The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1868-07-24
\ vRAGEDY OF INDIAN LIFE

\ VRAGEDY OF INDIAN LIFE
The following story, from the Mil
waukce u tycOaSja, reads like romance
of Cooper's condensed, but is said to be
n record Of facts gathered by gentle
man who is collecting material fora his
tory Of the upper Mississippi valley:
a party Of thirty Winnebagoes came
down from the late scalp dance at
which the tribe was gathered on the
Trempcleau river in the north, and en-
campGd on F'rcnCh's Island, in the Mis-
sissippi river, just above the ST. Paul
railroad depot at La Crosse.
"IAc band was under the control OF
q we'll known chief of the Winneba-
goes named Wan. kee-sc -hoong-cr-er, or
Snake Chief, who had two wives. Secs
ka and He-nCe-kC. SC-cs-ka was about
thirty years of age, graceful in appear
ancc. with 4 pleasant look and an inter-
ostiu- ilcc. With whites she was "a
vorilc. while with the WinncbaYoes she
Va, looked upon lindly-indeed, ador-
ca with Nli the ardOr Of Indian tCrvor.
Snake Chief was noted warrior Of the
Ninnt 5agOes and was very much liked
by his tribe. Ho WAS q powerful and
Irawnv fellow. and when sober was
neacetli and rood-naturcd when drunk
j., WAS uplv and disaprecablp. One OF
lis Iayoritc pastimes, when in this con-
dillon. w3s heating his wives.
con FRIDAY last Snake Chief return
cd to hi. nirwam drunk. Se-cs-ka WA.
in the yiG1am. and the chief commeuc-
ed beating her over the head end shout
7 = I
lie longer to stand his brutality. Secs
ka draw her knife and stabbed the CHIEF
vice, he blade penetrating the heart o
the warrior. who died instantly while
the first nctas Of the death song were
a. his lips. The affair at once created
. snuaGtiou among the Winncbagocs.
so lid not know how TO act. They
loved heir chief, and they loved their
calc.jan's wife. 1t is a well known
',ragulation' among the Indians that
when man is slain relative must
avCngc his death by taking the life of
his SLAYER. Se-cs-ka knew this. Some
Of the WinncbagOes URGED her to flv.
hut she would not. With true Indian
RESIGNATION. she folded her blanket
ahoUt her and sat down in her Wirwam.
taciuy the door. and awaiting the avcn-
ger. Ii was believed that Hc.ncc-kcc.
the Younger and fayoritc wife. would
be the aveagcr, but she seems TO have
had no such intention. She mourned
The loss Of her husband. but took no
stems further than TO send n runner nm
the TrcmDeleau where Snake Chiefs
relatives were. TO notify them of what
had taken place. MnanwhiIe So-cs-ko
sat in hcrc0bin chantin~ ,hc death sop9.
Indifferent TO what was roin~
Oh about her, and ONLY TALKING when
questions vcrc asked hcr
On Sunday morning an Indian from
made his nnncaronrc in
cnmn' He was known as Chan-uo-nc-
ga. ana had evidently Travelled without
halting since he learned of The death of
Snake Chief, ENTERING thc comn with
out word he walked solemnly to the
place where the body of Snake Chief
law. took a lone looi, At H. and then
turned sullenIy away. Nobody smoke
to him, vet ALI watched with interest his
movements. Deliberately loadino his
Gun with buckshot. he uninterruptcGlv
Walkci deliberately to the wiaWam
where Sc-cska sat, She having remained
there since the murder, took one look at
the woman, who loudly chanted the
death song. Not q muscle of the wo-
mans face moved to denote that She Ia
bCrod under any excitement. but she sat
there quietly and calmly, her eyes NOV
iug upwards, aud her voice, as the I'M
couth song escaped her lips, steady and
firm, She knew that the avenger was
e,,i,;t would loo,,o lie Ell to,no,,,a,,t o.