Omaha daily bee., 1890-01-12

der the chm and then draws il as tightly AZ
possible without choking. When the trap IL
sprung and the deadly drop and 'dull
thudn scene IS enacted, the hangman's knot
is drawn just behind the ear and the neck II
EASILY AND ErFEoruA1LY BROKEN
and the victim is waited into a realm OF
dreams and into eternity.
Inc Indian territory with its peculiar forms
OF government has long been a harbinger for
criminals from all parts Of the United States,
and as there are no means of extraditiug
them they are safer from molestntiou there
than in Canada or any other foreign country,
for no requisttion is issued ana none is hon
ored In the Indian territory. Association
with this lawless element has had a demon.
alizing effect on the natives of the territory,
many OF whom are half. breeds, quarter. breeds
and negroes. 1t seems characteristic
of these mixed races to exhibit all of the
evil procilvities of both the white man and
the Indian, without the good qualities OF
either.
The multitude OF criminals who are an.
nually brought before the bar of Justice for
murders and robborics committed IN the In.
dian territory are mostly of the mixed
breeds, and of the 5000 men indicted in the
United States court at Fort Smith within
the past fifteen years for ~fclonies committed
in the Indian territory, less than u thousand
were full bloods. The rest were OF the
mixed breeds, or were white men and ne.
groes who had become adopted citizens of
tho territory Many of them were fugitives
ITOul IuSllCe rom Jnc STATES, VINO lOOnu a
refuge IN the villas of the
ONLY ABsoLUTELY SAFE PLACE
within the broad domains of the American
continent.
The cases tried in the United States courts
are only those wherein u white man or a
negro is concerned, all cases where only citi-
zens of any of the Indian nations are in.
volved, GENE before the Indian courts
for trial, if they are ever trieu
at all. The Choctaws execute by shooting.
l once attended a Choctaw execution near
Sans Bois that had much of the horrible
connected with it, The victim was a cripple,
and unlike most Indians was weak and with
out stoicism. He was the only Indian man
ever saw shed tears. The execution took
place one dreary December day out in the
woods not far from a rude structure that
served as "A court house. The condemned
mans wife and two little children were
spending their last hour with him, aud when
the sheriff separated them the woman's
screams were heartrending to hear. With
her arms around her husbands neck she
went as though her heart would break, while
the two little children chung to him and min
Ried their tears with their mothers. Under
such an ordeal few men could refrain from
tears, ana the unfortunate husband and
father could hardly be blamed for shedding
tears when there was scarcely a dry eye
among the few disinterosted spectators TO
tho awful scene. The Indian she,if and his
deputy, however, showed no feeling in
the matter, neither did the executioner.
The poor woman carrying her Youngest
child and leading the other, hurried away
through the woods to get out of hearing of
the shot that would make her a widow. AS
soon as she turned away, the doomed man
quickly brushed the tears from his eyes, AS
though ashamed of his weakness, and with
one last look at his wife and little ones, told
the sheriff to go ahead. He then seated him
sell on a blanket spread on the ground, while
The sheriff held one of his hands and a deputy
the other. The eXecutioner, an aged Indian
who had performed that bloody duty for
forty years, sat down on a rock about ten
yards distant, and taking his six-shooter eX-
amlned the working of the cylinder. The
sheriff barred the doomed mans breast,
HE FELT FOR THE BEATING OF HIS HEART
and pressed his fingers momentarl,y on the
spot. The white spot left from this pres
sure was all the exccutioner had for "A tar
get. but that was enough. He put a bullet
through the center of it. The victim gave
one c~cnvulsive jerk and fell backward, the
blood squirting out from the bullet holes. one
in his breast, the other in his back, for the
bullet went through him.. His fingers closed
tightly, his flesh quivered, and he was dead.
In a Few moments his widow and children
returned. The poor woman fell ON the
bleeding body of her husuond and the sad
scene was re-enacted; | took a piece of pa
per-, wadded it up and plugged up the wound
where the bullet entered, to stop the flow of
block. Then turning away l rode. hastily
from the place.
Auobher CuOclaW execution LOOK place sew
cral weeks previous to the one Just described.
A young, full blooded Choctaw bad been
convicted of murder and sentenced TO be
shot. He was then ordered to Jail, but on
promising to return on the day set for his
execution, he was permitted to go without
guard or bail. bound only by his word to re-
turn. Two months rolled by and the day for
the young braves execution arrived. A
large crowd of people gathered together NJ a
quiet spot in the woods selected for the
shooting, but the principal actor in the trag-
edy had not put in an appearance. His ia
Their was there, however, aud when some
one intlinated that the condemned man would
not appear, the angry father rebuked him
severely and told him that when his son
gave his word he kept it. His words were
soon proven, for his son rode up. TO the
crowd ana dismouuting hitcned his pony to
a bush and then approaching the sheriff sig
niied his willingness to meet his fate. The
sheriff allowed him to select his own execu-
toner. He selected Il cousin who was pres
ent, and then taking a small piece of white
paper, pinned it on his coat just over his
heart and standing erect facing his execu-
tiener, he received the bullet in his breast
and died almost instantly.
Fu,NE UNuEpIE