New Britain herald., 1915-03-27
L. P. LEE, A WRITER. (BY JAMES SHEpARD)

It may be surprising 10 many that Porter Lee, was also bookpublisher and still moro surprising that he should have published at New Brit ain d story of Indian barbarities In the great northwest. But such is the fact, as shown by a paper covered illustrated pamphlet of forty-eight pages from the press of Case, Lock- wood & O., the title page of which is as follows:
 History of the Spirit Lake mass acre Sth. March, 1857, and of Miss Abigail Gardiner's three months cap tivity among the Indians. Accord ing to her own account, as given to l.. r. Lee.
 "L- P. Lee Publisher, New Britain. Conn, 1857"
 While journeying through the northwest, Mir. Lee chanced to be at St. Paul. Minn.. when Miss Gardiner was returned from captivity and also in the Governors room during the ceremonies when she was formally presented to Governor Medary in be- half Of the state, by friendly Indians At the request of the governor. Mr. Lee escorted Miss Gardiner to her friends at Fort Dodge, Iowa. She gave Mir. Lee an account of the massacre and of her bondage, and he related the same to a third person who wrote the story for Colonel Lee.
 Spirit Lake is about eleven miles long and lies mainly in the state of Iowa, but is bounded on the north by Minnesota. Rowland Gardiner of Seneca, N. S. after about two years of migration, located at Spirit Lake in July, 1856, when the echoes of the woodman's axe were heard there for the first time. There were then no other whites within twenty miles but '~ few months there were, in all,
 antilles about the lake within
 miles or Mir. Ga:lner's log cabin, besides a few men who kept bachelors hall. For their supplies they had to go to Fort Dodge, eighty miles away
 On the morning of March s. 1857, as the Gardiner's family were about to take breakfast, Indian after Indian came in for something to cat and in a short time they consumed the meal which had been prepared for the Gardiner family. Then they demand cd more and upon being informed
  they shot and killed MT and Mrs Gardiner, then MT and Mrs. Luce, and their two children an. unmarried daughter and a son of Mir. Gardiner. in all eight of tho nine members of tho Gardiner household. Mrs. Luce was q daughter of Mir. Gardiner. The on1y survivor was Miss Abigail, aged fifteen. There were fourteen Of tho sayages who belonged to a small body of hostile Indians known as "Ink-pa- du-tas' Band.' Under his leader ship they had come from their lodge over one hundred and fifty miles dis tant. Miss Abigail was conducted to their nearby camp with such booty as the Indians could carry. Leav- ing a guard over their booty and Miss Abigail, the major part of the Indians then went from house to house. cap tured three moro white women and murdered all the rest of the inhahi- | tants about the lake. Tn all thirty l nine persons were slain. They sc- cured as much booty as they could 1 take away and besides killed over | forty head of cattle which they left | lying on the ground. After about 1 five days they started on their long 1 march to their lodge. They camc | in two sleighs which were so loaded ! down for the return trip that therc | was no room in them for the captive | women to ride, and besides walking i through the snow. they were com | pelled to carry heavy burdens on | their backs. Miss Abigails load is | estimated to have weighed seventy | pounds. Two of the women cap | tives were unable to endNre such | hardships and, consequently, they were | cruelty murdered. They were com pelled to be painted and to dress like | Indians. Miss Gardiner was not per ' mittcd to be in company with the ! other captive women, who, after a i while was sold to other Indians and | by them returned in order to obtain | q reward. Tn a little less than three