Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1830-05-31
From he Mobile fsgister.

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Trial Of Tuskino. -Yest.'oay, May Eth,
came on the trial Of the Indian Chief luskina,
arraigned before the District Cour, Of the
Uni'ed STATES, on n charge of stopping and de-
tanning the United States mail.
II appeared from The testimony, that on the
of frs, February last, while the mail stage was
passing through The Creek Nation. aboui 4 or 8
! miles 10 the east of Line Creek, with the
Messrs. ttines and another passenger, Tuskina
hailed the driver in broken English, requiring
hun 10 stop. y as IL afterwards appeared, wish
ed him TO take a messenger TO Captain Walker
ON the subject OF tolls due the nation for passing
through their lands. Tuskina was very much
intoxicated, aud the driver did not understand
him, or attend 10 his wishes Tue passengers
spoke roughly 10 him, and lie taking adyau.
tage OF a tufo in the road, crossed so rs To
head the stage, and placed himself before il.
lie attempted TO take hold of the reins. and
made a pass at the driver with a common jack
knife, ! though he was not near enough to reach
him. The passengers became alarmed and ad-
vised The driver TO stop. One OF the witnesses
testified that there were number OF Indians in
sigh, and some present, but that they all con.
demned the conduct of Tuskina be also de
clared that the stage was not detailed by the
prisoner, but by the extraordinary terror and
apprehensions of the passengers. After a de-
leniion OF about an hour and a half, the stage
proceeded on ito route without further molesta-
ton.
A bill Of indictment was preferred, contain.
ing two counts, one for feioniously attempting
TO siop the ma,i-'he other for knowingly and
wllfully obslructing ITS passage. The Grand
Jury ignored tho first count, and found a true
bill on the second. On this a conviction was
had. and the prisoner was fined by the Court
in the sum of one hundred dollars.
Thus has ended sn affair, tri1ing and Cnim.
porIant in itself, but which, by the ridiculous
exaggera,ions Of two or three terrified travel
lers, and the peculiar aspect Of our Indian re-
iai,ons, has thrown the whole country into
commoiion, draw out the troops Of the Govern.
msnt, and occasioned a parade and show Of
authority thai. ms the times are, would hardly
be exceeded were the dissolution Of the Union
10 be attempted.
From the turn the matter had taken il was
highly necessary and proper for the sake of
Example, that the prisoner should be punt he'd,
but we confess we could not Iepress n feeling
or mortified pride in rejecting, that a SINCE
Indian. in a ~hi.key frolic. should he able 10
stir up the government to such IN exhibition
OF its power. Had the driver possessed Il par
ticIe OF ilterpidiiy, or had the passengers been
governed by the ordinary hrmness OF men,
the stage would have kepl Oh its way and the
public ear would not have been abused by ex.
aggerated lales Of Indian interposilion. We
must not he understood in these remarks, as
beslowing censure on the government, or Its
against for their conduct in thi. unfortunate
affair on the CONTRARY, we are a@9ie that
the course they hive pursued, was rendered
necessary by circumstances mich they could
not control.