The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-12-26
A Very Bad Indian.

On reservation says the Overland
Monthly, there once lived an Indian who
was 50 thoroughly bad in every respect
that he was generally known by the SOU
briquet of the "Yuka Devil" He COM
mitted all the seven deadly sins and a
good many more, if not every day of his
life, at least as often as he could.
One day he wandered off a considers
BILE way from the reserve, accompanied
by two of his tribal brethren, and they
fell upon and wantonly murdered three
squaws without provooation whatever.
They were pursued by detachment of
the garrison, overtaken, captured, carried
back manacled hand and foot, and con-
sigded to the guard house. In some in
explicable manner the Devil contrived
to break his fetters asunder, and then he
tied them on again with twine, in such
fashion that, when the turnkey came
along on tour of inspection, he per-
celved nothing amiss.
Being taken out for some purpose or
other soon afterward, he seized the op-
portunity to wrench off his manacies and
escape. But he was speedily overtaken
again and brought down with bullet,
which wounded him slightly, taken back
to the guard house, heavily ironed, and
cast into dungeon. Here he feigned
death. For four days he never swallow
ed a crumb of nourishment, tasted no
water, breathed no breath that could be
discovered, and lay with every muscle
relaxed like q corpse. To all human
perception he was dead, except that his
body did not become rigid and cold.
AT last vessel of water was placed
on table hard by information of that
fact was casually imparted to him in his
native speech; all the attendants with
drew, the dungeon relapsed into silence,
and he was secretly watched.
After long time, when profound still
ness prevailed, and when the watchman
had begun to believe he was in trance
at least, he cautiously lifted up his head,
gazed steadily all round him, scrutinized
every Granny and orevice of light, then
softly crawled on all fours to the table,
taking care not to clank his chains the
while, took down the pitcher, and drank
deep and long.
They rushed in upon him, but upon
the instant-so fatuous was the odstinacy
of the savage-he dropped as if he had
been shot, and again simulated death.
But he was now informed that his play
was quite too shallow for any further
purposes, and as soon as the gallows
could be put In order, the executioners
entered and plainly told him that the
preparations were fully completed for his
taking off.
He made no sign. Then, half drag
ging, half carrying the miserable wretch,
they conducted him forth to the scafold.
All limp and tiaccid and nerve!ess. as he
is, they lift him upon the platform; but
still he makes not the least motion, and
exhibits no consciousness of these stern
and grim preparations.
He is supported in an upright position
between two soldiers, hanging lifeless
burden on their shoulders; his head is
lifted up from his breast, where it droops
in heavy helplessness; the new. bought
rope, cold and hard and prickly, is coil
ed about his neck, and the huge knot
properly adjusted at the side; the merci-
full cap, which shuts off these heart sick
ening preparations from the eyes of the
faint and shuddering criminal is dis
pensed with, and everything is in perfect
readiness.
The solemn stiffness beftting the aw-
fsl spectacle about to be enacted falls
upon the few spectators {; the fatal signal
is given the drop swiftly descends the
support ting soldiers sink with it as if
about to vanish into the earth and hide
their eyes from the tragedy. With a
dead, dull thud the tightening rope
wrenches the poor savage from their up
bearing shoulders into pitiless mid air,
and the Yuka Devil, hanging there with
out twitch or shiver, quickly passes
from simulated to unequivocsl and un-
mistakable death.