The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-11-04
The Ynka Devil.

On tue reservation there once lived an
Indian who WINS SO thoroughly bad in every
respect that he was generally known by
the sobriquGt Of The Yukn Devil. BE
committed all the seven deadly sins and a
good many more, II not every day OF his
life, ut least Us often as he could. One
day be wandered oil considerable way
from the reserve, accompanied by two oil
his tribal brethren, and they fell upon and
wantonly murdered three squaws, without
any known provocation whatever. They
were pursued by a detachment Of the gar
rlson, oyertakeu, captured, carried back
manacled hand aud foot, and consigned to
the guard house, In some inexplicaOlc
manner, The Devil COntrivcd to break his
letters asunder, and then he tied them on
again with Irvine in such fashion that,
when the turnkey came along on tour
Of inspection, he perceived nothing amisS.
Being taken out for some purpose or other
soon aitcrward, lie seized the opportunity
to wrench off his manacles and escape.
But be was speedily Overtaken again and
brought down with bullet, which wound.
cd him slightly, taken back to the guald-
house heavily iroued, and cast into n
dungeon. Here he feigned death, For
lour days he never swallowed u crumb oil
nutriment, tasted no water, brcathCd no
breath that could bc discovered, and lay
with every muscle relaxed like corpse.
To oil human perception he was dead, cx.
cept that his body did not become rigid or
cold. At last vessel of water was placed
on table hard by; information Of that
fact was casually impaired to him in his
native speech; all the attendants with
drew, the dungeon relapsed into silence,
aud he was secretly watched. After n
long time, when profound stiffness pre-.
vailed, and when the watchers had begun
to believe he was in trance, at least, he
cautiously lifted up his head, gazed stealth
lily all around him, scrut;niZGd every Gran.
ny and crcyice Of light, then softly crawled
on all ious to the table, taking care not TO
Clank his chains the while, took down tue
pitcher aud drank deep and long. They
rushed in upon him, but upon the instant
so iatuous was the obstiuucy Of the saw
agc-he dropped as il he had been shot,
aud again simulated death. But he was
now Informed that his play was quite too
shallow for any further purposes, and as
soon Us the gallows could be put in order,
tue cxecutiOncrs entered aud told him
plainly that tho preparations were fully
completed for histaking-oIl. lie made nc
sign. Then, half dragging, half carrying
the miserable wretch, they conducted him
forth to tho scailold. All limp and tlaccid
and nervqlcss as he is, they lift him upon
the platform hue still he makes not the
least motion, aud exhibits no conscious
ness Of all these stern and grim prepan'
tons. lie is supportedin an upright posi-
tIOn between two soldiers, hanging a life
less burden on their shoulders lis head
is lifted up from bis breast, where 1t
droops In heavy helplCssncss; the new.
bought rope, cold and hard and prickly, is
coiled around bis neck, and the huge knot
properly adjusted at the side the merci-
iul cap, which shuts off these hcart-sickcn.
Ing preparations from the eyes Of the faint
and shIddering criminal is dispensed with
and everything Is in perfect readiness,
The solemn stiffness befitting the awful
spectacle about to be enacted falls upon
the few spectators; the fatal sign is given
the prop swiftly desccnds; the supporting
soldiers sink with 1t, as Il about to vanish
into the earth and hide their eyes from
the tragedy; with dead, dull thud the
tightening rope wrcnchcs the poor savage
from their upbcaring shoulders into pitt
less mid-alr and The Yuka Devil, hang.
ing there without q twitcll or SILVER
quickly passes from simulated to unCquivo
cal and pnmistakablc dcath.-OseroHc
Monthly