The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-07
INDIAN R ELIC5.
A Wampum Belt Exhibited By An Old
Indian Fighter.


GAINESVILLE, FLA, Aug. Capt. Jim
johnson, an old Indian fighter and cattle
man. brought into town yesterday curious
bundle of beaded thongs, or strips Of can
vas, interviewer with thousands OF small
white beads. This curious relic Is called by
the Indians wampum, and gave a chief as
much genuine satisfaction In the wearing
a. the huge black silk belts do our present
century dudes. This wampum or belt was
taken from the body OF Asinine Wa, the sec
ond chief in rank among the Seminoles,
Billy Bowlegs becoming first by the death
of the far-fansd Powell, or OSceola
Rising Sum. Asininewa was killed
either by our townsman, Ben
Nixon, or Capt. johnson, it is not
know positively which, as both fired at him
at or near the same time. The Indians
under this chief were, in 1857. assembled
on an island surrounded by rank saw grass
near Kissimmee. They had made a raid
into the territory which is now Polk county,
and had killed the family of man by the
name OF Tillis, four miles from Fort Meade,
splitting the mothers head IN twain with
the ak found at the wood pile, and dashing
out the brains of the three children against
a pine tree in the yard and for this outrage
were being pursued by Capt. johnson and
eighty other men from this section. Coming
up with them on this island where they
thought they and their squaws and
papooSes were secure from all harm,
johnson and his men charged them, killing
tNenty-seveu and dispensing the remainder,
giving security to the pioneer families from
that day to this. The regiment to which
Johnson's COM pany was attached was COM
manded By Co. st. George Rogers; and r.
Bullock. who was, Friday, defeated by Mr..
Cooper for denomination for congress, was
also a captain in tina same. Thus are the
services of our best men forgotten.
Capt. johnson exhibited to the MORNING
News correspondent another curious relic
in the way of a pair of silver earrings
taken from the ears Of an indian girl who
was also killed at the time mentioned. They
are the size of silver half dollar, very
thin, and each disk is pierced with a
hole in the center surrounded by
four crescents, or half moons, while
the hook which pierced the ears in wearing
was attached TO the trinket with wire an
inch in lie 9Th strung with minute white
beads Both jewels weigh but "a penny
weights.
c. F. Colcloughly reported many dead fish
pond in his field the day after the cleo
trio storm in which the negro and calf were
killed, aud it is believed that the fish were
killed also by electricity, as all the water In
tue pond is tresh, it having been filled by
the recent rains almost to high water mark.
Harry Tench of the Savannah, Florida
and Western railway office here, has been
given short holiday, and he left with MS
mother, Mrs. T. w. Tench. for Union, 5. c..
Friday, on months visit to friends there
and in the mountains of North Carolina
NV dispatch of Aug. must have reached
the MORNING News in q very different
manner from what was Intended. if not
written. Capt. Collins did not say, nor
neither did intend to quote him as saying,
that the negroes at Ocala bad 'hoasted that
they must take up arms,n ETC, but taAt he
charged A. G. Mann with having, in a
speech at that place, advised them SO to do.
The allusion to Fort Pillow was intend ed
TO convey simply the state of affairs which
would exist here if the threats uttered by
the people when Mann's remarks at Ocala
were made known to them, were carried
out.