The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1957-03-28
An Indian Divorce

"A cross, peevish brute, quarrel
some, greasy and none too clean,"
brooded Jonathan Alder, and forth
with began trying to devise way to
get rid of his squaw. White, "a and
unable to remember a single word
of English, Alder did his thinking
in Indian and his ways were Indian
ways.
Captured by the savages when
only nine, the man had lived with the
Indians for Is years but recently had
begun wondering about his own
people and longing for white wife
instead of the squaw.
1t was 1895 and Alder had his little
cabin on Big Darby creek in Madison
County, about four miles north of
present West Jefferson. A few white
settlers already had begun to move
into the neighborhood and two of
them were teaching the renegade
English. Alder wanted to farm and
soon began TO do it. He had hogs,
COWS and horses, selling milk and
butter to the Indians and pork and
horses to the whites. Thus he began
to accumulate some property.
Once he told John Moore, an
acquaintance, that he had been taken
captive near a place called Green
briar and that lead mine was near
by, where he used to go to play. He
did not know the state. Then he was
able to recall the name of another
family there and through it Moore
was able to find Alder's people.
A letter from Alder's brother Paul
was received in answer to an adver-
tisement Moore put in the news
paper and the white captive made
arrangements to return to his old
home and people. But first he had
to get rid of his Indian wife.
The squaw kicked up an awful rum
pus but by giving her Ia cows, worth
$40 each; seven horses; much other
property and all the family money
5000 in silver, which the squaw al
ready had lin her own tin box, :
Alder persuaded her to return to her
own people-the Ottawas at San
dusky. Though he had been taken by
the Shawnees, Alder and his squaw
lived among the Mingoes in Madison
County
The agreement to each go his own
way was about all there was tc
Indian divorce. Alder's Indian mar
riage had been equally simple but
with the property settlement on tho
other foot-the wise savage father
donating the ponies and wampum tt
the groom for taking the ugly duck
ling off his hands.
1t was about noon, the Sunday
after New Years Day, 1876, Wher
Alder arrived at his mothers home
None of the family recognized him
But when he told them who he wa:
his old mother ran and threw hel
arms around him and tears ran dowr
her cheeks. How you have grown!
she exclaimed. His brother shool
hands with him.
Jonathan Alder had been captured
In March, 1882, when out with hi
brother, David, hunting the strayet
family mare and her colt. David wa'
killed and scalped but because
Jonathan had black hair the toma
hawk was lowered and he was carried
aay unhurt. He would make too goot
an Indian. the savages explained.
The last he had seen of DaviC
was when one Indian was holding
him around the body and another
savage was pulling out spear which
had gone nearly through the boy
Shortly after that the Indians hat
shown Jonathan his brothers gor.
scalp.
Alder was taken to Mingo village
in Logan County, Ohio, where he wa!
given to an Indian couple, Succohan
os, a small chief, and his squaw
Whinecheoh, who raised him as theil
own. They were old people who hac
lost a son but had three daughters
Mary, Hannah and Sally.
The Indian mother washed all the
white out of the boy with soap ano
warm water with herbs in it, ther
dressed him in Indian clothes-no
much of anything. The boy was lone
some and sat for hours beneath {
i l. hut ,Ali iall