Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1884-08-07
Ohoctaw Executions.
INDIAN JUSTICE AND HOW 1T Is METFD OUT
-HERoISM OF THE DOOMED

A recent sojourner among the Choctaw
Nation in the Indian territory said to re-
porter the other dav "Indian laws are more
severe than the laws among the white peo-
pie. Ii an Indian commits a theft, he is
given 80 lashes on the bare back, provided
ii IS his first offence. II it is his second of
fence. he is given 80 lashes, and should it be
his third offence of stealing. he IS stood up
and shot like dog
"lou don't mean to say that they shoot
them for stealing ~
"les, that's Just what | mean, and it
don't make any difference how small the
theft may be, it il is his third offence, he is
shot for it.
"Who does the shooting ?''
whoever the man TO be shot NAV select.
He generally chooses his nearest aud best
friend"
"fow is the shooting conducted ?"
well. the man is first stripped to the
waist. Then he stands up boldly without be-
ing bound or propped up, and allows the
executioner to make black spot on his
breast directly over the heart. Then the
executioner takes big navy revolver, steps
back six or eight PAGES, takes deliberate aim
at the black spot and sends a bullet crashing
through his victims heart
rs the victim blindfoided?"
NO. indeed and, more than that. he
stands up hra,ely, with his aras and shoul-
ders thrown back and chest expanded, and
meets death without a sign of tilnching
They think il the bravest act in life to stand
up and show that they are not afraid TO die.
They would rather be killed than branded
ns YIs Wh, ba,n
at all, and an Indian accused of crime
never attempts 10 escape. have known Of
several Of them condemned to be shot VINO
have been given the entire freedom of the
territory, and on the day fixed for the exc
cutIon they turned up at the appointed hour
ana took their little leaden pill with as much
unconcern as YOU would dose Of salts
They like 10 die game and have it recorded
Of them afterward that they were not afraid
70 face death.
Have many Of them been shot out
there -
''Oh, yes, there was one shot not long
ago, but he was ~l.ot for committing mur-
der None have been shot for some time
for stealing, but there's been many a one of
them whipped the second time and the next
offence means death
"Don't the United States authorities IN
terfere and try to put a stop TO such barba-
rism ?''
'Oh. no; what | have told YOU only ap-
plies " the Indians II white man com
mits theft OF murder, he is tried and
punished by the United States authorities.
for the Indian, recognize that they haven't
the right to punish white man under their
own laws"
The Indians are not near as troublesome
they used to he, are they ?"
"Oh, no. They are becoming more and
more civilized every day. In the Choctaw
Nation the Indians of both sexes are inter
marrying with the whites, and in the course
Of t,w Years the full-tlooded Indians will
be almost entirely wiped out. \ great many
Of them are Christians They have their
churches, where sermons in both the Eng
li>h and rhoctnw languages are preached
ever, SUNDAY. They are becoming more
like the white people every day. and we
never expect to have another Indian out
break"