Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1867-01-24
CHE Republican.
The Great Fight Between Adam Pos
and "Bis Foot"-Detaf1s Hitherto
UnPubiished-An Incident Not Re.
gorded.
BY THE FAT CONTRIBUTOR.

the banks of the Ohio during the
days of the early pioneers, was an
Indian of immense stature and pow
WOW )erful frame, who received his
name on account of the eXtraord-
mary size of his foot, that ''or
gan measuring more inches to
the foot than the most liberal table
III '.long measure allows. In adj
dition to having big foot, he was
sorelv afflicted with corns, so much so
that his shoemaker was compelled
to use bag of hickory nuts instead
of last to make his moccasins on.
One day Big Foot, who was sort
of bully at home, attended 'log
rollin'' at neighboring settlement,
where he met Adam Poe, an athletic
Young pale-face who had recently
come there to settle, and Big Foot,
who had taken dislike to him from
the first, determined to settle him.
He was an ''old settler Big Foot was.
An opportunity finally offered to
pick quarrel with him. They were
lifting together on the same log,
when Poe, allowed twenty-five in
ehes to the foot, accidentally trod on
Big Foot's corns. Big Foot there
upon began to stamp and rave, and
swore that he could whip Poe lat the
drop of the hat These were his
precise words.
Poe, who was a good natured
fellow, and not at all quarrelsome,
stood his abuse for somes time, but
when he was told his clothes didn't
fit him, and tainted him with having
Il oss-eyed sister-in fact poo poo'd
ut the entire Poe family-Adam's
blood was up, and jerking off his
patent huntingcase shirt he struck an
attitude similar to what he had seen
in the prints representing the prize
fight between Heenan and Savers,
and yelled
Come on, Big Foot, and dog my
buttons if don't grind you up into
Lnjun meal to 'slop' my cow WITH
That's me- said Big Foot taking
off his cravat and paper collar, re-
moving a valuable diamond pin from
his shirt bosom to his portmonaie,
and then tying his suspenders around
him.
\ ring was quickly formed, and
the Red Man and the Pale Face
glared at each other from their res
peetive corners.
"A stand up fight, or rough and
tumbler:" asked Poe
L don't care Il dam, Poe yelled
Big Foot, and at it they went on a
run and catch
1t was about the biggest fight
ever known. reckon. They kicked
up such dust that very little could
be seen of the combatants. At in
tervals Big Foots big feet would be
seen to flash above the cloud of dust
rs Poe stood him on his head; and
then again, Poe would be seen to
rise about ten (1O) feet in the air,
that big foot being skiIlSully applied
to ..raise" him. Fragments ofmoc-
casins, strips of buckskin breeches,
arrow heads, feathers, Indian ear
rings, Poe made that Indians lear
ring suspender buttons, scalp
locks, pieces of leather leggins DC.
&c, filed the air. Big Foot howled
and Poe raved, ALI. Burnett gives a
very good version of Poe's Karen. J
For a long time the issue was doubt
full but after half an hours hard fight
ing, all was still; the dust cleared away
and revealed Poe leaning on his rifle,
whose stock had been broken, and
painting badly, his best pants having
been ruined in the fight. AT his feet
lay Big Foot stone dead.
Il stood ready to give him fair
fight, gouging in, said Poe, as soon
as he could recover his breath, '.but
the pesky crittur drew knife on me,
and, "-pointing significantly to his
shattered gun stock-''I think fix
ed him. I'll larn him how to draw a
knife on me in a fair fight; durn him.
A coroner's jury sat on the body
that is as many as could be seated
when placard was putt Standing
room only,"-who brought in a YER
diet of ..death from too big feet.
They buried Big Foot where he
fell, all except his feet, which ,rould
stick out They finally raised mounds
over them, and to this day two lndi-
an mounds remain to mark Big Foot's
grave.
The first the Wyandottes heard of
%1rf- oh reaf
through reading report OF the fight
in the New York Clipper
They Immediately called meeting
at the ''Injm House big Foot be
Ionged to Fire Injun company,
where they passed a series ofresolu-
tons expressive ofregret at his death
one copy of which was sent to the
several widows of the. deceased, and
onet each of the papers printed
in America, with hepriyilege ofpub-
fishing gratutiously. In the mean
time the principal Mrs. Big Foot,
and all the little Big Feet, were how
ling dismally outside of the Injun
House for revenge They wanted to
dye their stockings, undersleeves and
things in the blood of the Pale Face.
After numerous speeches, which
were taken down in full by a steno-
graphic reporter and telegraphed to
the CINCINNATI Times, (see files of
that year,, it was determined that
Poe should die. A chief named
Run-an-ace SO called because of the
ease with which he could run an ace
from his lap to his hand in poker J,
was selected to do the job. Run-an-
ace was alone in the world, his wife
having been killed a few weeks be-
fore by the explosion of a coal oil
lamp which she ATTEMPTED to fill