The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-03-13
CHANTED ON DEATH ROCK
AN INDIAN MURDERER EXECUTED
AFTER AN OLD CUSTOM,

1t Was a Holiday for the Tribe and
the Doomed Redman Sang in a Ring
ing Voice Until the Bullets silenced
Him Forever-Burisd With War
rior's Honors-A Scene That Gould
Be Enacted Only by Sevages.
A special to the New York World, giving
details Of the execution of the Indian MUIR
derer Loring, at Caddo, l. T., reported in
the MORNING NEws dispatches. illustrates
the fact that the Indians are still savages,
despite the refining influences of the
| governments Indian agents.
| On Jan. 30 Loring murdered an old
woman named Gazette, aged 80 years. She
was reputed to have money, and Loriug
| killed her while trying to steal her hidden
wealth. Loring was arrested and tried in the
circuit court, and sentenced on Feb. 20 to be
shot on March 10. In compliance with the
decree of the court Loriug was guarded by
a detachment of the Choctaw Light Horse
company until the morning be was
taken to the place of execution. Just as the
first streak of dawn appeared Loring was
awakened from his sleep and taken TO the
Enclosure which surrounds the council cham
Der. This Enclosure is in the form of q
stockade, about 10 feet high, and is strong
prison of itself.
The entrance Is through a massive gate
which is strong enough to resist the attack
of regiment. About fifteen feet from the
eastern side Of the Enclosure is a square rock
half sunk into the ground. This is the
famous and historic death rock This stone
Is fiat topped and is sunk into the ground
| 70 foT, fu frryo hay
Here all the executions of tho tribe have
taken place in the last thirty years.
The Chootaws are greatly enlightened,
| but the form of execution is one Of the
relics Of barbarism that has been retained,
| and, while the court proceedings are ac~
cording TO the latest forms Of Jurisprudence,
| the executions must take place according to
the long-es6ab lished forms and ceremonies
Of the tribe. The murderers in the tribe
! must be executed by the family Of the muir
/ dered person. The death penalty has been
| eXRcted many times and the blood of many
| Victims has assisted the sun and rain In
| staining the brown rock around which a
| queer and motley group assembled
| Within the inolosure were she relatives of
| the murdered woman and also those of her
| slayer. The tribal council and the Light
| Horse Guard, with but few visitors, COM
| pleted the number that were allowed within
the Enclosure. The death rock Is 80 situated
|
! o'clock in the morning, and, according to
| the law Of the tribe, the execution cannot
take place until the sun has kissed the
! rock"
1t was while waiting for this time to arr
! rive that a scene that could be duplicated In
no other portion Of the globe took place. IL
! was fate that Lorings should die, and the
savage was so strong in him that he was
ready to die and make no sign that he felt
| the penalty. There was no fear in him,
for he knew that his time had come and he
would go.
just as day broke this morning the sound
of drum aroused the inhabitants Of the
village and called together the members OF
! the Light horse company. 1t was the
death signal. With the dying away of the
sound men, women and children came from
| the huts and houses, and the village was
alive with the preparations for holiday.
| Breakfast was hurriedly eaten, and then
every one went toward the Enclosure.
| Neither the dead woman nor the man who
was to suffer the penalty had relatives in
the villages, and from the surrounding
country came those who were 10 be the
! principal actors in the tragedy. As the sun
rose there came from the woods, along the
creek that runs north OF tie village, those
who had camped there over night, ready TO
be on hand at the earliest possible oppors
tunity IN the morning
LorinK had been kept under guard in the
council chamber, and at the beating Of the
drum was given his last breakfast. De ate
heartily and marched between two files OF
the Light Guard into the inclosure. Here
had already assembled those who were TO
witness the closing scene. The condemned
man was looBened from the bonds that had
| been placed about his arms, and was per-
mitted TO mingle freely among his friends
and relatives. To all appearances he was
as free as any one in thatdnclosure. He
passed from group TO group, and chatted
and laughed as If be had no thought of
death. He talked as If he were going on q
long journey, and laughingly babe his
friends farewell. The whole scene was
that Of a pleasure party, and TO one who
did not know Of the meaning of the gather
ing, it would have appeared as a holiday
assembly.
ALI morning the merriment scontinued,
while the sun slowly crept toward the death
rock. This was the only place IN the in
closure that we summed by the crowd.
Finally the fatal hour drew near and then
a silence came over the assembled people
The relatives of the murdered woman drew
away TO themselves and selected those who
we're TO fire the shots that would end tho
blood feud between the two families. This
was soon decided and then tine doomed man
walked to the death rock. As be proceeded
be began singing in a low tone a peculiar
monotonous song. Louder and louded it
came until the sound could be heard far be-
yond the inclosure Those on the outside
knew that the hour Of death was near, for
they heard the death song Of the Choctaws