After his raid down
the Platte, where he burned so many farm houses and hay stacks, when he
took Mrs. Morris captive and got so good a price for her ransom, Two Face
decided that there was good money in stealing and selling white women; so
he took it up as a profession.
He went over on the Blue river and
captured Mrs. Ewbanks and Miss Roper. After he had them three or four
months, and mistreated and abused them as the Indians usually did their
captives, Two Face took them to one of the southern forts, supposed to be
Fort Lyons, and traded them for provisions and received a good exchange in
the trade.
He immediately started to look for another bargain.
This Indian dealt in women like he did in ponies. He would always look
for the finest appearing ones and put up the price according to the beauty
and style of his captive.
The next victim of Two Face was a Miss
Bennett. He was so sure of an unusually good price for her, that he did
not lose much time in getting to a fort. The officers gave him a deal that
enabled him to retire from business.
By this time Two Face's
reputation as a "dealer in women" was spread all over the western country,
and every scout, officer and soldier was on the lookout to close a final
deal with him.
In the spring of 1 866, Two Face took Miss Bennett
within a mile of Fort Laramie, Wyoming, and hid her in some willows and
placed three Indian guards to watch her, while he went to the fort and
made terms for the sale.
Colonel Moonlight, who was in charge of
the fort, asked him what he wanted in exchange for his captive. Two Face
demanded three thousand pounds of bacon, the same of flour, large
quantities of sugar and coffee, and twenty beef steers.
The
colonel studied awhile before replying, "I am not sure whether we can
spare all that or not, but I will send a sergeant to investigate the
commissary and see how much we have. He sent for a sergeant and in the
meantime he asked Two Face, "How far is your captive and how long will it
take to get her here?"
The Indian said, "One mile, in willows;
three guards," and he unconsciously threw out his arm in the direction.
The keen colonel noticed the move. By this time the sergeant came in and
Moonlight gave him the note to take to the captain. In a few moments he
returned with an answer. The colonel, after reading it, turned to Two
Face. "I am very sorry, but we cannot trade for your captive; our supplies
are too low." The Indian was greatly disappointed over this turn of
affairs. He had so planned on a good price for Miss Bennett. He had begun
to think that the officers would ransom a white woman, no matter what the
cost was, and this was a blow to him, for he thought his business was
growing more prosperous on every deal, so this failure caused an enraged
and revengeful Indian to leave the fort and return to his captive, who
would also feel the disappointment of the deal and more than likely suffer
more at the hands of the Indian on account of it.
In the meantime
the captain was carrying out the orders in the colonel's note, which were,
"Two Face has a woman captive near, about a mile in the southwest; take a
few men, go find her and bring the three guards into the fort. If you
should meet Two Face on the road, bring him back."
Shortly after
Two Face left the fort, the captain returned with Miss Bennett and the
"dealer in women."
The colonel asked the captain where the three
Indian guards were, and the captain said, "I suppose they got away;
anyhow, they are goners," and he said it in such a way that the colonel
could easily guess why they were goners.
They attached a chain and
ball to Two Face and placed him in the guard house, where he was confined
until instructions could be got from Washington. Colonel Moonlight sent
the record of Two Face into headquarters at Washington and asked for
instructions what to do with him.
All messages were carried over
the overland stage coaches, which were owned by Ben Holiday at that time.
On account of this slow way of conveyance, it was about three months
before the answer got back from Washington.
Colonel Moonlight was
noted for his love of liquor, and it so happened that he had a few drinks
too many, when the instructions from Washington arrived. The dispatch was:
"Colonel Moonlight, Fort Laramie, Wyoming: You will proceed at
once to hang the Indian Chief Two Face, in his chains."
But the
colonel's eyes were a little crooked from the effects of too much booze,
and he read it, "Hang the Indian chief Two Face with his chains." Upon
reading it, the colonel said, "All rite, I do dat rite avay."
He
went back to the guardhouse and told Two Face he was going to set him
free. The old chief was greatly pleased and jumped up with his pipe of
peace. The colonel said, "You no understand; I send you to happy hunting
grounds." This changed the Indian's countenance.
Colonel Moonlight
ordered three wagons to be brought out in an open lot and the tongues
raised up and all fastened together, forming a tripod. He then took Two
Face out and threw one end of a log chain over the tongues and hooked the
other end around his neck; then kicked the box from under the Indian. They
let the body of the Indian hang under the tripod formed by the wagon
tongues three days.
This ended Two Face's dealing in the woman
traffic.
Some of the Pioneers of Colorado
Source: True History of some of the Pioneers of Colorado, by Miss
Luella Shaw, Press of Carson Harper Co, Denver, Colorado, 1909 |
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