The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1882-11-23
AN INDIAN HANGED.
Brave Bear Finally Executed at Yank.
ton, Meeting His Fate with
Great Calmness,
Having Made a Will Disposing Of His
PrOperty-Sketch Of His Life,
Crime, and Trial.
From the 81. Paul Pioneer Press.

From the st. Paul Pioneer Press.
YANKroN, Oak. Nov l5.-Brave Bear Il
dead. His last day was a. beautiful a. could
be desired. It was = day more suitable fol-
marriage bells than for the mournful work OF
the hangmsn. Workmen were busy all the
morning putting finishing touches to tho scat
fold aud building the fence, which was about
twenty feet high, and enclosed space sixty
feet by forty. Every precaution was taken
that nothing should interfere with the success
Of tho execution. and the programme was car
ried without break. Brave Bear has proven
worthy Of his name. During the past
week. though now and then depressed,
he displayed 4 good deal Of nerve while be
continued to believe he should yet escape.
For the last three days be had reason to be-
lieve that his end was near, especially % he
could hear the workmen building the scaffold.
The sisters and priest wore with aim good
deal and Brave Bear was evidently glad to see
them Last night he sent for Assistant Dis
triot Attorney Palmer, to whom he had taken
decided fancy, perhaps because it was Mr..
Palmer who carried him the news Of the
presidents reprieve. They talked about 40
hour aud half. Brave Bear told something
Of his history, but his main object in sending
for Mr.. Palmer was to
MAKE HIS WILL
He said he had large quantity OF furs and
various articles and trnkets, besides q sum of
gold and paper money and gold dust, all Of
which was buried in . certain spot up the
river. He told where the key Vt the box was
aud also the Indian who knew the spot He
described everything in detail to Mr. Palmer,
whom he delegated to look after the
disposition of his effects. When Mr..
Palmer asked it the money was not Johnson's
money, Brave Bear denied that it was. From
the description given of his money and prop
erty it must amount to between $4,000 and
So, 600, which he divided among different in
dividuals. He had two wives, but did not like
the one who testified against him. He said
she was rather too friendly with the word of
the wood choppers Brave Bear rested we'll
last night and Was up early this morning to
mass, which was said at 6 o'clock by Father
Willard and which lasted nearly an hour
THE SISTERS WERE ALSO EARLY WITH H1M,
and remained till about $50 He ate but lit
tie breakfast this morning, but for the last
week he had an unusually good appetite. Yes
terday and last night be was constantly eating
nuts and fruits, etc., of which no had good
supply. This morning he had another talk
with Mr.. Palmer. and more fully affirmed what
he said last night About the middle Of the
forenoon he grew somewhat nervous. He
would walk about the prison, light his pipe,
call for water, and twtct his handkerchief
Shortly before IL Father Willard held
services in the corridor of the jail,
after which the warrant was read, and ex-
planned by an interpreter Meantime quite q
crowd gathered outside the yard, and passes
were eagerly sought, and about 100 were is-
and few others, who were early on hand to
dian ever ordered by civil court Promptly
at IL O'clock Brave Bear was led up through
the ajil to the marshars Office, where he
MADE STATEMENT.
he desired that the newspapers should say
to the Indians that his death was
all right; that they should not
attempt to take any revenge. He particularly
requested his relatives not to kill any horses. He
also asked that the president be informed that
he died happy When asked if he really killed
Joseph Johnson he dropped his head and
made no reply. Though he made no confess
sion, he virtually Acknowledged yesterday that
he did commit the murder, and 1t was per-
haps not the only one of which he was guilty.
At 1915 O'Clock Brave Bea- was led out
to the scaffo1d by Father Willard aud
the deputy marshals He stepped along
easily, took his position on the trap,
looked up at the crowd, smiled aud said in =
loud, cheerful tone, swell, 6 God BY" BE
then stopped over and received the moose upon
bis neck. He was dressed in WOODEN stock
ings, black pants and long linen duster. As
the moose was frightened he gave several
witches, just as man will do when his collar
is too tight. He then read over the final ser
vices with the priest, which lasted four or five
minutes. While reading he rolled his eyes
about As If anxious to see how the
spectators regarded tho matter. At
1921 o'clock, Yankton time, the
black cap was put on and at a given signal .
man, no one but the marshal knows, who was
inside the court house,
sPRANa THE TRAP
and the unfortunate Indian shot like an arrow
though the door out of sight He fell into a
cage about ten feet square, which was boarded
up, and no one could sec his death struggle.
In minute or two the physicians went inside
the cage, and they say that he gave two or
three convulslve movements and was probably
unconscious from the moment he fell.
a H u1 ninatss pu!ae T ro.s e'&n; 100
but gradually fell, and in fifteen minutes there
were no distinguishable pulsation Of the heart
At the end Of thirty minutes he was cut down,
his remains placed in coffin, the final requi-
escat in pace said by tho priest, and
Brave Bears body was soon carried
to the Catholic cemetery, while his soul goes
marching on to the happy hunting ground,
where game is plenty and the red and white
men never kill or scalp each o'her.
his LIFE AND CRIME.
YANKToN, Nov; l5.-,Brave Bear, whose Indian
name is Mato O-he-te-ke, was about twenty five
years OF age. he was born near Old Fort Pierre
and has lived at Yankton, Sanding Rock and other
agencies, and has roamed all over the Northwest;
He was an unusually intelligent Indsn, and could
read in the Indian language, aud spoke English
slightly. 1t is claimed that he was bad Indian and
that his hands were stained with the blood OF three
or four white persons. The crime for which be was
finally arrested, tried. convicted and hanged was the
murder of Joseph johnson in April. $40. johnson
had been employed by the post trader at Cheyenne
ana join two brothers who lived IN the James River
valley. 1t is claimed that Brave Bear knew that
Johnson would star! at certain time. and that DO
at a5o eer sSo az
Eve miles east of Fort Sully, took his horse. CUR
and $500 in monev. and then Joined Sitting Bull,
who was at that time on the war path 1t Is proba,
bly, true that Brave Bear was largely instrumental
in inducing Sitting Bull to surrender IN 1881
Brave Bear asserts that he did not kill johnson,
but that even if he had done so, tho Rovernment
had agreed with Sitting Bull that IL he should sur
render, all past offenses should be condoned, and
that under this agreement he himself
COULD NOT BE PUNISHED.
In the summer of 66l. while at Standing Rock
Brave Bear, either honestly or to gain notoriet,
asserted that he had killed johnson and had buried
The money He is also said to have promised Allison
the scout half of the money if he would get him
away from the agency. Upon this Allison caused
his arrest, and he was brought hero in October.
1881, and was indicted at the November term OF
the United States district court His trial came on in
January, and this the first case presided over by
Chief Justice Edgerton. Brave Bear had no
counsel and the court assigned Oliver Shannon.
Esq, to conduct his defense. During the trial a
number of Indian witnesses were sworn, and their
testimony together with that of Allison Ia synopsis
Ut which was published in the PIONEER PRESS at
the tme) was such that the Jury brought in = YER
being out but a short time. He was sentenced to
hang on the 9TH of March. ard when asked If he
eouid give any good reason why judgment should
not be- given against him, he merely replied. touch
lug his forehead, that he had brains and knew
better than to point gun at a white man.
MI. Shannon took the case to the supreme court
on writ OF error, on the plea lack Of jurisdic-
ton, but on May 81 the full bench decided that
tI,o i,,Ion toFth 6isfp shon1d stand