The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-04-12
THE CHOCTaw TROUBLES.

1 ycSttIufE returning nome from tOiOfduO
where he has been in business the past six
weeks Or more Mr.. Officer has lived i'll
; the Choctaw nation for nearly thirty
years and during al that length OF time
has been a warm personal friend and
neighbor of Dick Locke, the hero OF the
! present troubles in that coruptly governed
Indian nation. A few days ago he had a
letter from Locke in which the latter stat
ed that his friends need have 10 fear fer
his safety as he was thoroughly prepared
TO defend himself from the attacks of Gov
ernor Jones
The story Mr. Officer tells about Mr.
Locke's life in the Choctaw nation is very
interesting and would form the basis of an
entertaining novel. Locke, ne says is
about AZ years cid and has been in the
Choctaw nation for nearly thirty years,
He is native OF Tennessee and graduated
from the rebel army. When the war ended
he returned to his old home and found it
ruined aud deserted. He then realized
fully the result of the war and he deter
mined to leave the south, settle in some
new country and build up ii home instead
of the one he had lost in the fortunes of
war. He had saved $500 and after landing
in Antleis. in the Choctaw nation, lie pro-
cured traders license, and with his
small capital started store. twenty-five
years ago he had progressed so far that he
had about TWENTY-FIVE head Of cattle and a
good stock of merchandise. Governor
Wright, of the Choctaw nation desired to
confscate his cattle and sent tribal militia
there for that purpose. Dick Locke took
bi- riHo ha n,jtitia ha 10 sim
gle handed and alone and when the
smoke had cleared away three Indian
militia men were found lying dead before
his door and the others departed This
battle was the basis of feud of twenty
two years standing which has since been
intensified at intervals. At another time
the Indians attacked him and he killed
two more. The third came and he killed
three, and in the fourth encounter be
killed four These various slaughters are
indirectly the cause of his present trouble.
By the time he had the dozen men killed
half the Indians in the Choctaw nation
had sworn vengeance against him. and the
reason that Governor Jones is 50 bitter
against him is that one or two OF his rela-
tives fell at the crack of Locke's rifle.
and there is little romance connected
with this event in his life. He met a hand
some brown eyed girl IN the states, and he
fell in love with her. After some months
he proposed and was accepted. A day or
two before the marriage she informed him,
to his surprise, that she had Choctaw
blood in her veins and was aSnember of a
well known family of that tribe, Much as
he hated the Choctaw's he accepted her for
she was educated in the states and was re-
fined and accomplished. About twenty
years ago she bore him son and that son
has made a record il the history of the |
Choctaw nation and has killed his men. |
Some time ago a number of Indians were |
seen lurking about Locke's store and word |
came to young Locke, for the old man was /
absent, that they were there for |
no good purpose. The boy paid |
no attention to the matter till |
four of the Indians rode up to the store
door and hailed the boy. They asked for
his father and We're informed that he was
absent. Young Locke asked them what
they wanted, and they told him they
wanted to kill him. But, added the In
dams, ''as he is not at home we will kill |
you. We came for the blood of a Locke,
and 1t matters not who he is" The boy
jumped behind the counter where his
Winchester was and the WAR commenced.
He killed three OF the Indians in their
saddles and broke the arm of the fourth
one. He then sent word to the balance of
the gang TO come on and avenge the death
Of their comrades, but they never came.
1t said that the old man can kill spar
row on the wing with his revolver and
that the boy can do equally as well.
Locke is the idol of the white men in the
Choctaw nation and the COW boys and it is
reported now that he has an army at his
back capable OF wiping out Goveanor
Jones' militia in one fight In the letter
received by Mr. Officer, Locke
states that he has just received three
cases of the latest imported Winchester
rifles aud enough ammunition to kin
every Indian in the Choctaw nation. The
immediate cause of the existing trouble
between Locke and Governor Jones is the
fact that Locke will not submit to Jones
executive authority as Jones was not
legitimately elected His opponent car
ried the election by eighty majority, but
in the district where he had his greatest
majority The poll books were stolen and
was thrown out. This gave Jones ma
jority of few votes. Jones and
bis family have entertained bad
feelings for Locke for years and
since he has been governor he has been
making it unpleasant for Locke in many
ways
Ma Officer is great admirer of Dick
Locke's, as he calls him. Their families
visit one another, and the
friendship exists between them. |
Mr. Officer leaves this morning for Fort Sill
md, while he says he Is going there on
private business, it is very likely that he is
going there in The interest OF his friend
Dick Locke 1t is well known that Cap
ain Hughes of Fort Sill IS very much
Interested in the Cnoctaw contest,
aud il is not ut all unlikely that Mr Ulcers
mission TO Fort Sill is to see Captain
Hughes and give him pointers on the
1hoctaw situation. That Mr. Officer does
lot like the Indian militia there IS no
ioubt for he received letter from his wife
that the militia while prowliug
lbout killed one of his half Jersey cows
or beef without apology or explanation.
Mr. Officer is an Intelligent gentleman
md was the superintendent OF the census
II the Chcctaw nation III 1881.
ABOUT THE STATION
George Smith, Frank stone and John
Murphy were each fned s. for loiteiiDg,
nd George Bennett got : for Ike OF
INCA They sre = Il -. sail