Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-27

locate him the money was gone
Did You punish him when he returnedr
was asked
Yes replied Common. he was tried for
what would be embezzlement under your
laws. and found guilty. but we couldn't do
anything with him..
"Why not@
1--WE have only two punishments.' said
Conner, whipping and death, but the law
excuses cripple. If a man is crippled,
the idea is. 1 suppose that he has been
punished in advance by the Great Spirit
for anything and everything he can pos
sibly do. So. no matter what crimes he
may commit, the nation, under its laws,
Furnishes him no further All we could do
with this gentleman was to stop his an
ruity Payment day does not mean any,
thing to him, for he does not get splinter
Man Of Importance.
This Conner. as said, was a full-blood-
ed Indian, and while not a chief or hold
ing any Office. was a man of considerable
Importance. He had been well educated at
the Catholic school, and was withal o
very earnest member OF that church. So
earn est in truth that he was on rather bad
terms with the agent, against whom Con-
nor spent most OF his time formulating
gunpowder plots with the gunpowder left
out. Common had seen a great deal OF
the white men, and had been to Washing
ton several times. He spoke as good Eng
iish as anybody. Among white men he, as
Well as some other Osages had bad
reputation
The Osages. as a nation, never made
hight against the whites, yet they are
known as a very wariike outfit, as prone to
steal horses and cattle. as prompt to take
scalps, as the sparks TO fly upward They
always had the sense, however, never to
involve themselves in trouble as a tribe.
Their long suit was encouraging such cop
per-colored idiots the kiowas, Cheyennee
ana Arapahoes into some fool theory that
haV rnrla.r h.. 80 49,
Usage bucks who wanted to be in the game
would. as IL were, enlist under the BAN
ners Of their neighbors and fight and steal
assassinate and burn houses to their hearts
content After Uncle Sans soldiery had
wiped out the war. these Osages would re-
turn with their plumber TO their own tribe
and leave their guileless allies to settle
Common, 1t is said. was distinguished in this
way.
An Agents Discipline.
Speaking of his troubles with the agent,
L was told that when the then agent
Miles-a gentleman with a very thorough
knowledge of the Indian character-came
to the Osages, he found the redoubtable
Common going about in blanket and breech-
clout, with feathers in mis- hair like the rest
The full-blood Usage in his primitive meth
ocs of thought refuses to wear a white
mans garb. or speak a white mans lam
guage, because, as he says, he will die n
he ooes as white man. The agent how
ever, knew Connor had no such excuse. He
called in the gentleman and demonstrated
against his aboriginal makeup, and told
MN ne knew toe mucn TO wear a blanket
and that he wanted him TO put on a white
mans outEt, for a moral effect on the 9TH
ers. and teach them that death didn't Turk
IN the deep recesses of a cutaway coat and
that the breeches OF modern construction
didn't lead to everlasting life. Connor
scorrfully declined. He claimed IL as his
american right TO wear anything ne pleased;
ne would wear a blanket and a feather
until he saw tit TO lay them down of his
own accord.
The agent was a man of few words but
vigorous policy. He seized on Conner law
lshed set of leglocks on him. placed hir,
IN sitting posture up against the rocky
race OF big Cliff put a hammer in his hand
ana told him that he would keen him there
breaking rocks until ne had reduced his
mind TO the acceptance OF coat, shirt and
breeches
'Connor was stubborn. For four davv
ne languldly broke rocks Other Oeapes
came and contemplated Connor at his
labors. They encouraged him even as a
man who suffered for the public good. But
at the end of four days Connor's resolu-
ticn gave out lie exchanged his blanke,
Tor the garb OF a pale face. and when T
met him he had so far lapsei ana fallen
no was SO utterly broken in spirit. that
ne even wore necktie.''