The following
spring the logs were hung up for want
Of water and while they were lying on
the shore waiting for rains a forest FIRE
swept through the woods burning the
logs and the camp where the men had
worked. This autumn a party of |
who had been hunting deer
stopped at DO Peeps grave and were
to find that the yellow birch
which covered his remains had sprout-
ID from the stump, sending up three
shoots which had interlaced so as TO |
orm cross about ten feet tall When |
hey saw that the last of the dead |
mans predictions had been fulfilled |
hey came out and circulated the story
III over eastern Maine, since which
lime the grave has been visited by
cores Of French Canadians, all of
Vhom believe that a miracle has been
above the dead.
Says dispatch from Old Town. Me-,
o the New York Sun: Every French
Canadian resident Of Maine believes
hat a miracle has been performed
'ver the grave o: Paul Beaupre, who
lied and was buried in the woods above
findstone Falls, four years ago.
or Bo Peep, as he was called
y his acquaintance, was a fortune.
eller and peddler Of snakeskin charms,
Who Travelled from camp to camp In
Vinter selling his amulets and preying
pom the creduiity of his countrymen
y pretending to reveal future events.
our years ago he was taken i'll with
neumonia while staying at a camp on
be East Branch and died inside of a
reek.
1nero ID UcauIiluA Diru cuIIeu pne |
,sy gull, very few specimens OF which
,tc< ~, onv ynuseum and whose ~cx;-> |