Time Machine Trip to 1851

THE STOLEN INDIAN BOY

During the year 1851, a family by the name of Partridge, living near Poy-o-Gun, lost a boy, nine years of age. All efforts to find the child were futile. About a year after, the father on his way from Poy-o-Gun to Winneconne, while passing through an Indian village saw, among several Indian children playing near a camp, a boy resembling the lost child and about the same age.  Believing the child his and that he had been stolen by the Indians and they had dyed his skin, he in turn stole the boy and took him to his home.  The children immediately notified the mother that a white man had taken the boy away.  She gave the alarm, which caused great commotion in the camp.  Chief Oshkosh, knowing the child belonged to the Indian woman, appealed to 

George W. Lawe, their Indian agent, to have a search made and the boy returned, which Mr. Lawe did, and after a short time he was located.  He had a warrant issued and served by the sheriff of Winnebago County, who brought Mr. Partridge with the child before the court.  The case was tried in Oshkosh in February 1852, before Judge Butterick, terminating in favor of the Indian mother, and the child was ordered restored.  Partridge, however, understanding the order of the court would be against him, left for Kansas with his family and the Indian boy.  This was the last heard of the case until many years after, when the boy, grown to manhood, paid Mr. Lawe a visit.  He was well educated, having a fine law practice in his hometown. During his stay in this section he visited Keshena on the Menominee Reservation, and there saw the Indian woman who had claimed him as her child.  After spending several days with her he returned to Kaukauna, and told Mr. Lawe while he had every respect for his Indian mother, he preferred his present life and thought it the most fortunate thing that could have happened when Mr. Partridge kidnapped him and gave him the splendid education he had received.