The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1923-05-30

ecSU~RCA AAOAsC h(u ny Ahhui0ASs
After a short time Mr.. Stocker
said: Now, they have set fire to the
house He laid down on the ground
and commenced digging in order to
cover himself with the earth as pro-
lection against the fire. immediate
ly tried to do the same thing, but was
not able to get loose more than a
handful of earth. Then Mr.. Stocker
said: 'Oh, that won't help us, when
the house falls we shall be suffocated.
We next made a further attempt to
save ourselves by trying to dig a
hole under the front side of the house
for the purpose of getting out. He
soon noticed, however, that the In
dians were on that side At the fur
ther. end of the house was another
cellar used for the storing of pota-
toes. This depression was filled with
straw and was in nowise connected
with the cellar in which we were.
Mr.. Stocker thought that on that
side of the house would be a bet
ter chance to escape as the burning
straw would no doubt keep the In
dams away. 1t was dark in the
cellar there being no window. Mr..
Stocker again commenced to dig with
his hands until he found a single
which made work much easier. When
the hole was large enough Mr.. Stock
er wanted to help me out, but | re-
fused to go, being afraid. | said
MIR. Stocker, you go first, if | hear
shooting | shall stay here Mr.
Stocker then left me, and soon after
wards hearing no shooting | made
up my mind to go also. | could not
reach the opening however. l goI
bench but this was not high enough
| to enable me to get out. Then
noticed an earthen milk vessel, anc
| by placing this on top of the bench
! | was enabled to reach the opening
! but by this time the fire was being
carried unremittingly into the open
| ing through which | intended to es
cape. Remembering that my father
! had always told us children that we
should be careful that our hair should
not become ignited, took off my ap
ron and wound it tightly around my
head, then l crawled through the hol,
and through the flames. A few feei
! from the house was a cornfield into
which | ran and then turned to look
once more at the house; the flames
were mounting high into the air.
ran deeper into the woods and there
found Mr.. Stocker.
Mr.. Zettel and Children Murdered
eve went three miles through the
woods in the direction of New Ulm
and coming out passed house where
lived family by the name of Zettel.
Upon entering we found Mr.. Zettel
dead on the floor, in his arms loaf
of bread saturated with blood. We
stepped over his body and in the
next room found the corpses of three
children, one of them being a school
mate of mine. l was filled with hor-
ror and turned back again, and with
Mr.. Stocker came out of the house.
We heard some one call and follow
ing the sound found Mrs. Zettel in
a shock of wheat. She heard US for
a long time but was afraid that we
might be Indians. We found her
bleeding from several wounds on the
head, and she begged us to help her
to her bed, which we did, in doing
her dead husband. She told US the
Indians had come just as the family
were about to sit down to the noon
meal, and that they had perched on
the fence. Mr.. Zettel had said: I
will give the Indians something also
He took a half loaf of bread and as
he stepped outside the Indians fired
at him and mortally wounded him.
They had taken the little child out
of the mothers arms She asked us
to look after it. We found it dead
behind the house and brought it to
the mother who took it with her into
the bed.
Assistance Comes From New Ulm.
Eve then returned to the woods
and after walking another mile and
half came to the Fischerbaur place.
Mr. Fischerbauer thinking we were
Indians was going to shoot but rec
ognized me, so asked us TO come In
which we did and found there the
Schillings who had fed from their own
home and found refuge there. Mr.
Schilling had been killed on the way,
his wife had been wounded with a
tomahawk, and the Indians had thrust
a knife in the back of the son, which
he himself had removed.
"As previously mentioned, men had
been on the way to Henle's to get
recruits. There were three teams II
| all. also Mr.. Henle came from tow