Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-07-14
HELD CAPTIVE BY INDIANS.
Texas Boy, Taken by comanches,
Prisoners for Four Years.


Guthrie, Okla, July 13.-The recent
buffalo hunt and Wild west sports at
the 101 ranch in northern Oklahoma.
for the entertainment of the delegates
to the National Editorial Association.
has resulted in bringing out the inter
esting life story of one of the visitors.
John Il. Polston, business man VI
Davis, l. T., who for more than four
wears lived as a captive with the
Comanche Indians.
II was taken captive by the tfipe
when / was Is years old, Polsto1i saiu'
and remained four years. being treat
ed in every way just like one OF tle
Comanche youths. They found me
on Elm creek, about thirty-fVe mlies
from Fort Griffin, Tex, In the spring
of 1861 AT the time l was heruiiis
saddle horses owned by Merchant
Taylor. cattlemen at Pilot Point, and as
| was alone the Comanches had no
trouble whatever in surrounding anu
capturing me. 80,
"Nrv youth, of course. saved my llle'
for the Indians We're on u rald' anu
had with them over 1000 head OF
horses. which they had stolen from
the farmers and ranchers of Texas.
II was only about 100 miles to the In
alan territory line, and the Indians
made direct for their reservation after
taking In charge the forty horses
which l was in charge of.
"At the time was captured they
had seven fresh scalps with them anu
when their home camp was reachea
they had grand old dance under THESE
hloody war trophies.
"The dancing continued for three
DAYS and nights without cessalfoii'
1000 Indians participating. hrlh's
believed that l would be killed wnen
the dance ended, perhaps tortured 10
death. but I was not even moles'eo.
was frequently moved Prom one
camp to another during the frs1 rev
months. but afterward was left with
the tribe all the time and treated as
am Indian. was told some time AFTER
ward that ] was moved frequently W
keep my friends from finding me IN
case q search was made.
IT found out later that the cowboys
believed that the Indians had killed me
during the raid and that 1t was useless
to attempt a recapture. All of the hor-
SEES in my possession in the cow camp
were taken by my captives, and those
the Indians had left at the camp were
too tired to take part in $50 mile
chase after the redskins. My mother
lived $50 miles east OF the COW camp
and it was several months before she
even knew OF my disappearance.
..While with the Comaches hunted
all winter ard made bows and arrows
during the summer months. l have
made and poisoned thousands OF ar
rows for the memoirs OF the tribe. We
would take large rattlesnakes and
have them bite piece of fresh liver.
The liver would turn green when prop
erly poisoned, and the points OF arrows
would be cut into the poisoned meat
and placed In the sun to dry. This ar
row point would inoculate man and
cause almost instant death in practl-
caly every sense. I was shot In the
neck by poisoned arrow just year
before / was taken captive. and today
/ can not hear with the left ear Ply
sicians tell me the drum has been
broken. The arrow entered my neck,
lust below the left ear, the scar being
still visible"
Polston, when nearly 20 years old,
made his escape from the tribe while
many Of the warriors were on another
Texas raid. He returned home, but the
life in the territory had gained such
a hold upon him that he came back
and has ever since made it his perman-
ent home.