Los Angeles herald., 1905-05-18
QUANAH PARKER'S
LIFE A ROMANCE
WAS THE PRESIDENTS ENVOY
TO GERONIMO
HE is A coMANCHE CHIEF
story Of His Mothers Capture by Inc
dlsns and Later Return to the
Home Of Her People Reads
Like Fiction

ST. LOUIS. May 17.--Quanah Park
er, chief of the Comanches, as the
messenger of President Roosevelt to
Geronimo, delivered the presidents
promise of liberty to Geronimo with a
dignity which belonged to internation-
al affairs. The meeting between Ger
onimo and Parker occurred fifteen
miles west of Lawton, and all its pro-
ceedings were governed by conven-
tional dignity and ostentatious cere-
mony."
Quanah Parker, who was thus Sc
lected as his messenger by President
Roosevelt, is celebrated in the south
west not merely as a Comanche
chief who is also a civilized capitalist,
but as a representative Of what is
perhaps the most remarkable tragedy
and romance in the history of the
southwest. He descends not only from
a line of Comanche warriors on his
fathers side, but on his mothers from
a family which included one of the
signers Of the Texas declaration of in
dependence, for whom Parker county
in Texas is named. The family has
connections also in Illinois and Vir-
gfnia, and probably in other states. No
doubt the Comanche chief might
find cousins among some of the most
prominent people in half a dozen west
ern and southwestern cities, outside of
Texas. where relatives who acknowl
edge their connection with him are
many and prominent.
A Frontier Love Story
The story Of how religiously ed
ucated Texas girl of such a family as
this came to be the mother of a Co.
manche chief may become in time as
celebrated as that of Pocahontas. 1t
explains itself briefly as result of her
capture by Comanches while still a
child and her adoption into the tribe,
to which she became so strongly at
tached that she would never have been
restored to civilization at all if the
late Sui" Ross of famous memory in
Texas, and his lieutenant, Killiher. had
not been mounted on better mounts
than hers. She rode like a man in
Texas at a time when the sight of
Comanche was a signal for the most
exciting of all hunts-the man hunt
She was with her Comanche hus-
band as one of small party which was
detached from a war party at time
the Comanches were on the warpath.
Ross and two companions gave chase,
and as the Comanches were armed
only with bows and spears, they fol-
lowed the usual Indian policy of retreat
at the full speed of their horses under
the fire of their pursuers. One of
them, whom Ross overlook, was killed,
and his shield and spear, which were
taken by Ross as a trophy, are now
In the Texas state museum as a memo
rial of the chase, which still continued
after he fell. It's final object was a
Comanche riding painting pony at full
speed across the plain, and with no
idea of surrendering to Lieut.. Killiher,
who was pursuing. In the chase Ross
companion, Lieut.. Somerville, being a
heavyweight, had exhausted his pony
and dropped out, but Killiher con-
tinued until he rode neck and neck
with the fugitive. He then made the
discovery which accounts for the fact
that he brought back a prisoner in
stead of another Comanche trophy for
the Austin museum. The fleeing Co
manche was a woman, handicapped by
the burden of a daughter not quite 8
years old.
Captive Is White Woman
AS he returned with her to his COM
panions, whom he had separated from
IL capturing her he made another sur
prising discovery, or at least became
Nlrt11allv cartain of uhat y Fl nrr,,n ,.l