The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-10-16
n HE story of the life of Car

|" HE story of the life OF capt
John Smith, as told by him.
- self, reads more like tale
from the Arabian Nights than like
a true biography. According to his
own account he ran away from his
home in England at an early age,
to seek adventure. While travelling
through France he was robbed and
left helpless in a forest, but was
saved from death by a kindly
peasant. Sailing from France with
some pilgrims bound for the Holy
Land, he was thrown overheard by
his companions, because they re-
garded him-a Protestant hereto
and unbeliever-as responsible for
the storm by which their lives were
threatened. He saved himself from
the sea. however, and later fought
in aywar against the Turks, three Of
whom he killed in a single combat.
He was afterward captured and sold
into slavery by the Turks, but made
his escape by killing the guard
placed over him. After wandering
through Europe, he returned to Eng.
land in 1905, and joined an ex-
petition which was preparing to go
to America to found the colony of
Virginia.
During his voyage Smiths life
was in danger. He was accused Of
conspiracy, and at one time mem
bers of the party prepared to hang
him. His life finally was spared, but
he was kept under restraint until
after the expedition reached the
James River. Then it was found
that Smith was one of the coun-
cilors who had been appointed by the
Virginia company in England to
govern the colony. Soon he was
forced by the incompetence of 9TH
ers to take the lead in the James
town settlement. He compelled all
to work by his famous order, He
who will not work shall not eat"
He forced the Indians to supply the
starving colonists with corn and at
the same time kept the savages in
order.
Soon after the settlers landed,
Captain Smith had a very exciting
adventure. 1t was generally believed
that the South Sea" Pacific Ocean,
lay just beyond the mountains, so
with few companions Smith sailed
up the Chickahominy River in
search, of it. When the stream be-
came too shallow to go farther by
boat, he landed and with one In
dian pushed through the forest. Soon
he was set upon by band of hostile
Indians and made captive. They
were about to shoot him with their
arrows when he aroused their curl
osity by showing them his pocket
compass, and they spared his life.
After taking him TO many of their
villages. they finally brought him
before their chief, Powhatan, a tall
stalwart man dressed in a coonskin
robe. Presently the Indians seized
Smith, bound him, and laid his head
upon a stone, while a warrior stood
ready to Stay him with a club. At
this moment, according to Smiths
account, Powhatan's little daughter
Pocahontas sprang forward, clasped
her arms about the captive's neck,
and prevailed upon her father to
spare his life and send him back to
jamestown. The truth of this
romantic story is doubted by many,
but the value of Captain Smiths
services to the colony is acknowl-
edged by ALL
While out on one of his many ex-
ploring expeditions Captain Smith
was wounded by an explosion of
gun-powder, and in 1903, he returned
disabled to England and never again
set foot on Virginia soil. After re-
covering from his wound. however,
he explored and charted the coast