The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-01-04
FORTY RED-sKIN .CONvICTs.
FerOciOus Indian Criminals Lodged
I'm Kings County P~enitentiary.
New York Recorder.

New York Recorder.
Forty Indians. nearly all full-blooded, be-
came residents Of the Kings County Peni-
tertiary yesterday TO remain for periods of
from nVe to twenty years. Their home is
IN the Indian Territory. They belong to
many tribes, but the most dangerous ones
among them are members of the Navajo
and Blackfeet. They were convicted at
Paris. Indian Territory, of various crimes.
principally horse stealing. felonious assault
and manslaughter. The jail in Paris would
not hold them over night without a guard
Of soldiers. To keep them locked up under
such circumstances would be very expen-
sive, and Uncle Sam sent them to the
Commissioners of Charity in Brooklyn,
agreeing to pay for the support of each
Indian 100 per cent. more than it costs to
take care of a Kings county criminal.
They left Paris four days ago in charge
Chandler, Deyer. Lettern, Archer and
Tucker and a dozen deputies armed with
WiRchesters. The Indians were handcuffed
In pairs. with chain attachments so ar
ranged that they could not get up without
taking the seats with them. They were
night and day by the deputies.
They were in an ugly mood during the
entire trip. II 1t had not been for the vigi-
OF Winchesters in front of their eyes all
tho time, Sheriff Dickinson believes that
there would have been trouble.
Two large stages took them from Jersey
City to the pen~itentiary. Most OF them
wore bright-cOlored blankets, which they
kept wrapped over their heads unmindful
Of the shouts of hundreds of men and boys
who followed the stages until they reached
the Brooklyn bridge. The people shouted at
the Indians and they thought the cry was
for revenge. and shrunk into the blankets.
looking wildly at the crowd. The redmen
showed a better temper when they got in
side the prison walls, and they told Sheriff
Dickinson that they were well pleased with
They were very dirty and hungry. and
their first request vas for food. They be-
came surly when told that they would not
be fed until evening, and only the VIM
cheSterS prevented a rebellion when War
den Hayes announced that the first thing
would be a bath and a shave of the head
and face. All had long hair: and the con-
vict BARRIERS removed it with the horse
clipping machine worked under the muzzle
of a Winchester.
Sabado Nuntotree. known in his own
country as Eye of the Blazing Sun, re-
fused to sit in the BARRIERS chair, and told
Warden Hayes in pure Navajo dialect t:lat
he preferred death to losing tie locks that
had often waved defiance to his enemies,
the Blackfeet. sit down in that chair"
Numbered Warden Hayes in pure Graves
Blazing Sun stood still. Three keepers
grabbed him and threw him into the chair.
Blazing Sun kept them busy until Keeper
O'Brien got a neck hold on him, and kept
him from breathing for a few moments.
The willy Indian then sat down, cursing.
OF hair that one of the deputy sheriffs
stuffed between his lips did not tame him.
Blazing Sun is charged with manslaughter.
dian who showed fight. He is known as
Rain in the Face, and had the finest head
OF hair I'm the group. 1t measured two
feet and a half long. He, too, was the
only one not covered with vermin. He
fought like a demon when led to the chair,
but was overpOwered by the guards with
out the use of clubs. Warden Hayes stood
by and ordered his keepers not to use un-
necessary violence, as the prisoners were
savages and not used to discipline. They
were ugly with their hair, filth and blank
cts. and positively hideous after being
leaned and put in convict's clothing, their
misshapen heads and coarse, irregular
features being exaggerated. They will be
fed well for several days, and when they
get used TO prison life. they will be set tc
work In the shops, care being taken tC
have them kept separate and scattered
evenly among the roommates. There were
nine Indians in the penitentiary before
The half breeds make the worst prisoners
for they put up all sorts of schemes tc
get rid OF work.