Evening journal., 1911-11-17

From the time America was discov-
cred to, say, half century ago there
u were repeated cases of white children
n 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 a girl having
received such treatment. Doubtless
4 any girl falling into their hands was
killed. Savages are not overburdened
Il with respect for the value of women.
y Some forty years ago / was a young
lieutenant in the -th U. S. cavalry,
aud my principal business about that
time was fighting Indians. In one of
our skirmishes with the Sioux we cap
Is tured one Of the white boys who had
y been brought up as an Indian. He
was a handsome little fellow, tall and
straight. about fourteen years old, and
his originally white skin from having
been exposed had turned brown. He
B 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
u fighting like little devil
The colonel turned him over to me
Etl TO see if / could discover his identity.
L 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
Nc when he was about four years old l
n then questioned the boy himself
H. through an interpreter-and found that
he had once been shown the clothes in
\ which he had been captured and some
III trinkets that were taken from those
Il TO whom he had belonged. These were
VI a pocketbook, gold watch and chain
IA and various other things the boy could
II not remember. They had been kept
~ by an old squaw, who received them
at the boys second capture from an
y other squaw, to whom they had been
given by the chief of the tribe who had
a taken the baby from his parents.
III Having reported this to the colonel
he directed me to ride under a flag OF
n truce to the main body Of the Sioux
secure the articles and bring them
i back If possible. He authorized me to
n pay $50 for them, if necessary. went
TO the Sioux camp, purchased the ar
q ticles for a 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
a It and the boy. There were also some
lace and bunch of keys on ? silver
ring. I examined the contents Of the
Il pocketbook. It was long leather one
such as is used to carry unfolded bills.
~ If there had been any bills in it they
u were not there when | looked into it.
4,f There were papers the use of which
II were very plain to me, but would
H mean nothing to an Indian. For in
~ stance, there was a deed 10 lot IN
VA the county OF Cook. state Of Illinois
lM There were a draft on a bank in San
Il J Francisco and two little books that
recognized as savings bank books.
Nj | reported the find TO the colonel
and he forwarded my report TO Wash
ington. After a long period. during
which we kept the boy-much against
his wilI-at Fort c.. TO which we re-
" turned after the campaign. the colo
Il 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 nc
was The colonel gave mo the job.
n Looking on the map Of Illinois.
discovered that Cook county was the
site Of Chicago. One of the bank
hooks indicated an account in a bank
at Peoria and another in Quincy, boil
IN the same state.
set off in company with the boy
L
English, and on reaching Chicago
found the lot in question to be in the
~ heart Of the city. The deed was IN
s. "A the name of Edgar Kyle. This also
was the name on the savings banl
books and the draft on San Francisco
~ The draft was for $1,000. the accounts
IN the savings banks amounted TO al
aggregate of SG.T43. and the lot in Chi
cagO had within few years become
worth about 100000
Pursuing my investigations. discOv
cred that Edgar Kyle some twelve o
thirteen years before had emigrated o
started in a plains schooner for Cali
fornia with his wife and baby. but ha'
l never been heard from after leaving
the Missouri river.
I felt very sure tnaL tneN hau Deel
murdered by Indians. their baby car
ried off. that now had him under m.
care. and he was doubtless heir to
\ very good property, But | saw yer.
little hope Of his possessing it.
On his baby clothing were the initia
letters "E X" and on this evidenc
7 collected the draft and the amount
in the savings banks for him. Wit
this as n starter I succeeded in havin
the court Of chancery appoint guard
ian for him, and proceedings were b'
gun to secure the lot. which had bee
bought in under foreclosure Of
mortgage for $500 A flaw ir tn
foreclosure was discovered which er
nbled young Kyle's guardian to recove
(. the property for him by paying tn
mortgage with interest.
Meanwhile Kyle was being educate
and is now n prominent resident Of
western city. He still holds the Ch
. cago lot, which is worth three-quarter
OF a million. He says his boyhooI
nassed with the Indians, now seem
TO him like weird dream, though fo
several years after becoming civiliEe
he often had longings to return to