the earliest settlers of the county and were well known people. Dilbone and his wife were found
at work pulling flax. As they had heard nothing of the killing of Gerard, they were
unsuspicious of danger, and therefore were not able to make any resistance to their enemies.
It was a beautiful summer day and the sun was sinking slowly behind the distant hills, the last rays
flooding the flax fields with a shower of golden light. At the first volley by the Indians Dilbone
fell with a bullet in the breast, being unable to render his wife any aid. He was mortally wounded,
but managed to hide himself in the corn and was overlooked by the enemy. From his hiding place
he saw the fiends shoot and scalp his wife, after which they cleared out with the bloody trophies of
their foray. There were only two Indians engaged in this killing, and one was only a half-grown
boy, who in all probability was taking his first lessons in warriorship. The boy carried but one rifle,
which was lost, but was picked up the following day. Dilbone survived his wound till the next day,
but his wife died. It was afterwards ascertained that these same two Indians were seen along
Spring Creek the day previous to the killing, but they disappeared so mysteriously that their
whereabouts could not be traced. Of course this incursion into the county created the greatest
excitement. The whole border was thrown into a state of alarm, and it was for a time feared that
a large body of Indians was about to be precipitated again the Miami settlements. The fact that
the two Indians concerned in the murders of Spring Creek went north after their bloody work
gave rise to the belief that they were taking the scalps to their white employers for the promised
reward. About this time a woman named Martin was scalped by marauding Indians, but she
survived her wounds and lived for many years afterward in this county
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