The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-21
SHE KILLED FIVE MEN.
MRS. CLARA ONO, A BRAVE HoMAN
OF THE IL

40 a ONAOp
OF THE WEST.
Three whites ana Two Indians E1ad Conc Down
BEFORE Her DncrrinE Aim and In Every
Case Evcn-l1anded Justice Was Melted out
PERRY, o. T., March 1s.-Mrs. Clara ONO, one
Of tho most widely known "cow boy women
that ever rode a broncho died here last week.
sho was a little moro than 90 years old and was
as good n shot as any woman In the West. Sho
had killed five men, three whites and two In
dams.
The FIRST man whom Mrs. ONO killed was an
Indian who was in the act Of shooting her father.
The last man she killed was Ed Smith, who paid
the penalty OF trying to dishonor her.
A half century ago Hugh Il. Martin earned q
livelihood in New York by manufacturing bar
rels. Reverses came and tho old cooper was
forced to tho wall. His family consisted OF a
wife and o blue-eyed, curly-haired girl OF O.
Martin concluded to try new fields, and, dispos-
ing of his effects, set out for the wild West.
From st. Louis he went by wagon to eastern
Kansas, and after three months made his home
In the Indian country near where Eldorado,
Kan, Is now, some fifty miles northeast of this
ity, which at that time was the homo of the
Caddo, Delaware, and Cheyenne Indians. Mar
tin bought q few cattle and soon had a goodly
number Of cattle and q few hogs. With these
and what he could make from trapping, fishing.
and hunting he obtained o living for his family.
His little daughter Clara soon learned to ride
horses, shoot rifles. and throw the lariat.
Clara was q constant companion Of her father
on tho ranch. The Martins soon became favor
ties with tho Indians, especially the Caddos.
Tho Indians visited the family, and little Clara
would accompany them to their camps. whore
she would shoot her rife in matches with the
bucks. She also learned to handle the bow and
arrow with as much case as did q Caddo. All
Clara's Indian acquaintance were delighted
with her shooting and riding. and had wonder
full things to say of the Little Pale Rose"
Often tho old squRws would paint Clara's face,
and In this disguise she was taken homo some
times to her parents, accompanied BY members
Of the tribe.
When Clara was 16 she went with her father
ono day to look after cattle. On their journey
they met Che-wah-foh. o Caddo, who for some
time had held o grudge against old Martin. Che
Wah-foh was In o bad mood that day and began
quarrel with Martin. Clara was on her pony,
2 short, distance away. and was watching the
Indian closely. In a At 81 anger che,wah.toh
oent a bullet through bis head. He fell dead to
the ground. The killing Of Che-wah.foh was
tribe, who over afterward looked on tho Mar
tins as deadly enemies. The mutual visits wero
SadSo venture to tho Martin Cottage ast 'u1o6 Ono
month after the killing Clara was in the
few hundred yards away. A buck caddo ap.
peared at the door and; finding Clara alone,
on SGsF fsfse her ana an m inSult. re IsR MINUTES sas sa1nS t5a
50 enraged the Caddes that old Martin was
stock, moved his family many miles away, and
lived in peace for six months; He was followed
s ssss e s%n that 9a they o meant Ssaa oo h S9n aft saiii Mar Tfs
felt uneasy. and was always on the watch.
moiest d BY the caddo ~ oecasiona1Ily "a a BUCK %Ss
TG99 snd,b make ssn q shSrt t call c and evin mor MUCH ,Sa
e aiadaaSsR Was e = D~hiteS rs s0 E Sisfe called An siIi. He
had often attempted to make love to Clara Mar
t asSa but had arS Sesn the sef oIs bo Sg hen Mar and M SsfSTe h the
ordered him from the house. One day Bill
dropped in Ct the Martins, now home, He was
He began AM to make thr that he would xii hiV the
whole family II Clara would not consent to be
to a,i kiss sss her. he ol Le9es sra tSss f her J pistoi ana and d' %hea
tho smoke cleared away Bill lay dead on the
The killing of the white renegade cut forever
the last bend Of friendship, between the Caddos
IN hnS Sit the s Msssin'' 6 6Gs t msr Indians snsw had sSis h1 aad P III
for q white settlement. He knew his doom was
sessions and started toward the setting sun pEn
For several weeks the family travelled West, and
coierasdo and Nebraska line. The Mathis IN we're ere
asked to stop there, They looked about for a
new home. Clara Martin soon became a favor.
ness in the use OF the rifle and pistol. She often
q her fathers head. fhe men ssf would you'd i put H up
two posts fifty yards apart, and Clara would ride
bad man" John Dean; He was a gambler, and
Il mon Money. z Hlis losses anu 1,af'i Dean ns a aGsi he he
shot Martin in the shoulder. He was about to
ist through III his lah bre ssti"t The Soe Wound @hadV W Ssai mortal C tau.
He was Clara's fourth dead man, and she was
In tho same white settlement lived young
William ONO. From. the time ONO first met
Clara Martin he made love to her. and one month
two husband d and ii1 wife. 'u ONO Sa%isf tra Ppas and md
hunter. besides q retired. cowboy. In his daily
could beat BIi ONO ridins and Shooting, and
could tic a steer In less than half the time that
he required for the Same job.
Ten. years passed away and Hugh b. Martin
and his wife were laid under the sod of Colorado.
The fame Of Montana for wealth had reached
for a new home. he nrsRt settled near Butte, on
selves to the ranch owner to punch cattle, and
they followed the business many months. Later
bis head Sd' eo%.pane 4 rahf In 1885, sss o hio sold Tif ont M his
ranch and settled in the Little Black Jail cahon.
sixteen miles from Butte. ONO cut logs on the
where they were loaded on wagons to be hauled
TO Butte. He had from ten to forty men in his
q ahA uihohB lIChl "ub 1l"ulu mt
about thirty years old, who had lived in Roch-
ester, y. Y. Smith remained in OmO's employ
TWO years. Once when ONO stayed late In Butte
on business and Mrs. ONO was the only woman
In the house. Smith knocked at her room door.
There H. were a dozen men sleeping in tho house at
FASTENED to the door thinking her husband was
snepe, 9ft instead she found Smith. He said he
gay what he had to say and Smith tried to push
his face.
ONO dismissed Smith and the logger went
that he would get even with. her. For
tGhree months nothing was heard from Smith,
ONE ON ,bs evening Mrs: ONO was taking a mad
man was half reused, but she thought the person
VINO haa come Ia was her husband. The next
moment she was aroused by a man kissing her,
ana on opening her eyes met the gaze OF the
her.
You know what ! want. Clara Ono" he said.
Ihc woman bounded from the sofa and Smith
made a plunge at her with his knife. The keen
shse split her dress and cut the skin. A hard
struggle took place. The woman was without
fought liko wild beasts, Then Mrs. ONO got
the pillow. Smith knau hntu rIn,a nuno