The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-08-21
Lois Octave De Louis scorns the Idea
of Uncle Sam Giving Her
the Halt Breed
Tract.
REVIVAL OF THE STORY
Woman Who Claims to be the Only
Living Descendant OF Chief
keokuk is an Iowa Mu-
sic Teacher.

The Des Monies Register and Lead.
err las revived the story of Miss Lois
1 Octave DeLouis as claimant Of all
the land upon which Keokuk lies,
! printing this morning the following
story which will be of great interest
to the people of this section:
Miss Lois Octave DeLouis, the
only direct heir of the most noted
Indian chief in Iowa, prefers to earn
her living in Des Moines as a music
teacher rather than accept as balm
for wounds inflicted upon her fore
fathers, lands and money offered by
the United States government.
Miss De Louis, who lives at Fourth
and Chestnut streets, is the daughter
of a member Of the famed legion OF
honor" who fought with Napoleon.
and Elizabeth Hunt, daughter of Chief
Keokuk, the noted Iowa Indian.
On the bluff of the high hill over
looking the Mississippi river at Keo-
kuk there is builded on its crest
magnificent house, now in decay. Sur
rounding the lowered building are
magnificent grounds studded with
marble statuary, winding roads OF
crushed shells and bordered by box
elders. 1t is as If Roman palace
and Its garden were picked up and
set down in America. If wrongs were
righted all of this would belong to
her, says Miss DeLouis.
Although Keokuk is city founded
to the memory of the Iowa chieftain
not a stick nor stone is owned by his
only heir.
With her hair snow white Miss De-
Louis is earning her living with a SIM
pc dignity that forbids too great
! curiosity about the events that have
thrown such halo of romance about
her life. With. a true Indian bearing,
flash of black eyes and a French
deprecating shrug, Miss DeLouis
4 scornfully waves aside any suggestion
that kindly Uncle Sam be pressed to
do redress for the land grab of the
site of Keokuk and pay back in Amer
lean eagles the present city valuation
of the city property with fifty years
of interest.
81 would die pauper before
would take one cent from the govern
ment. l want my rights to the mon
ey that was left to me by my father
through guardians and not govern
ment money for Indian land" flashed
Miss DeLouis yesterday afternoon.
A Romantic Life.
The daughter of most romatic
marriage between gallant officer OF
the French army, who wooed beau
tiful and gentle Indian maid for his
bride, brought UP in secluded con-
vent and turned adrift at the age of
s twenty, orphaned and defrauded OF all
}, of her fortune, as ignorant OF the
}, world at a three-year-old babe, is the
J, life story OF Miss DeLouis and 1t con.
d tains all OF the elements of romance,
intrigue and pathos necessary TO a
modern historical novel.
I1p the Mississippi river near Du-
I. buuue l., the early fifties was landed
one day in the early fifties Henri De-
: Louis, a fugitive from the terrors OF
the revolution in France. He was no
3 longer young for his days had been
spent in fighting France.
Elizabeth Hunt baptised to this
/ name under the faith of the Catholic
church while educated at the convent
/ of Sacred Heart at New Orleans, liv.
cd in the little hamlet of Keokuk
The beauty of the Indian maiden had
8 travelled UP and down the river De
/. termined to see so pretty young
miss even If she be of Indian blood
Z DeLouis with all the ardor OF a
r Frenchman wrote to a trapper at the
hamlet of Keokuk When the an
/ swers came back DeLouis wasted nc
{ time, but made peroque voyage
down the river and claimed her as
his bride.
Mrs. William WINS, who is still Nv
ing in KeokIk, pinned the bridal vel
on the little Indian maiden ere she
was led TO the dlJdT III .iO ii''iS
church by her French lover, who laic
claim to one of the royal families II
France. Father Lucian Gaultier. lit
tie French parish priest brought ovel
from France by Bishop Loras, ths
: first bishop in Iowa, pronounced upor
: them the rites of the Catholic church
), In FADED yellow parchment writer
. In neat French and carefully preserv
3 ed by Miss De Louis, these facts o.
the marriage are set forth.
r The French warrior and his roya
. Indian bride lived in luxury and hap
s. piness for several years in Keokuk
/ While the pioneers wore nomespuns
and home knit stockings, the Frencf
chevalier and his bride wore fines
!. silks and linens with trimmings o
= real lace bordered by pearls
: Along with the marriage compact II
!. the little trunk In Miss Del4ouis' room
are many of these garments OF al