The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-09-06
FOUND A HOME
FOR The GIRL
Story of Mary Truegiver Gre
ated Outside Interest.
WOULD FORCE MARRIAGE
Publication of the Incident
Yielded Good Result.

Guthrie, o. T., Sept. Son account of
having printed the story of Mary True
giver, a white girl, II years of age, who
was found with the Usage Indians and
taken from the tribe by United States Of
fcials, newspapers are considered respon-
sible for the finding of home among rel
atives for the young woman at Cedar
vale, Kan.
In May last the newspapers told of
the taking of Mary Truegiver from old
Chief Prettyhair of the Ossges, who at
tempted to force the white girl to marry
him. United States District Attorney
Horace Speed had charge of the case and
two deputy United States marshals I'M
der instructions, went to the home OF
Prettyhair and compelled him to give the
girl up. Mr. Speed later advertised in
the newspapers. hoping by the telling OF
the girls story to find for her a home
in a Christian family and possibly ascer-
tain something of her relatives. In this
he was successful and the girl who spent
the early years of her life with the Osages
is now with her aunt, Mrs. John Delioror,
at Cedarvale. Neighbors of the Deliorors
read of the finding of Mary Truegiver
and correspondent with Mr.. Speed, the re-
salt of the correspondence being that her
1unt was found and notified of the girl s
existence
Mr. Speed has had numerous letters
concerning the girl Letters came from
as far east as Massachusetts, came from
Texas and other states adjoining Okla
homa, but the majority of these COM
munications came from Illinois and Mis-
souri, These letters all contained appli-
cations TO give the white girl home IN
some Christian family. Mr.. Speed had
about determined to place the girl in the
home of a retired minister, residing in
St Louis, but the letter announcing
the finding of relatives of the girl arrested
this plan. Mr.. Speed felt that the rela-
Ives had the first claim and thought noth-
ing other than placing the girl with them
During the past week Mary TrueglVer
left Oklahoma for her new home.
The story of Mary Truegiver is as fol-
lows:
Sixteen wears ago Aunt Phoebe, an old
Usage Indian squaw, found an eight
months old white girl baby in a small
house on the Usage reservation. The
child was adopted by the tribe and Aunt
Phoebe gave here the name of Mary True
giver. which was the name of the squaw
The girl was educated at the Indian
school and became a very pretty girl
Truegiver, Aunt Phoebe's husband, died
and she married Chief Prettyhair, and
Mary Truegiver remained with her In
dian foster mother. About one year ago
Aunt Phoebe died and Chief Prettyhair,
although past 20 years of ase attempted
to force the girl to marry him, accord
ing to the tribal customs. This she re-
fused TO do and her treatment at the
hands of the old chief was reported so
cruel that the United States officials in
tereferd. Deputy Marshals Hutchinson
and Seng at Ponca City took forciole
possession of the girl and she was kept
at the home of a family at Ponca City
until this week
1t is said that the Indians remember
Mary Truegiver's parents, but are I'M
able to tell her name. There is story
that her fathers name was Sarcoxie,
Delaware Indian. and that her mother
was a white woman. Whether this Is
true or not is not known, as the history
of the girls parents has not been Sc
cured from her aunt, Mrs. Delioror OF
Cedarvale.