The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-03-21
THE GATE CITY
TUESDAY, MARCH I'll.


- ~ 'sf''S 80 sE VI q
In Con. SCOTS recently published !,
tobiography, among his experience
the Black Hawk war, occurs the follow
ing romantic episode: 81
The summons for the conference "a
now given to all the tribes, and obeyed
and the grand council of war for the set
Element OF the treaties commenced
While these were pending, . demant
came up from Judge of Illinois, som,
sixty miles below, for an Iudian murder
or, his name unknown, but who had beer
distinctly traced to the camp Of the grea,
body of the Foxes, whom the chiefs had
contrived to hold in neutrality during the
recent hsotilities, influenced mainly BY
heokuk, not hereditary chief, and only
brave or warrior, the sense bearer, ora
tor and treasurer of the tribe. The de-
mand was communicated to this remark
able person. After littie musing, the
painful truth of the story seemed to fash
upon him. With candor he stated the
ground of his fears. A young brave,
OF some twenty years OF age, the son Of a
distinguished chief, had long sought to
marry a handsome young squaw, the
daughter of another famous chief; but
the maiden repulsed the lover, applying
to him tie most opprobrious epithet-
"squaw he never having taken q
scalp, killed grizzly bear, nor, by sur
prise, robbed an enemy Of his arms, horse
or wife. Hence she said her lover was
not brave, but woman. Her sym pa
thies were, however, With Black Hawk
her only brother having run off with that
reckless chief.
All these particulars were not yet
known to the wise treasurer for be had
only been surprised at the change of con-
duct in the belle savage, who had SO sud
denly married her lover. Keokuk. in
good faith, said he would inquire, for his
great care had been to save his people
from the destructive war and entire spoil
alton with which Black Hawk had caused
them to be threatened.
The next day be called at headquarters
and whispered that his fears had proven
prophetic, that the happy bridegroom
had, for the benefit of the confederscy,
confessed himself to be the guilty party,
and was at hand but begged the General
to repeat, in full council, the demand,
etc. This was accordingly done, and when
SCOTS peroratioa: az demand the muir
derer T. was Interpreted, the young Apol-
10 stood up and said : am the man r.
With violent stamp and voice, Scott
called cut " The guard !" A sergeant
with dozen grenadiers rushed in, seized
the offender. and carried him off.
When the blacksmith began TO place
and rivet irons upon him, he struggled
furiously. 1t took several Of the guard
to hold him down. He said he did not
come forward to be ironed he did not
wish to be tried that he preferred to be
shot at once. He was sent down to the
Illinois Court, then in session, pu. on his
trial, and Notwithstanding the strong cir
cumstantial evidence, and that it was
proven he had acknowledged the killing,
in hand to-hsnd fight, tricky lawyer,
well provided with the means of bribing,
no doubt, by the chiefs of the confedera1
cy, obtained from the jury a verdict Of
not guilty.
The acquitted had yet to pass another
ordeal-one of fire and water. A swift
horse. half way between the Court and
the Mississippi, few hundred yards of,
had been provided for the occasion, but
frontier men always have their rifles in
handIand their horses ready. The lawyer
fastened his client out of Court, and
gained for him good start. Oily. young
man, or your dear bought Helen will soon
be widow - In a minute, followed by
some whizzing shots, be was in the sad
die. In another, horse and rider we're
plungipg into the great Father Of Waters,
swimming side by side. Now came up
furiously dozen rifiemen who threw away
theirlead at the too distant game.
The last news of the romantic act rep
resented him as the happy father of q
thrivipg family of "young barbarians."
by more than Dacian mother. all beyond
the Mississippi.