The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-02-22

It is safe to say that no preacher
on the American continent has had as
thrilling life story as the Rev. Jo-
seph K. Grif1is, of Cleveland, who has
recently added another interesting
chapter during a visit to the Indians
Of the Florida Everglades, where
men are still tabooed by the descend
ants Of Americas first inhabitants.
Mr.. Grifis's mother was a quarter
breed Usage woman. His father was
a white man-a scout known all over
the frontier by the name of Califor-
MIA Joe. Their home was near the
present site of the city of Gaines
vile, in Texas.
A band of Kiowa Indians raided
that section when Mr.. Griffis was but
a babe and carried into captivity
lage numbers of the inhabitants.
They killed his mother, and Chief
Zepkho-eete of the Kiowas took the
baby with him, back to the country of
the Kiowas, and presented him to his
wife, who decided that his name
should be s'Tahan," which means
''Texas man" The story of his cap
ture was told the boy long years af-
terward by an Indian Of the tribe
who participated in the raid.
The boy loved his foster-parents as
though they had been his own, and
they took the same care of him as
they did of their own children. He
tells many interesting stories of how
they taught him obedience to his
parents, respect for the only gods
they knew anything about, and of his
fathers instruction in hunting buff
falo and other game and in horse
back riding and long-distance listen
ing.
He also tells many stories of pri-
yation on the southwestern plains
and how they drank water from the
buffalo tracks and ate their meat
raw. He learned how to kindle fires
in pouring rain without matches
and how to tie a horse to a hole in
the ground; also how to tell the tribe
to which an Indian belongs by the
shape of his moccasin as left in the
dust tracks.
Tahan witnessed the so-called bat
tie between the Indians and Clusters
seventh cavalry along the Washita
river, in what is now known as the
State of Oklahoma. The captives, Of
whom Tahan was one, were driven On
to the settlers camp, and it was just
following this that Tahan learned he
was not Kiowa Indian, and that the
chief and his wife were not his real
parents. The white men contended
that he was not an Indian, and that
he was captive among them, and
the story of the raid into Texas then
came out.
The Indians were compelled to give
him up, and one of the white men
took him into Texas, where he slept
in the quarters of the horses. One
night, however, he became so lone
some and homesick that he took one
of the horses and hit the trail toward
the Kiowa country, and eventually
found a road which led him to the
camp and to his old Indian compan-
ions, where he remained until he was
sixteen.
AS time went on the Indians began
to mingle quite freely with the
whites, who were constantly becom-
ing more numerous on the frontier,
and the Kiowas were invited to at
tend an agricultural fair and horse
race at Muskogee. In one Of the
races Tahan riding his pony Buck
skin won, and a government officer
who witnessed the race Immediately
sent for Tahan and arranged with
him to enlist for special duty as a
scout. For two and half years he
served in this capacity, when one day
he was insuited by a young lieuten-
ant. Then he and another soldier,
known as "Gee Whiz," deserted and
fed to the Cheyennes.
They were captured, court-martial-
ed and sentenced to death. Impris-
oned at Fort Reno, awaiting the day
of execution, they cut hole through
the prison roof and escaped into the
darkness of the night. For three years
Tahan was a wanderer, suspicious
and afraid of everybody. Toward
the latter part of his wanderings he
crossed the border into Canada, and
one night in London, Ont, stopped
to listen to the Salvation Army on the