Washington sentinel., 1854-05-04
From the chickasaw Intelligencer.
Latest from the PIains-Pursuit of the Muir
derer Of Colonel Stem and Mr.. Lepperman-
Arrest and Death of OkeyOt.

Latest from the Plains-Pursuit of the Mur-
derer Of Colonel Stem and Mr.. r.Lepperman-
Arrest and Death Of Okeyot.
We are indebted to the kindness of friend
at Fort Washita for the inspection of letters
from Fort Arbuckle, under date of the 10Th in
stant, from which we compile the following de-
tails respecting the murder of Colonel Stem
and Mr.. Lepperman, and the subsequent fate
of one his murderers, from which it appears
that Colonel Stem and Mr.. Lepperman were re-
turning home from San Antonio, by the way
of Fort Belknap. Their baggage-wagon had
broken wheel about twelve miles from the
fort, and they, in carriage drawn by two mules,
started ahead, expecting to reach the fort that
night. At this point they were seen by two
Indians, one Kickapoo, named Sequaqua, or
Polecat, and one-eyed halfbreed Hiankshaw,
named Okeyot; having in company little
given these particulars. Polecat proposed kill.
ing Messrs. Stem and Lepperman, and ordered
the boy to stay behind and "mind the packs"
Okeyot fired, and the ball passed to the side of
the seat of the carriage without striking. The
mules then ran off, dragging the carriage about
two hundred yards off the road. Colonel Stem
and Mr.. Lepperman then both jumped out, and
being, as we suppose, unarmed we're killed by
a tomahawk and rihe-the latter used as q
club. A carpet-bag, pair of saddlebags, shot
gun, and the coats and hats of the murdered
men were taken by the Indians, also the mules.
When the intelligence of this reached Fort
Belknap, Lieutenant Tree, with party Of dra-
goons, was sent out to pursue the murderers.
Taking with him the broken rifle, he trailed
them for several hundred miles, and found it to
be identified by many of party of Wacoes,
under Aqua Quash, as belonging to Polecat
and Okeyot, Kickapoos, having in company
boy. While on the trail, he found boys moe
casin, confirming the testimony of the Wacoes
In consequence of heavy rains, the trail was
returned to Fort Belknap, and thence was or
dered to Fort Arbuckle
Upon learning of this sad outrage, Captain
Simmons sent for Beaver, the wel-known Della
ware and, from information gained from him,
was induced to believe that the murderers were
in the camp of Mosqua, Kickapoo, whose
village is near Fort Arbuckle. On the morning
of the 10th, a couple ofthe Kickapoos came in
with the intelligence that Okeyot was prison
er, and would be brought in. In the afternoon
Mosqua came in, bringing with him the boy
who gave the information respecting the mur-
der here detailed. About an hour afterwards,
intelligence arrived that the prisoner had at
tempted to escape and was killed. A party was
sent to look for his body, which was found,
pierced by ball and cut by tomahawk. The
Kickapoos had laid in wait all night for the
murderers, and towards day-break apprehend-
ed the halfbreed, or Zone eyed man" Okeyot,
tied him and placed him on horse to bring
him to the garrison. When the party had got
to the branch "on this side of Clouds old
house" the prisoner sprang from his horse and
made at johnson Ia Kickapoo) with the inten-
ton of seizing his rife and shooting him, there
by to effect his escape. But johnson raised his
rifle and shot him dead. Thus ends the career
of one of them. The other, known as Morgan,
Polecat, and Lequaqua, is still at large, but it
is said, will certainly be taken, or killed in the
attempt. This we sincerely hope for the sake
of humanity and the laws.
We cannot help here remarking the care
lessness of these two travellers in thus risking
themselves to the accidents of travel without
better weapons. That two persons should be
approached and killed by an equal number,
with no other weapons than tomahawk and
an unloaded rife, is an event that should strike
every one as q strange casualty. AT
The Kickapoo chief, Mosqua, expresses his
great qualification that Captain Simmons had |
not attacked his camp, and says that ano bad |
Kickapoo shall live in his camp, and if the |
whites do not hunt them up he wiil'' Certain
y his promptitude in this affair would give |
earnest of his honest intentions