The Press., 1900-03-22
KIDNAPEDBYI INDIANS
THRILLING STORY OF A WOMAN'S
CAPTURE AND ESCAPE.

t1HlLItNG StOHf OF n WOMAtN'0
CAPTURE AND ESCAPE.
ine of an Exciting Adventure with
the BloOdthirsty sioux In Wyoming
Territory I'm 1864. ..
While in Washington one day saw
some out CT the department of Justice
woman Of attractive appearance. As
she paused moment on the step and
looked with bright, obseryant eyes over
at the White House and along Pennsyl
vania avenue. she presented picture
Of comfortable, placid middle age. One
Of the attorneys from the Indian depre-
dation claims department accompanied
her to the door, and after she bade him
goodby he said:
''That woman is Mrs. Sarah l.. Lari-
mer Of Nebraska, and she is making her
yearly visit to Washington. When at
the capital, she always calls on her
friends in the department of justice.
The files of Indian depreciation claims
contain no more romantic and thrilling
incidents than these which relate the
early life Of Mrs. Larimer. Those who
meet her now as woman of the present
day. quite abreast of the times in which
she lives, interested in all public ques-
tions and full Of kindly sympathies can
scarcely realize that in her youth she
was the heroine of regular dime
novel story of the plains
"In 1884 Lieutenant Larimer, who
had just been honorably discharged
from the Union army, left his home in
Kansas, accompanied by his young wife
and little child, to cross the plains for
the restoration Of his health, which had
given out through hard service in the
war. They were in company with sew
eral other travellers and had with them
valuable personal belongings, consist
ing of several wagons and horses, ex-
pensive clothing. family jewels, COM
plete Photographic outfit and nearly
a., 900 in money. When inWyoming
territory, they were surprised by band
Of Sioux Indians, who murdered three
Of the party, wounded two, Lieutenant
Larimer being one of the wounded, and
captured Mrs. Larimer and her child.
The Indians took the woman and child
to their camp, about 70 miles from
the spot where they had attacked the
travellers.
| ga day or two after the attack news
came to the Eleventh cavalry, stationed
at Fcrt Laramie, wy, that the Sioux
had attacked travellers on the emigrant
road and had carried Mrs Larimer and
her child into captivity. Lieutenant
Larimer had been found. nearly dead
from arrow wounds and distracted at
the fate which had befallen his wife
and baby. The officers of the Eleventh
Immediately moved part Of their com
mand up the Platte river and obtained
further information as to where the
raid had taken place. They were about
to move against the Indians with q
force of two companies when Mrs.
Larimer came crawling into camp, car
rying her child in her arms Their con-
1ition was deplora BILE. She and the child
were nearly famished. AS soon as Mrs.
Larimer was able she gave a detailed
account of the position of the Indians,
their plans and movements, their de-
signs against the command which they
knew would be moving against them,
their numbers and the ambuscades
which they had prepared. Her informa
ltion was SO valuable that the officers
were able to thwart the designs of the
Indians, not only against the pursuing
troops, but against exposed points and
, trains that were on the emigrant road.
, 1.-THE officers found the information
To-
and movements of the Indians to be eX.
actly as she had said and marveled al
. the powers Of observation and clearness
of memory which had endured through
the hours of torture she had gone
= through. The accuracy of her state
! ments was particularly verified by th'
. fact that one of the lieutenants and {
few of his men, who had disobeyed or
ders and followed trail apart from tn
command, fell into an ambuscade de
scribed by Mrs. Larimer and wer'
killed.
> "Mrs. Larimer YVES never quite clea
as to how many hours she had passet
: with the Indians. From the moment o
e captivity, when they had started of
n with her child and herself in their train
she had concentrated every faculty Oh
:. watching for an opportunity of escape
=, She had seen her husband struck dow
by arrows, killed. as she supposed; ha
y seen the wagons fired and her friend
: KILLED and wounded. She had read o
y the tortures inflicted by Indians upol
r women captives, never imagining tina
one day she would be their wretche
= victim. She was determined, il posi-
BILE, to get herself and child away fro1
their clutches and die in some othe
way than by their tortures. She ha
always been a girl of fearless disposi
y ton. quick in her movements and yer
l. Observant. She pretended to be bodil
y in languid and almost immovabl
state. After hours of waiting an
9 watching their dances and listening t
q their plans for further depredations
q when they had ceased to observe he1
she found a chance to slip away beyon
the fires into the dark bush. For hour
snd hours. through two days an
nights, she struggled on, faint, nearl
l. dead, until she fell exhausted in tn
Il camp of the cavalry.
70 ''It was a happy time; of course
n when she found her young husban
4 alive. All they had in the world wa
:, gone, but after the horrors of their ex
. perience had passed away little an
u health was in measure restored the
Il started out afresh. Mrs. Larimer ha
always been the business manager Q
the firm. Her husband never had hi