The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1894-04-21

'sBy the way" said an old-tiRe- to
San Bernddino Times reporter, booking
up from his morning paper, II see they
have sent officers out to Fort Yuma to
arrest an Indian there for killing one
of his companions. That reminds Mo
Of a case that happened here way back
in the COS, In those days the white
people Didn't care much about how the
Indians acted, and we let them fight
their own battles. One day party Of
Coahuilas came in with one of their
number named Coche Che was not fat
like pig, and that was the way he
got his name). They took him to the
courthouse and wanted him tried ana
punished for killing another indian.
But as no white man had seen or knew
anything about the matter the officers
refused to take charge of MFR. Coche,
and told the Indians they would have
to settle the affair the best way they
could Well. they took Coehe down to
Squaw fat, near Warm creek, and had
big powwow over him. He was
found guilty of murder and sentenced
to be hanged. The sentence was to be
carried out at once. They didn't be-
Heve in giving Coche any chance to get
off or to appeal to the supreme court
1.-The court had been held under the
shade of some cottonwood trees, and
when the trial was over the Indians
took rawhide RATA and proceeded to
hang Mr.. Coche in not the most ap-
proved fashion. They hauled him up
to cottonwood limb, held him a few
moments. and then let him down again
A lot of boys (for l was only boy
them gathered around to see the fun
and a great sight it was, too. Coche
really seemed to rather like the thing.
They would haul away on the RATA and
hang him up and then let him down.
Between times Coche asked for cigar
cites, and he smoked them with as
much relish as if he was at fiesta in
stead Of taking part in his own execu-
ton.
"Well, don't you know, those con-
founded Indians kept this up the whole
forenoon, first hanging and then letting
Coche down. He would grin and
chaff his companions, and on the whole
didn't seem to have bad sort of a
. time. But along toward noon the In
dans got little tired of the fun, and
/ reckon Coche did, too, so they gave a
. final haul on the RATA, and then made
the end fast to a tree and let the poor
devil strangle to death.
, 81 tell you what, just wish that wo-
i man that wrote Ramona could have
, seen that hanging. | reckon she
! wouldn't have thought quite so much
! of her Indian pets after that And
/ there was another thing | wish she
: could have seen, too. Why, come tt
, think, it isn't more than about dozer
: wears since these nice, peaceable, inof
. fensive, copper-colored sons of gum
: tried to cut squaw all to pieces down
: there on the fiat. They drove foul
!. stakes in the ground, stripped tn,
n squaw, and tied her hands and feet
! one to each stake, spread-eagle fashion
- Then they took their knives and begal
to mark out gridirons and such-lik
" things on her back. Hollers Yo
y Just bet she hollered! Why, the peopi
a up in town heard it, and theyran dow
h and found the squaw bleeding like
,s pig; and what do you suppose the mat
"A ter was? Well, the woman had earne
- four bits somehow or other, and didn'
10 give the money to her buck. That wa
a all. How she earned it the buel
: didn't care. All that he was ma
II about was that she didn't give it to hir
n to buy whisky. Oh, | could go on an
: tell you lot more about those misei
~ able, worthless ours. But Just wis
81 that woman writer could have see
come of the things have, that's all