The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1849-08-25
Vol.

dian hunter, and while she was still lean
| ing over the tub unconscious OF his ap-
proach, plunged large knife clear through
her body. II A single shrek proclaimed her
agony, as she sprang from her inclined
position and the next moment she lay strug-
Cling in death at the feet Of her murderer.
The wretched monster still thought he
had done right, and drawing the knife
from her body held it aloft still reeking
with her blood turned to the spectators
with savage grin, and in broken English,
exclaimed, .'was not that nice" -,a So
Such is but single instance of an In
dian murder; cruel, barbarous and wretch
ed in the extreme. The veryrecital shocks
our nature, and brings down our whole in
dignation upon the poor Indian. He is saw
age and cruel, but he is wild and ignorant,
and the dupe of civilized villainy, with an
education, too, which makes it honorable
. to kill. But in this, as in every other In
dian murder with which am acquainted,
the principal ingredient in the crime was
the bewildering spirit ofintoxication;Ithe
use of poison which the Indian drank
! but achich the arAite man made.
Big Leg was arrested, put in jail, tried
for murder, convicted, and sentenced TO
be hung. Then follows train of simpli-
cities, before which the gravity of the Law
is turned into ridicule. ..........
The Indian heard his sentence pronoun-
ced, and looked with wonder upon the
solemnity of the grave and sympathsing
iudce. But he knew as little what was
meant or intended. as the man in the moon
! At length however; after great deal Of
trouble he was made to understand that
he was to be suspended by the neck un-
til he was dead. For long time he
was unable 10 appreciate this mode Of ex-
ecution. 1t was something entirely new.
He was both a hunter and a warrior,
learned in all the arts Of Indian torture;
but the civilized idea of suspending people
by the neck, had never before entered his
mind. For long time he knew not by
what name, in his comprehension to call
it; but having seen traders weigh with steel
yards, he adopted that idea, and accord
ingly called it weighing.
The word soon got out, and run through
the whole Miami nation, that Big Leg was
to be ,ccighed by the neck till he was dead
Alarm and CONSERVATION followed. He
was useful Indian, very good hunter,
and killed most of the deer eaten by his
tribe For these reasons they wished to
save his life, but they had been told that
the law must be fulflled-that is according
to their Interpretation as sanctioned by
custom, that for blood, blond must be she'd.
In this they somewhat resemble the
Jews and from it and some other customs,
have been supposed by some to be the de.
scendants of the lost tribes of Israel.
The principal men of the tribe were call
ed together to devise, if possible, some
means by which to obtain the release of
Big Leg, and at the same time to fulfil, if
possible, the requisition' Of the law An
= expedient was soon discovered, fully equal
in their conception, to satisfy all the de-
mands Of rctrbutive justice.
They had among their number lazy
Indian named Sam. Him they determin-
cd to exchange, or, as they said "swap"
for Big Leg. Accordingly they all came
to town in body, presented their propo.
sition to the jailor. and urged their want of
Big Leg. 'Sam" said they, is a lazy
worthless Indian--him you may take and
weigh as much as you please. The alb
surdity of this proposition was only equal
led by the anxiety with which it was urged.
, But what was still more remarkable, and
characteristic of the Indian government,
was, that Sam was along and willing to be
weighed.
Thus passed things with the tribe, while
Big Leg lay in prison, patiently awaiting
the time for his execution, and seriously
contemplating the strange death he was
about to die. He had never before heard
of hanging. He knew nothing ofthe pro-
cess, nor Of the pain, attending the oper-
alton. To inform himself, however, upon
these matters, he got his dog into jail, fix
ed cord around his neck, and hung it
till it was dead.
He then told the jailor he did not wish
\ to be weighed: she had weighed his dog'
he said, '.and it made dog very sick"
They might shoot him, or kill him in any
way that Indians, kill men: shut white
f mans pay no good" ' ~ 54'
Fl The absurdity of direct and forcible
application ofaouplaws to the condition of
uncivilized man had now become too ap-
parent to admit Of further consideration.
Il Every body saw the impropriety of infiict-
ing capital punishment on the poor igno-
rant Indian. His cause was,, therefore,
j presented by the citizens to the governor,
+ who very properly granted him the exec
q utive pardon. Thus was Big Leg, after
passing through world Of wonders, re-
4 leased from his threatened execution, and
sent home to his tribe on the Wabash,
i where he continued to reside until last
when Isaw him in this city, with the rest
Of the Miami Indians on their way to the
far West. t4 s1h 22i'42 =