The age-herald., 1897-11-14
JOHN WATEA'S EXECUTION Strange Story of a Creek indian
 Guilty of Murder. HE KILLED HIS RIVAL IN LOVE Convicted of Murder and Sentenced to Death Turned Loose For Five Months-Re-
 fused to Run Away


 Wichita. Kan, Nov 6.-This Is to give to the readers of the Sun study in red man-slayels somewhat similar to study in white desperadoes that was sent from mine camp in Colorado some time ago. And tit may be said in advance that few more remarkable stud aes in wild life in America can be found than the picture presented by the facts in this one
 John S. Watl1a was citizen of the Creek nation of Indians living in the Indian territory, just south of this place. It is a matter of common knowledge among the people of the bordeTland that the Creeks are the toughest of all the tribes in the territory, and John Watka, while not noted as a tough, was a thorough Creek in his disregard for human life. Early last summer, when the first green corn of the season was large enough to eat, a host of the tribe gathered on the banks of the Deep Fork of the Canadian river near Ocmul- gee for a picnic and the annual green corn dance. It Is the Creek habit to go to these picnics the day before, so to speak. Many gather at the picnic ground on the day before that set for the dance and camp in the natural park found on the banks of the river. They brTng with them not only abundant sup plies of green corn, but also chickens, young pigs, sheep and calves, with salt pork and bacon for a relish. They bring guns and bows and arrows and fish lines and fish nets and fish spears, with certain vegetable products, which, when thrown into the water, serve to stupefy the fish, but not to kill them or render them unfit for food. The forests of tba rpcflOr a r1d i'm orar ,,ad the Deep Fork is noted for it's catfish and for trout as we'll, while other va rieties abound. The materials for feast fit to tempt white as well as red appetites can nowhere be found in greater abundance than in the Indian Territory at tEe season of the green corn picnic, and the quantities brought to the Ocmulgee grounds annually are so great that enough food to feed thous- and men is wasted.
 To the picnic of last summer came John Wa,tka with his sweetheart, and Jonas Deer came also. The people of the cast who think that the Indians are taciturn and gloomy in their ddsposi- tlons should have attended this picnic to see the young folks caper ard dance and hear them shout and laugh as the fun grew boisterous. Incidentally they might have seen that Indian maidenS are not unlike white maidens in their mo- tions of what constitutes good time, Aci tinc CNSStHSdnl Ol JOilIt w dLk0, dl- though really in love with him, could not resist the temptation to flirt with Jonas Deer, who had for some time tried to supplant Watka in her affections.
 To make matters worse, there was a quantity of liquor on the ground-the smuggled white mule' with which trav- elers in the territory usually become familiar Both Watka and Deer drank some, it is said, and so when in the early evening the whole company lined up to h hf h I.fa xra1. !. T., stamping to the tum-tum music the while, and the sweetheart took a place in front of Deer instead of with Watka, Watka was in mental condition to take mortal offence.
 The trouble that followed was brief. Watka demanded that Deer leave the line. Deer refused to do so, and Watka left it, but only to shoot Deer with as litt1e compunction as he would have shot an offensive dog. That shot ended the fun of the p1cnickerS, and funeral was held the next day over the body of Jonas Deer. Deer had no near rela- tives to take up the quarrel, or Watka would have had place beside the dead man instead ofsamong the mourners. As it was he not only attended the funeral of the man he had killed, but when it was over he also led the girl for whom he had committed the crime a willing bride to his home. He was married ac- cording to the customs of his tribe. A
 
 very brief trial, in which there was no attempt to deny, distort, or conceal the facts of the homicide, the chiefs found Watka guilty and sentenced hdm to die.
 The reader has already observed that the Indian manslayer, instead of running away after the crime, as a white desper- ado would have done remained to face the consequences, although as g. citizen of full age he knew very we'll that he was likely to be convicted. Nevertheless. ,oxr tNn n n convicted. chance of justifying the killing and so the most remarkable part of this story relates to what followed the sentence of death. Instead of showing any concern about his fate. Watka was anxious only for the girl he had mar raed. He told the chiefs that he was, as they already lsrew, a young man and poor He had, of course, his right in the common property of the nation and might have built home on any un- improved lands in the Creek reserva- tion4 If 1Ye had had time. As it was, fe had been married so short 8 time that he had been able to provide nothing for his wife. This was not right The chiefs should allow him time 10 gather such comforts for her as she would need when he was gone. When this was done he should be ready.
 To the minds of the Greeks. and for that matter to the minds of all the In- dians in the territory, the request of 
 and it was readily granted. The exc cution was set down for Nov. 1, and Ocmulgee was named as the place. Then Watka was told that he was free to go and work where and how he pleased, and he walked out of court absolutely untrammelled and unguarded.
 With the certainty of death at the hands of the public exceutioner staring him in the face what does the reader suppose the Indian criminal did? He went away to a comfortable log house owned by his mother. It was standing on the main highway leading across the reservation and was in the center of 2 considerable population. Here, witf capital that was readily lent to him he opened a store and sat down 70 gel rich in five months.
 What Is more he succeeded, according to the standard of wealth of that peo ole Everybody knew why he was 1T trade. Everybody was willing to helI him an his work to provide his wife ant an heir that is yet unborn. Sc hi: