Gers [51s (VY) Insurance Co.
7
By ELMO SCOTT WATSON
OST Americans know that
the assassination of the
Austrian archduke at Sara-
1014, was
off the
conflagration
jevo, Serbia, in
the spark which set
greatest
the history of mankind,
World war, but how many
of them knew that the
murder of an American girl
oy Indians in 1777 played a part in de-
termining the destiny
tion? Yet there are hi
will agree that her
hundred and fifty-thir@ anniversary
of which
year, factor in
“turning point” in
independence,
sesquicentennial
portant battles of the
being held, it is fitting that Ameri
cans should hear again the story of
lovely Jane McCrea and
fate,
In June, 1777,
with an army eof Brit
Hessians and a force of
dian and Indian allies
from Canada for the
York by the way of Lake Champ!
After he had captured Ticonderog
Crown Point and Fort Edward,
expected Sir William Howe
up the Hudson ri New
and join him at Albany. Thu
would drive a wedge bets
England and the other colonies
put an end to the
ward was in a dilapidated condition
and was held by a small rear
guard of Gen. Philip Schuyler's army,
which had
fore Burgoyne's greater numbers.
Near Fort Edward stood three cab-
Ing, one of which was occupied by a
Mrs. McNeil, who is described as “a
fat and talkative old woman, who had
been twice widowed.” She was a
cousin of Brig. Gen. Simon Fraser of
Burgoyne's army, and for that reason
felt no apprehension at the approach
of the invaders, even though Bur-
goyne’s Indian allies had been killing
and scalping settlers as they advanced.
On July 27 she welcomed a guest into
her home—Jane MeCrea, a twenty.
three-year-old girl, who liv ed with her
brother, John McCrea, a lawyer and
colonel of the local militia, near the
mouth of Moses Kill, south of Fort
Edward. Jane MeCrea was noted
throughout the countryside both for
her beauty and for her long and lus
trous hair which would reach to the
floor when she stood and let it down,
of their own na-
stori
death, the one
comes on July 27 of this
the
Cov
struggle fo
was a so-called
our
In these years so many
celebrations of im-
Revolution are
her tragic
Gen, John Burgorn
7.000
large
swept down
invasion of New
ver fron
rebellion,
srl
Only
been forced to retreat be-
« Because of the near approach of the
enemy, John McCrea was preparing to
move to Albany, but his sister refused
to go with him or even to stay at their
home on Moses Kill. The reason was
that she had a lover, David Jones, a
neighbor who, being a Tory, had fled
to Canada soon after the outbreak of
the war and was now returning as an
officer in one of Burgoyne's Loyalist
regiments, He had written to her,
proposing that she should ostensibly
pay Mrs, McNeil a farewell visit, then
slip away to the British lines and he
would have the chaplain marry them,
There are several contradictions in the
various stories of the Jane McCrea
tragedy. One of them Is in regard to
how she happened to fall into the
hands of the Indians. According to
one story Jones sent a party of In-
dians under the leadership of a half.
breed to escort her to the British
camp, and Burgoyne's account of the
affair gives color to this version.
Some historians, however, do not
mention this fact. According to their
version, about nine o'clock on the
morning of July 27 a party of Indians
attacked and drove into the fort a
picket guard of the Americans, killing
the commander and capturing one
mun. Incidentaily, this man's name
was Standish and he was a descend-
ant of the
Pilgrim
covered
then
the tw ‘omen | cubin
entered it
hem out.
women on
Jane
old Mrs
sented
McCrea n e, jut fat
McNeil
and, try
not
Meanwhile
could
t led Jane
id, as and her cap
tors passed near the spot where Stan
Crea away she
dish was held captive, he saw two of
them engaged in an
Suddenly one 1 turned and
her from scalping her as
she
nore 1 ire
angry di
the
fell. Then, according to thelr sav.
age custom, they strip her of the
wedding finery, in which she
ing to meet her lover,
her body horribly,
ved on to
wis go-
and mutilated
They then contin.
Burgoyne's camp, where
they told what had happened and ex.
hibited her scalp.
While this was taking place fat old
Mrs. McNeil was having her troubles
Although she had not been injured by
her captors, they had stripped her to
a single undergarment and In this she
appeared in camp where the Indian
turned her over to her cousin, General
Fraser. That officer was much em
barrassed, for he was not able to find
in eamp any women's clothes large
enough for Mrs. McNeil. Finally, out
of his own wardrobe, he produced a
great coat large enough to cover her.
All the while he was forced to listen
to a torrent of abuse from the irate
old lady because of her treatment at
the hands of his “rascally Indians.”
But this comic aspect of the affair
soon became a tragic one when Jane
McCrea's scalp was shown to her.
She recognized it at once, as did David
Jones, who then learned of the fate of
his bride-to-be. Upon being informed
of what had taken place, General Bur-
goyne immediately held an inquiry, or-
dered the Indians to hand over the
murderer, put him under arrest and
announced his Intention of executing
him. But St. Lue, the French-Cana-
dian leader of the Indian allies, in
formed the general If he did that the
Indians, who were already resentful of
Burgoyne's efforts to restrain them
from the atrocities which they had
been committing against the settlers,
would desert in a body and go home,
probably solacing themselves by kill
ing any whites they found, whether
Loyalist or Patriot. So Burgoyne
yielded to St. Luc and pardoned the
slayer,
It Is doubtful If even the loss of his
Indian allies would have been as se.
vere a blow to his hopes as were the
results of the murder of Jane McCrea.
From the beginning of his expedition
the excesses of his savages had
brought down upon him eriticlsm in
England and furious denunciation by
the Americans. Patriot propagandists
had let loose blasts of scorn and bitter
unger at him because he had employed
hoped that not on!
yne had
Loyalists, but those whose gu!
iance was doubtful wo
as it advan
captured Ticonderoga so eas
such a blow at the Matriot
it began to look
rebellion night ollapse, specially
since there were s0 many
cared for either king
congress and wanted
continue in
who little
only to be al
lowed to their peaceful
pursuits,
to the crown and receive a certificate
of loyalty, waver. If the bride of an
officer in his army was killed by his
savages, what assurance would they
have that anyone would be safe from
his painted demons, they ssked them.
selves, Among these who favored the
Patriot cause her death helped fix in
them a stubborn determination to re
gist the Invader to the end and to
quicken them into action,
Jane McCrea!” became something of
a rallying cry along the harried fron
MUST BE DEAF
A telegraph linesman,
a street, had attached a» portable tele
phone to a telegraph
ringing up the
ruther an long
process un
and
“Excuse me, sir,
Linesmnn— Yes,
trifle deaf.
Dear Old Lady
I'm so sorry
Isn't playing,
pole and
exchange It
nnd
lady
job, during
dear old came
usked:
are you very denf?
madam, | am a
Oh, you poor man!
for you. Your
A
barber went si
ud nearly cut
had a close shave
The
Ww Kile
Modern View
i le, fittle gem,
star,
Life Full of Variety
Girl—0, what
dined
urus
Hike a qn
is nt! the door
«Yeon
with a sily
us irl
reier
A Flapper's Dates
Now
hint 1 want
mother, do try
sou to
Jack
I've
with Geo
te stiles
oie i MOTs
because
1 ment
He—It's going to
this tree
She—-We can't
weeping willow, dear,
rain, let's get
keep dry under =»
Thrift
A toiling friend of yore 1] met
He was no idle sleeper
[ie worked himself most out of debt
And then got in still deeper.
In Costume
The revellers were going home, when
Revellers—We are not real foot-
i
{
|
Policeman—And |
policeman-—come
am not
along, hang
a real
over
victim made the story of her death
spread like wildfire and greatly stimu.
lated recruiting.
spread broadcast throughout the col
onies, It became a leading item of
Patriot propaganda.
No doubt that master propagandist
famous “inventory of scalps” story
(which he had manufactured) so efli-
ciently In stirring up the Patriots to
a high pitch of fury against the Brit
ish, Although It is impossible ever to
lay a finger upon the definite results
of propaganda, there can be no doubt
that this story had an important effect
upon Patriot morale at a time when
it was very low. It took the fighting
of a Willett and a Gansevoort at Fort
Schuyler (Sianwix), of a Stark and a
Warner at Bennington and of a Mor
gan and an Arnold at Saratoga to
crush the invader and to make his de.
feat one of the fifteen decisive battles
of the world and his surrender the
real turning point In the American
Revolution. But the beautiful girl who
was struck down by an Indian bul.
let that July morning, 158 years
ago, deserves a share in that great
victory. Unwittingly she played an
important role in a mighty drama, So
Jane McCrea did not die In vain,
1 by Western Newspaper (inland
A Discouraging Feature
“Cheer up!™ said the lawser. “We
may still win this case. | baven't
“But you've exhausted all mine!”
Following a Custom
Cook~If you please, ma'am, may 1
entertain my fiance in the kitchen this
evening?
Mistress—But 1 thought vou broke
It off with him last night, Mary?
“So 1 did, ma'am; but, naturally, |
gave him a month's notice."-—London
Opinion.
Hah!
“My man, ean yon drive a car?
“Not me, boss, Sorry.”
“Good. Will you watch mine for a
few minutes?”
Not a Hercules
Plano Movers’ Boss—You're fired.
I won't have a man in my gang that
can’t 1ift a plano,
One of the Huskles—Hold on a
minute, hogs, "Taint his fault. They's
a Sunday paper on it
Expensive Fine
Madge—So you were up before a
sterner traflic judge than usual?
Marge—~Yes, 1 had to &mile at him
three times before be dismissed the
charge.
—
Strategists Flan for
Large Scale Inundation |
The story of how the Duteh, In the
days of the prince of Orange, opened
the and flooded the country to
drive off the Spa
known, The st
did the same
back the
'
ig nis
dikes
h Invaders Is well
thie Allies
how
Weeks
French
make
thelr defense ut
Before
opened, it
inundation a regula
the nq
the
: only as
rth
when dikes
because land flooded by
rendered sterile
only te
force the Fr
to the seas,
However, they plan to bull
of di}
n ix - frost
go that the land will*be fit for
vation
This wonld |
flooding the land at any time ane y | Magnesia
a very al.
mar illips does away with all that
manipulat] sourness and gas right after meals.
It prevents the distress so apt to
occur two hours after eating. What
a pleasant preparation to take! And
how good it Is for the system! Un
i like a burning dose of soda—which
wich, Conn,, Joseph Krom lighted a! I8 but temporary relief at best—
clgarette and tossed Phillipe Milk of Magnesia neutral.
The 3 izes many times tg volume in acid
CONKNH ' tha Next time a hearty meal, or too
aL aa rich a diet brought the
rt, try—
When Food
Sours
of folks who thir
gestion” have only an acld
condition which could be corrected
in five or ten mi An effec
tive antl-acid like Miik of
goon digestion
open
with
nutes,
Phi
restores
111138
stem Hip
period of time Arms
fall will
on of the
suvers this Include
existing locks.
Not a Miracle
While bucket
rom a well on his property
I 3
drawing n of water
=
at Green-
the mateh In the
bucket, plosion which fol
lowed
bucket,
contents of the :
Dh has on
another
least
» ground and set
Again there was n
summoned the
Airplanes Intrigue Kanakas
#
1 gr
W. N. U, BALTIMORE, NO
Designed to Draw Load
of SK t
Dumb Dumbell
Wild Pigeons Hurt Crops
Bakersfield, Calif Thousands
pigeot !
&, identif
4 1 AVepetatie Preparation be
1 gmilasing the bout tr Tague
fog tive Smarts ant Powis
When
Babies
CRY
Babies will cry, often for no
apparent reason. You may not
know what's w g, but you can
always give Castoria. This soon
has your little one comforted: if
not, you should call a doctor.
Don’t experiment with medicines
intended for the stronger systems
of adults! Most of those little
upsets are soon soothed away by
a little of this pleasant-tasting,
gentle-acting children’s remedy
that children like
It may be the stomach, or may
be the little bowels. Or in the case
of older children, a sluggish, con-
stipated condition. Castoria is still
Don’t
be
the thing to give. It is almost
certain to clear up any minor
ailment, and could by no possi-
bility do the youngest child the
slightest harm. So it's the first
thing to think of when a child has
a coated tongue ; won't play, can’t
sleep, is fretful or out of sorts.
Get the genuine; it always has
Chas. H. Fletcher's signature op
the package.
Stung!
Here's the sure, quick, easy way
to kill all mosquitoes indoors
and keep ’em away outdoors!
Flit is sold
in this only
can with the
BER © R PAY ove
The World's
Selling Insect
Cuticura
TALCUM
IDEAL for every member of the
family, for Baby after the bath,
for Mother as a finishing touch
to her toilet . . , and for Father
after shaving.
Talcum 25¢. Ointment 25¢., 30c. Soap 25¢.
Proprietors: Petter Drug & Chemical
Corporation, Malden, Massachusetts 1
.