Devils Lake weekly world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1914, 1911-10-27
OUT OF THE
SAVAGE STATE
By DAVID WALTER CHURCH
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

From the time America was discov-
cred to, say. half century ago there
were repeated cases of white children
being carried away by Indians and
brought up in the tribe. Those that
were raised by red men were boys. At
any rate. never read of girl having
received such treatment. Doubtless
any girl falling into their hands was
killed. Savages are not overburdened
with respect for the value Of women.
Some forty years ago was young
lieutenant in the til U. S. cavalry,
and my principal business about that
time was fighting Indians. In one Of
our skirmishes with the Sioux we cap
tured one of the white boys who had
been brought up as an Indian. He
was handsome little fellow, tall and
straight. about fourteen years old, and
his originally white skin from having
been exposed had turned brown. He
could speak only the Sioux language;
could not remember any life but that
Of an Indian, any father or mother or
other relative. When captured he was
lighting like little devil.
The colonel turned him over to me
to see if could discover his identity.
questioned the Indians who had been
captured with the boy, but they knew
nothing of his antecedents, since they
had captured him from another tribe
when he was about four years old.
then questioned the boy himself
through an interpreter-and found that
he had once been shown the clothes in
which he had been captured and some
trinkets that were taken from those
to whom he had belonged. These were
pocketbook, gold watch and chain
and various other things the boy could
not remember. They had been kept
by an old squaw, who received them
at the boys second capture from an
other squaw, to whom they had been
given by the chief of the tribe who had
taken the baby from his parents.
Having reported this to the colonel,
he directed me to ride under flag of
truce to the main body of the Sioux,
secure the articles and bring them
back If possible. He authorized me to
pay $50 for them, if necessary. went
to the Sioux camp, purchased the ar
ticles for song and brought them
back with me.
Besides the watch and the pocket
book was tintype Of baby, and a
resemblance could be traced between
it and the boy. There were also some
lace and bunch Of keys on silver
ring. | examined the contents of the
pocketbook. 1t was long leather one
such as is used to carry unfolded bills.
If there had been any bills in it they
| were not there when l looked into it.
There were papers the use Of which
were very plain to me, but would
stance. there was deed to lot in
the county of Cook, state Of Illinois.
There were draft on bank in Sam
Francisco and two little books that l.
recognized as savings bank books.
| reported the find to the colonel
and he forwarded my report to Wash
ington. After long period. during
| which we kept the boy-much against
his will-at Fort G., to which we re-
turned after the campaign. the colo
mel received an order to detail some
one to take the boy to the places indi-
Gated by the deed and the savings bank
books. with view to learning who be-
was. The colonel gave me the job.
Looking on the map Of Illinois,
discovered that Cook county was the
site of Chicago. One of the bank
books indicated an account in bank
at Peoria and another in Quincy, both
in the same state.
I set off in company with the boy,
who by this time had learned a little
English. and on reaching Chicago
found the lot in question to be in the
heart Of the city. The deed was in
the name of Edgar Kyle. This also
was the name on the savings bank
books and the draft on San Francisco.
The draft was for $1,000. the accounts
in the savings banks amounted to an
aggregate Of $6,743, and the lot in Chi
cago had within few years become
worth about 100000.
Pursuing my investigations, discov-
cred that Edgar Kyle some twelve or
thirteen years before had emigrated or
started in a plains schooner for Cali
fornia with his wife and baby. but had
never been heard from after leaving
the Missouri river.
felt very sure that they had been
murdered by Indians, their baby car
ried off. that now had him under my
care, and he was doubtless heir to
very good property. But saw very
little hope of his possessing it.
| On his baby clothing were the initial
letters "E. X" and on this evidence
I collected the draft and the amounts
in the savings banks for him. With
this as starter succeeded in having
the court Of chancery appoint guard
ian for him. and proceedings were be-
gun to secure the lot, which had been
bought in under foreclosure of
mortgage for $4,000. \ flaw in the
foreclosure was discovered which en-
abled young Kyle's guardian to recover
the property for him by paying the
mortgage with interest.
Meanwhile Kyle was being educated
and is now prominent resident of
western city. He still holds the Chi
cago lot, which is worth three-quarters
of million. He says his boyhood.
passed with the Indians. now seems
to him like weird dream. though for
several years after becoming civilized
! he often had longings to return to
savage life. But realizing that bet