Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1918-01-25
OLD VETS RECALL
RAIDS BY INDIANS
TWO AGED WEsTERNERs TILL
OF THRILLING DEEDS.

VI t0niLGtNo b6SSos
~ Deys They Suffered esatInss d
hands Of savaoes, While Fr!ends
Were Slain.
Rock Springs. Texas. - Two old
timers met here few days ago. w
@. Riggs, now OF Colorado, who
'Ibtruck It rich" and 10 now TOURING
Texas hunting up his old friends and
yslattvss, came to see his friend. D
II. Films, or. a. his friends call him
Indian Davie."
Mr.. Riggs. who was born IN lizard
County. Arkansas. came to Texas
when Q ANAL boy with his parents
John and Jane Riggs, who settled near
1usarloaf Mountain. Is miles from
Bolton, in 1857. Mr.. Elms said:
81 also am an Arkansawyer. Ny
parents came to Texas, settled IN
Warrington County In 1S47. moved to
Dsu County In 1850, and Of all Of the
things ! have seen the murder by the
Indians Of Mr.. and Mrs. John Riggs
= most indelibly stamped on my
memory. ] was a boy abort IL years
cid. John Riggs and ] started after
some cedar posts to fence our neld.
We had only gone short distance
when we were overtaken by fifteen
Indians.
1.-THE frst one that came up spoke
70 N in English and said, Ho' do you
dor Al the others came up they
formed a circle around rs and began
70 club US with cow tails. holding the
bush of the tail In their hands. We
stood the punishment, quite a while.
Mr.. Riggs started toward his home in
Q run. followed by number Of the
Indians. Some of the Indians con-
tinued to punish him. the others
laughing 4 shouting. evidently very
much amused. The three left with me
. emed to have Just lots OF fun. pun
hing me In various ways, took OF
my clothing and divided the garments
up among themselves.
I'VE could hear the other Indians
yelling and those left with me went
OF in that direction. then became
frightened and ran my level best In
the opposite direction to Alex Reds
place, three and a half miles away.
When about halfway. met Mr..
1sid's brother riding horse and
leading another, which I mounted.
and we went to Mr.. Reid's and re-
ported what had happened.
"Mr. Riggs had brother at home
and, being unarmed, ran for help.
When the few neighbors gathered at
the Riggs home they found the dead
bodies of Mr.. and Mrs. Riggs some
900 yards from the house-the baby
crawling over its dead mother.
"W. G. Riggs, then a small boy. ran
and hid in the tall grass. The two
girls, Roda and Margaret, were car.
ried away prisoners. In the afternoon
the girls witnessed the killing OF
George Pevey at Douglas Mountain.
near where the town Of Killain now
stands. In their haste to get away
they dropped the girls and left them.
The girls spent the night alone on
the prairie, but next morning went TO
Q vacant house and were found by
John B. Slack. Just prior to the kill.
Ing Of Mr.. and Mrs. Riggs the Indians
killed Young Pierce"
Uncle Davie" timidly removed his
hat ant exhibited scars, the result Of
the beating he received.
After the death of his parents, the
baby and the present Mr.. Riggs and
two sisters made their home with
their grandparents and uncles =
Grandma Roda and Grandpa Thomas.
Branick and James Riggs. They first
settled near Salado. then In Bandera
County at Cave Mountain near Me-
dina Dam. The old home Is now
owned by Mrs. John Leboldt.
The Indians gave them o great deal
of trouble, stealing their horses and
killing their cattle. So the Riggs IA
mily. assisted by Frank Fox, built
large stockade, commonly known as
Fort Riggs. The walls were double,
filled between with dirt, and on top
they planted cactus. They had no
wagons or horses and the stone was
hauled on slides pulled by oxen.
Grandpa Riggs was drowned In the
Medina River and 10 buried near
where Lee d. Montell now lives.
The hair of these old-timers n now
whitened by the many winters. but
their minds are clear, and many arc
the stories Of hardship and adventures
of the early settlers and their person
al experience and observation; and
not many summers will pass until
they cross over the river to join their
friends and relatives In the happy
hunting grounds"
Necessity knows r. law, but soon
becomes acquainted with the courts.
The hen may lay the egg, but she
has to get the rooster to advertise the |
TACT.