Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1893-09-22
LAKE MOKOMA THE SEAT OF
WAR.
THE Tragedy as Sketchcd by an Old
Indian Of Years Ago.


While sightseeing on the hill a
little south of east of Lake Mokoma,
a party recently found a melancholy
record of ono Of the countless
Indian tragedies that have stained
every tributary that empties into
the placid waters of Lake Mokoma.
This record is said to be engraved
on the sandstone comprising the
sides of natural basin of rocks on
the hill east of Lake Mokoma, and
the inscription reads:
"Here May 10, 1912, three whites,
surrounded by so Indians, dying OF
thirst and hunger, killed chief and
thirty braves since driven here.
Signed, David Jones, Peter Black,
Sam Little"
Search was made by the sight
seers for some sign of the men who
died thus, and under several feet OF
soil that had become heaped up
over them by the winds, we're dis
covered bones of several creatures,
but in every instance the skull was
missing and it is probable that the
Indians took the heads as trophies
of their deadly work, or that they
were carried away by wild animals
the former supposition is the more
likely of tue two. OF the details OF
the unwritten tragedy little is
known.
It seems that Jones, Black and
Little were traders, who in some way
incurred the enmity of these people,
who pursued them until they reach-
ed the belt of rocks near Lake
Mokoma, when most of them turned
back. But joined by the Flat
heads, who we're on the war path at
that time, the remnant Of the pur-
suing party drove the three white
people before them into the open
crevice of rocks on the hill referred
to, where they surrounded them.
The first day charge was made on
the whites, but concealed among
the rocks they contrived to kill five
or six of the redskins, who then
withdrew.
A council was held among the red
skins almost in sight of the trapped
men, and it was decided to lay siege
to the hated whites, and to subject
them to the torture of thirst and
hunger, as food and water were i'm
possible to procure, with that deadly
Gordon drawn about them. The
lake lay within a few hundred feet of
the doomed men, but they could not
reach it except through a rain OF
bullets. But though the majority
decided on this slow course Of starv
ing out the prisoners, some of the
younger and more fiery Of the band
kept making steps toward the natu-
raj pen into which the whites had
run, only to fall under the resolute
fire of the prisoners, who were con
soious that vigilance alone meant
hope, and trusting to some turn
of event to give them chance for
their lives.
As the Indians learned afterward,
every clump of grass, every blade OF
vegetation within reach of the whites
was dovoured by them, but the spot
being nearly barren, furnished but
scanty nutriment for the three and
soon the pangs Of hunger began to
grow almost imbearable, while the
torture of thirst dnally drove one of
them-Jones it is thought, to face
the dangers of a trip to the lake
edge. He crawled on his stomache
at intervals, on night when the
moon was partially obscured by the
clouds, resting aud hiding behind
rocks and trees and anything that
would afford him the slightest shell
ter from the observation of the In