The Tragedy on Long Prairie

On Long Prairie, near Elma, occurred one of the most horrible tragedies ever recorded in our territory, involving the ruin and almost total extinction of an entire family. About three years ago, Henry Minear, a sober, industrious man, whose family consisted of his wife and four children, came from Missouri and, leasing a farm from Mr. D. J. Chambers, began their residence on Long Prairie. It is said that the wife has been regarded for some time past as being of unsound mind, expressing at times great fear of injury from the Indians, but nobody thought that her mental depression would take such form as to endanger her own or other persons’ lives. It seems, however, that for some time preceding the event of the 18th, she had not only contemplated suicide but the death of all who were nearest to her. About 6 o’clock on the ill-fated morning, the wife put in execution her thoroughly arranged plan, which resulted in the death of four children, between one and ten years of age, and herself, and caused injuries to her husband which resulted in his death. The man had barred the windows and doors and saturated the walls, floor, and bedclothes with coal oil, and seizing a torch, she ignited the fluid. The father made his exit from a window with clothing burned from his body and the surface of his flesh cooked to a crisp, and made his way to an Indian camp a mile or more distant, where he was cared for until Mr. Minear, his father, was notified. Mr. Minear died at 10 p.m. of the same day amid fearful suffering and was buried in the cemetery near Buddell's. The house, with the bodies of the mother and her four children, burned to ashes, and nothing remained when the neighbors arrived but a few small portions of burned flesh, which were carefully gathered and buried with the remains of the father.