The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-01-09
KICKED CoLoRow DOWN STAIRS.

AlChED COLOROW DOWN STAIRS.
From the Washington Star.
Il shall never forget the time that
Colorow, the Ute chief, came to Denver
to kill Ed Cook said Marshal Bailey.
IN old pioneer. to Star man recently.
"You know Ed was the famous Union
cavalry officer, Horse Ed McCook, a
member of the fighting McCook family
Of Ohio Grant appointed him governor
OF Colorado, and the Indians under Colo
row were troublesome. Colorow was as
grand scoundrel as ever lived and an
arrant cow ard at heart. With a party
Of his braves he came to Denver one
day, and, after filling up on whisky.
told his followers that he was going up
to kill McCook. The governor had his
office in two-story building. and sat
with his back to the door, with a look
ing-glass on the desk in front of him,
so that he could see anyone coming in
without turning. McCook was expect
ing some trouble with Colorow, and
was seated at his desk when the Indian
came in. Colorow had a pistol in his
hand, and, approaching McCook, he
stood by his side and grunted out:
'McCook, liarr
The governor never looked up, but
kept on writing.
"McCook heap liar repeated Colo
row, but Ed never noticed it.
'McCook heap big damned liar.
continued Colorow, and still the pen
scratched away. Colorow misVook Eds
silence for fear and let his pistol hand
drop until his arm hung down straight.
In an instant McCook grasped the In
dams wrist, and in another the pistol
fell to the floor. Turning Colorow
around, the governor deliberately
kicked him downstairs and out of the
door and into the circle of Indians who
were waiting for the expected trouble.
"'Colorow is squaw,' said McCook
to the assembled Indians, and, giving
the chief a parting kick, he returned to
his Office.
THAT episode did more to ruin Colo
rows influence with the Indians than
anything else, and raised Horse Ed to
a high place in their estimation. The
Utes have an idea of hell that closely
tallies with the Christian belief in
physical punishment after death.
knew Ouray well. He was fine In
dian and intelligent TO a remarkable
degree. 1 was in Ed McCook's Office
one day when he was territorial gov
ernor of Colorado. Ouray was there.
He was very fond of McCook, who had
given him carriage and horses to his
supreme delight and satisfaction. The
oil al h Ia hot Hor nd an,
the course of the talk we spoke of
Colorow and other bad Indians, and
1 asked Ouray where such citizens
went after death. He told us
then a legend of his tribe that
impressed me forcibly, and which
has convinced me that the belief in
rebellion of the angels, which our far
off ancestors have handed down to us
and which Milton has so grandly de-
the minds Of all people. Ouray, in his
quaint epigrammatic way, recited how,
many ages ago, when all the land was
rich and fertile and the cold only came
in the mountains, the Utes were great.
A great chief had come to the people
from the south, and he led the tribe
always to victory. while in peace he
made them prosperous in the hunt and
happy in their homes Some Of the
younger chiefs grew jealous of him,
and at last rebellion broke ont. Then
the great chief grew more powerful.
He summoned his friends together, and
very soon they drove the rebels into
great pine woods, many days travel
away, and which covered more territory
than star could shine on at one time.
When the enemies got lost in these
woods the great chief ordered them to
be set on fire from all sides, and said
they would burn forever and would be
the place that all bad Indians would go
to thereafter when they died. Ouray
said Colorow would go there, and
added, grimly, that he hoped he would
go there soon. 1t has often struck me
as singular that this belief of the Utes
has not been given more attention by
students of the aborigines-