Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-10-19
STOLEN BY INDIANS
Clinton Woman Believe Indian
Chiefs Squaw Is Her Long
Lost Sister.
Both We're Captured When Small
Girls by the Indians in
Wyoming.
Thrilling Story Of Her Capture
and Rescue by a White
Trader.
Special to Times-Republican.

oUC4s
Special to Times Republican.
Clinton, Oct. 19.-Mrs. William Cook,
of Davenport, has learned some add
tional facts concerning the squaw of
Broken Horn, an old Indiar, belonging
to the Arapahoe tribe, living on the
Wind River reservation in Wyoming,
who is supposed to be Mrs. Cooks sis-
ter, and who was captured with Mrs.
Cook thirty-flve years ago when cross
ing the plains with an OK train. This
was the last time Mrs Cock ever saw
her sister, who was then a small girl.
Mrs. Cook was but 13 years old, but has
vivid recollection of the terrible mas
sacre, which resulted in the death OF
every member Of the train with the ex-
ception of Mrs. Cook and her sister,
who were taken prisoners, but were
|separated. each going with different
tribe With the Indians of the Wind
River reservation is living a white
woman, who is believed to be the long
lost sister Of Mrs. Cook. and. efforts will
soon be made to ascertain whether or
not she Is the girl who was stolen al
most forty years ago.
An old Wyoming warrior, who has
seen this woman on the plains and Is Ia
miliar with the story. says:
Her features and the tradition of the
tribe point clearly to white parentage,
but after residence OF thirty-fve years
In the tepees the white squaw, as she is
commonly called on the reservation,
speaks only the Indian tongue, and pro-
fesses to have no recollection other than
OF eauaws, warriors and medicine men.
Attention was attracted To the white
squaw little over year ago when
small band Of Arapatoes came to Crap
ser. a small town on the border OF the
reservation, to sell small trinkets. she
was a member OF the band and at once
attracted attention. She was as dirty
and as sun burned as the other squaws.
but beneath the dark skin were traces
Of different race. Her hair was light
| in color and much finer than that OF
the other women Of the tribe. Her eyes
were clear blue. 1t was observed that
all of the members Of the tribe paid her
large amount Of consideration. Her
clothing, blankets and even souvenirs
were better than her associates.
"If the white squaw IS a sister OF Mrs.
Cook, and there is good reasons to be-
lieve she is, she was captured by the
Aarapahoes while passing thru the state
thirty-six years ago. She, with her sis
ter, Mrs. Cook. were the ,only survivors
of the massacre. Mrs. Cook secured her
liberty, but never saw her sister after
the eventful day. She was taken In
charge by an old chief ard grew into a
typical Indian maiden. She was then
given in marriage to Broken Bow.
1.-THE capture OF Mrs. Cook occurred
when she was only 10 years old. She
was with her parents who were on their
way from Illinois to California. On the
plain her father Joined IN OK train Of
seventy-five wagons and continued witt
it to Rock Creek station in Wyoming
Just as the party had camped for thu
night, and the entire Fletcher family
for that was the name Of Mrs. Cooks
parents, was on the banl, Of stream. II
war party OF 100 Cheyeniies sprang from
the Hill side and attacked the whites.
Fletcher and his three SONS escaped to
the wagons with many ether emigrant.,
but the mother and her two daughters
were seized by the redskins In the
nght the mother was sY,eared to death.
One Of the Indians seized Lizzie, the
youngest daughter. and placed her upon
his horse and rode of. Mary Fletcher,
| the Mrs. Cook OF today, was carried
away a prisoner to mountain retreat.
That night was the last time she ever
saw her sister. She was placed on the
4 back Of pony, was carried away and
adopted by the Indians as an Indian
girl. After she had seen scalp dance
and skirmish with soldiers from old
4 Fert Laramie, she was painted red, with
4 stripes Of black and green, and her hair
4 was colored with SCOT water. In the
spring of 1866 not quite year after her
capture, she entered the tent OF an In
dian trader, who had visited the camp
mt Fort Dodge on the Arkansas river
and spoke few words in English. She
/ was Immediately knocked down and
4 was carried from the tent by an Indian
4 That night, while listening to sere-
4 made. the trader was told the story Of
4 the capture by the girl, and also that Q
Kiowa buck was negotiating for he,
i purchase and intended to take her t.
New Mexico. Finding the girl was fol
sale, the trader bought her for $1,000
i and she was taken back to her old home
in Illinois"
I. For the past few months Mrs. Cook
i has made an effort to learn more about
the white sauaw, hoping that she nigh
4 prove to be her long-lcst sister. So fal
I she has been unable To carry the inves
Z LEGATIONS very far. but says she will mo-
4 give up until satisfied as to the identit,
!. of the white woman.
} Mrs. Cook says:
~ will never be satisfied until I inves
tigate this matter myself. / would have
done so several months ago, but at tina
time, according to press reports. small
pex was raging among the Indians. ant
since then a threatened uprising hal
kept me away. If the woman is my sls
ter cen fully identify her by brit
mark on her body. intend to fully in
vestigate the matter in short tim
and find out once and for all whethe
the white squaw is my sister or not"
Captain Nickerson, whose headquar
ters are on the Sheshone reservation
believes the white sluaw is the long
! lost sister OF Mrs Cook He says he ha
,ann ,,or many times, and is certain sh