The Opelousas courier., 1904-04-09

%H@%& oAa4AS tAdh tidt VI IIiIHt
beth and Catharine Kleinsmith, daugl
tiers of John Balzer Kleinsmith, o
Buffalo Valley, i'll now Union Coun
ty. The facts in their case show tn
strong nerve, resourcefulness ant
quick perception to act in emergencie:
of the woms,} of Colonial days. The,
were trainSd in the hard school of ex
perience. The father Of these youn:
~heroines was a German, who arrived
from the Fatherland in 1852. Some
twenty years later he removed from
one of the lower counties to this region
and was one of the first settlers. Hi:
plantation was at the cross roads, mid
way between the Dreisbach Churcl
and the Shamokin, or New Berlin
Mountain, about four miles west OF
Lewisburg. In the application for q
pension by his widow it IS recited that
Ehe had been a soldier in tbs ReE1@
ton, during which time his family was
exposed to constant peril. In the year
1880 he was at home assisting in the
protection of the valley.
On Friday, July -, Of that year.
which proved so disastrous to the set
tiers, Kleinsmith, with his SON, John
Baltzer, Jr., and daught9s, Elizabeth,
aged sixteen, and Catherine, aged four
teen years, We're engaged at work in
a field some distance from the house.
Discovering some fine squirrels in a
tree, the son was sent to the house to
fetch the gun, which, strange to say,
they had left behind.
During his absence a party of In
dams took the father and girls captive.
Being unarmed, resistance was useless.
The hostiles were on 1aeir way to Dry
Valley, just across the mountains, and
evidently concluded that Kleinsmith
would give them trouble if taken along.
Accordingly, at a spot still pointed out
by people of the locality. they killed
him and proceeded On their way. Near
this place lived George Brooks, Sr.,
who, with his family, wee not dis
turbed by the savages.
The Brooks family soon learned of
the fate of their neighbor, and, con
structing a litter, bore his body to his
home, about a mile distant. Among
those who assisted in this sad task
was Sabina, the eighteen-year-old
daughter of Brooks, who afterward
married Martin Dreisbach. ST., and
was the mother of the late Judge Mar
tin Dreisbach, of Lewisburg, who was
her youngest child.
We now follow the Fate of the Klein
girls. After crossing the noun
tain, a distance of several miles, the
Indians and their. young captives
stopped at a fine spring a short dis
lance north Of the present site Of New
and still known as Indian
Here the savages planned II
,ther foray. Leaving the girls and
heir plumber here in charge of an old
nan of their number. they set out to
Soon after the departure of
he party it began to rain and the. old
indian beckoned to the girls to gather
)rush and cover the plumber to keep it
Try. This task gave the girls an op-
,ortunity to consult in an undertone
bout attempting an escape.
The decision was quickly reached.
They could not afford to lose time in
their purpose into execution,
IS one or more of the band might re-
urn any moment. They determined
o kill the old Indian. otherwise he
would pursue them. or make al cutlery
which would quickly bring the others
n the ground.
The Indian was evidently much ia
igued, as he paid little attention to
he girls. Partly reclining on his tom
hawk, he fell into a doze which proved
atal to him. AS the girls passed him
With the brush they deity moved the
with their feet in such a man
Ter that the handle could be easily
If the old Indian was awake
evidently considered it accidental.
nd the girls did not disturb his unsus-
repose
When the proper moment for action
ame Elizabeth gave her sister the sig
al to run, while she herself, with the
erve and strength of a Titan,
the helve of the tomahaWk,
nd, before the old man could collect
is senses, she brought the weapon
own upon his head, which must have
roved fatal. Had they delayed their
esperate work a few moments longer
would have been too late.
The Indian gave a terrible yell of
ain, and without waiting to repeat
be blow, the young woman bounded
fter her sister, both heading for Hugh
about half a mile distant.
At the instant. this was happening
he band of Indians, who had been dis
oyered by the armed harvesters in
Lugh Beatty's field, thought it best
, take a homeward trail, and were
oming to the spring for their plumber
nd captives. The death yell of the
a guard and the girls fleeing with the
peed of deer for Beatty's open fields |
as instantly comprehended by them.
hey gave immediate pursuit. and
-ould have recaptnred them had the
III been a longer one, as they had the
dvantage OF having rifles.
Just before reaching the clearing. as
atharine was bounding over the
of 4 fallen tree, she was pierced
the body by a bullet from the
I'm OF a pursuing Indian. With rare
resence OF mind the young girl made
. outcry. but fell apparently by the
OF the tree a corpse.
AS she had fallen SO quickly and LAP
motionless the Indians who came
) an instant later supposed her dead.