The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-24
" DEATH WATCH ON AN INDIAN.
He Goes His Way when Sentenced.
and Returns 10 Die when the Hour
From the Chicago Record.

From the Chicago Record
Indians as a rule will face death with ap-
parent Indifference and seem to have no
dread Of bullets or bayonets. but all have
an unconquerable horror or hanging. This
fact doubtless prompted the Cboctaws. and
some of the other Indian territory tribes
TO provide in their laws for the execution
Of murderers by shooting. Thus. when the
notorious Cook gang Of murderous outlaws
who are committing crimes in the terri
tory, are brought 10 justice. if ever they
are, those whom the Choctaw authorities
may claim will have the satisfaction Of
dying by the execuUiOner's bullet and es-
/ Gaping the fatal moose Of the worlds most
| successful hangman at Fort Smith. This
hangman has record of breaking nearly
hundred human necks without a slip or
/ hitch. Close application TO business and
/ - years experience as lord high eXecu-
| toner" for the United States court for the
| western district of Arkansas. which has
| criminal jurisdiction over a large portion
Of the Indian territory, has made this
/ hanSman an artist at his business, and he
l takes pride in successfully ushering muir
dTers into eternity by the gallows route.
But few murderers escape conviction
/ when tried before the United States court
/ at Fort Smith, and that is why so many
of them prefer to die lighting rather than
submit to arrest. Several of the Cook
gang, however, are responsible to the Unit
/ ed States court only for robberies, while to
| the Choctaw courts they have the more
| serious charge of murder TO answer Tor;
hence the ChOctaw authorities have bet
ter claim upon them, and il captured they
will probably pay the penalty of murder
| ing Choctaw citizens, which means a bull
/ let in the heart.
| There are now seven Choctaws under
| sentence awaiting further action of the
courts and interior department in their
/ cases. Nine were sentenced 10 death last
/ year, but owing to the fact that their
crimes bore a political aspect and We're
| committed during revolutionary period
when the governors office was in contro-
/ Versy, the United States government saw
/ fit to interfere, and stay of execution
/ was obtained, pending further inNestiga-
/ ton. Twice were these men sentenced
\ to he shot INF i'm both Instances the Uni
| ted States government interferred. one
! of them, however was ShOt laSL month
/ and the Others may be dispatched by the
| bullets of Choctaw execuuoners at any
| time, for those condemned by the Indian
| courts are often called upon to pay the
/ penalty upon very short notice. They
| usually respond promptly and untinch-
| ingly to the call, and rare indeed Is it
that the Choctaw's bullets goes wide of
/ its mark or fails to find the vital spot
that makes the bloody work so quick and
Several years ago 1 attended an execu-
| ton in the Choctaw nation, thirty miles
| from Fort Smith, Ark. A description VIII
| give an idea of how the work is ordinarily
| done. 1t was a cold, dreary december
| day when we left Fort Smith. Our way
was along the muddy roads through 20
| teau Bottom, through dense forests OF pc
/ can, walnut, ana OAK. AT SCuilE VINE We
were joined by the Indian sheriff, who is
! eX-officio lord high eXecutioner."
1t was about 10 O'Clock in the morning
| of our second day out when we visited the
Indian court house and jail, a rude log
! structure built on the style Of most or
! the stOrehOuses and better class OF Indian
| territory dwellings. Levi James, the I'M
! fortunate man whose death we were soon
| to witness, was seated on a bench in the
| building, with his weeping wife and two
! little children by his side. He was full
! hlnndp0 ffhOptaW
! with a fair education. He belonged TO
| one of the best families of his tribe. He
! had killed another Indian while drunk and
without cause or provocatlon His victim
| belonged to an influential ChoctaW family,
| who had prosecuted the case against
! James very ZealOusly. Efforts were made
| for a commutation of sentence, but with
| out success. Family influence might have
secured executive clemency, but under In
| dian laws no pardoning power is vested
in the chief or governor of tribe, the
| courts alone having the power to impose
a penalty or grant pardon;
II Aften sentence of death had been passed
Il upon him, the Indian convict was released
Il upon his own recognizance until a few
days before the time set for his death,
| himself to meet the Great Spirit. He had
made no effort during, his liberty to fee
kJthe country or "go on the scout" as dodg
ing the officers of the law is called I'm the
T Indian territory.
An Indian missionary prayed awhile in
the Jail with the condemned man and then
| went his way. James, who was a cripple
| was assisted into the open woods behind
! the Jail, a blanket was spread upon the
| ground and he took his seat upon it, His
/ wife stood near, her baby in her arms and
| q four-years-old boy by her side. The eX-
! ecutioner selected by the sheriff was an
/ aged Indian who had grown gray in his
! CORY work When he stepped out in front
of the man to be shot and drew his pistol,
| the heartbroken wife wept as few indians
| ever weep. Kneeling beside her condemned
| husband, she was soon elapsed in his arms
\ for the last time in life. The two little
children, without realizing the awful sit
uation sobbed and cried most bitterly be-
cause their mother was weeping, and the
| husband and father whose impending fate
| had not moved him. and who 1ndian-like,
| had shown no emotion, was forced TO give
way TO his feelings. No longer able to con-
| troll himself his tears mingled with those
! of his loved one. To the few spectators of
| that sad scene the situation was one never
! to be forgotten.
The sheriff was finally forced to tear the
| weeping wife from the arms of her hus-
| band; then, with one last lingering look,
| she clasped her baby closer to her bosom,
| took her little boy by the hand, and hur-
ried away through the woods to be out
! of hearing of the fatal shot.
The sheriff unbottoned the coat and vest
| Of the condemned man, barring his left
| breast then feeling for the beating of the
| heart he pressed his finger for an instant
| on the spot to give the executoner mark
| at which to shoot. This DONE he held one
of James's hands. while deputy sheriff
! held the other. The old executioner sat
| on a stump 20 feet away, and as soon as
| the officers stretched out Jamess arms
he raised his six-shooter with both hands
and instantly fired.
His aim was true. The bullet struck
| the exact spot indicated by the nnger
mark There was a quick jerk, both
hands were torn loose from the grip of
the officers, and a stream of blood squirt
ed from a CHASTITY wound. few spas
| modic duivers and twitching of the mus
| Giles and Levi James was dead. The bull
LET had passed entirely through his body,
and blood trickled from a wound in his
back where the bullet had passed out.
The old executioner blew the smoke out
of his pistol barrel, then, placing the
weapon in it's scabbard, walked off as I'M
! concernedly as if he had shot at tree.
A messenger was dispatched TO inform
the waiting wife that all was over. She
came back with her children and threw
herself upon the PROSTATE bloody body of
her husband, weeping most plaintively.
Then with an affectionate farewell kiss
to the dead, she departed from the scene,
her clothing soiled with the blood of the
man she had so faithfully loved. The
dead mans relatives soon came to claim
| the body and took it away for burial.
The old executioner was afterward seen
sitting upon a rock smoking his pipe,
! seemingly Indifferent as to the surround