The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-10-20
THE PUNCTUAL INDIANS.
CREEKS VINO MEYER MISS THEIR
ENGAGEMENTS TO BE sHOT.
A Point of Honor With Them aud Their
Families TO BE on Hand at the limo
Set for Their Execution.


land, much OF which was planted IN ooi-
lar wheat last season, to look after inc
sale of a lot Of cattle, and incidentally TO
observe the movements Of siaDie VI
horses on which he has been making anu
losing money by turns for several months.
While he was in ST. Louis Col Hack' "S
nearly all tho Southwest calls him. s'ol-
ped talking about the farming future OF
his part OF the world lons enough 70 u w.
cuss the approaching execution OF " 'n. lie
TOnka, the Creek Indian, VINO mas bco4i
going about the country as henipci "a
a baseball team in face OF the TACT lhd1 ne
Is under sentence OF death ana may ne
executed at any time IN the discretion ol
the tribal authorities. Walla iohhd VS.
released on parole IN order mat NJ hl5.i.
help TO win a ball game at Kansas Cl.y
against u team Of college pidyels uia ia, 10. nf
long been q rival Of the lnuian cluD' W
which Walla yOnka was an lHl'oi ''l4''
player.
Walla Tonka's situation did not seem
odd ~ Col. Jack. Indeed, De was d9to.i-
ished that IL thing 50 commonplace 70
nm should have been considered worthy
oil sending about the country as piece u
news. He said that IL was very I'm
mOn occurrence among the creek iI.uldLa
for a man 10 receive death sen'o.iCe'
and al The pleasure of the court resume
regular duties and continue az theh u.tll
the date OF execution. On thdl Gay '--r
convicted man, unaCcOmpdAltd ~ a."
| officer never failed 10 be al the eAecu-
fi,n oroifnd in good season 10 receive the
| death bullet What was more ltihal NJ
| bic. nobody Of his kin ever lnterposed al
| objection. His squaw might shed ~"
| tears over ID. but that Was an. ant,
IL seems that there IS some trauluoh
that instructs the full-blood lndldh alOHb
| dhose extraordinary INES. iH-io 20 "a
| well-rooted belief that the DUCK WIZ D"' no
| al the conditions imposed upon MN ~
! tho constituted authority OF the tilye ls
| unfit TO traverse the happy huhtihs
| grounds. So he walks alone 10 the pace
| of execution. lie chats win MS lIltHHa'
| eats heartily and if there is anything 10
! drink he drinks There is a line OF men,
/ am sire Shots either with bows or Win
! modern guns, and they point lltIl Nt@P-
| ons al him But the shot does not come
| from any one of these. mere 49, eoilt
| where else Il sure-shOt Indian VINO senos
l The fatal missile when the condemned
| man is not looking for IT, some l.ihea we
| gun IS fired from tent, so that the tela-
| fives Of the dead Indian nave no way OF
! knowing the identity Of the eXecuuOner.
i Several years ago there was a. youhh
| Indian who had been persistently sus,
| pected Of horse stealing, nut Inc tIlpdl
J Justice was long delayed IN making "A cast
| against him. When the accused was
! finally caught and sentenced ne asked
! that the court extend the TIME OF Ills
| stay on earth. II was an uhusuai piv-
] ceadiue but i'm view OF the dignity o. the
| offender-he- had stolen many pony ana
Sooied his accusers-an extension of time
| was granted. The presiding indian ala
/ not take pains TO inquire INTO the Pul
| poses of the prisoner AFTER the sen
| fence had been passed the young lndlah
| announced that he was about 10 De mar
ried, that he desired 10 carry OUT ms PitH4,
| and that his idea In having the day OF ms
| execution deferred was 10 give olpol -nli-
| Nv for him to suitably provide ior nus
| s0uaW. In view OF this statement tIt
! time was extended still further. Inc IN
| dian married the young woman ana Weul
To work to make a living. Every opppl
| unity was given him. but he found that
| he was not progressing rapidly enough
| and left the country. only the l'u.et'
| who knew best the traditions or the ulDe
expected to see him again. lie went Z"
! one of the Southwestern cities, set up "A
! store for the sale of trinkets, anu hdue
| n good income His pretty VIE went
| with him. and for a time they hEed NetE
| hapDilv IL is not known Wnethtr she
! had n fuU understanding Of her husband
| Intentions or not. 10 is TACT. however
| that she did not show the least surprise
| when he announced 20 her that IL was
| about time for him 10 go back 10 the
! tribe The store was closed, gOodbyes
| were said 10 friends, 0nd the younE lN-
| dams went back TO the TERRITORY. ineI
was yet time for a little visiting anu IL
| was spent pleasantly. To the minute lht
| vounp buck. stripped OF all Of his store
| clothes went 10 the clump or trees Htai
| which the legal Killings Of his people TOOK
| place There was large gathering ahu
! The Young sQuaw of the condemned man
| was prominent I'm IT, If this were fiction
/ there would be but one way 10 Ten tne
| story from this point forward, but pr
| view Of the fact that II Us true tale OF
the strange people OF me So4SnW '.5.,,,, u,
| must have a different ending. Inc Xo1Hs
! brave was stripped 10 the waist w HHe
/ he was smilingly looking az the croWu
| there were several rifle shots ana MT. lA-
| dian fell dead. After IL was an over there
| was "a bit Of moaning from the widow
| but the other witnesses were 80 coluldl Ii
| their praise Of the courage or the deao
man that the young woman took near
! and was very proud over the honorable
| achievement Of her late master.
Not so very long ago a young brave.
| known in English as Running water, was
! missing on the day OF his execution. Stt
| eral DAYS later he was found win hIoh
| en- leg and half-starvcd in a ravine. ln
! attending TO reach the execution ground
| he was riding at a rapid gait across inc
! rough country His pony stumbled, ana
| a broken leg was the portion of tne yOune
| Indian. When he was brought into the
] village there was general Suspicion
| among the enemies Of his family that ne
was not clean strain, and that the break
ing of "A leg was an intentional effort 10
! escape punishment, whereupOn the brave
| insisted upon a speedy rescntcnce ana tN-
| ecutiOn. This followed at once, and with
| his broken leg the buck was led forward
| and shot.
Col. Jack Mulhall says that the Indians
| who were sentenced to death by hanging
| by the late Judge Parker at Fort smith,
| were never In the slightest degree az
| fected by the fact that they were about
| To die. The fearless manner in which thel
/ went 10 the scaffOld was proof OF that
| But they lOathed the manner or death
| They never felt a pride in going by me
| white mans strangulaton route. 10 ule
by bullet or arrow Is an honorable emo.
! ing. Yet many an Indian dangled an
ropes end by order Of Judge Parker who
Will one day be written down as one OF
the greatest ministers for good that the
Southwest has ever had. lie sent score
of men to the gallOws. but the very vgof
| of his method. sometimes cruel TO an APP
| pearances. tended 10 prevent crime Do
| that Wickedest portion OF the country.
| Probably no better proof OF the creek
| Indians devotion 20 the tradition OF his
people has ever been given than is fum-
ished by an instance IN which some cir
cumstance or other kept a sentenced buck
away from the execution ground wher
| the time came for the shooting. lh'
| Young fellow was well liked in the tribe
| and for that reason there was q great
| crowd present 10 witness his execution
| a delicate compliment 70 the condemned
| man. The hour ar Hed and the lnllaH
| was not there One minute past the time
| he rushed through the lines and took hls
| place There was low grunt OF aPbio'
| wal from the assembled most hlnv'
| cracked and the young man Zen uedu
| Ono minute later a young glrl rushed
! forward and. throwing nerselt across w,
| body OF the dead man, exclaimed thdt II
| was not the accused who had been shol
| but his younger brother, VINO resem-
| blcl him i'm many ways. she was the
1 betrothcd of the dead man, and OF course
1 IA InHa al a. u