The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-02-04
The PrimevaI Wichita Fake.

| son OF Frenchman, and was born IN the
Usage tribe and is now 81 years old. A day
| or two ago he gave me the details OF
great and bloody battle At Wichita forty
FIVE years ago. He was present at 1t when
| small boy, but he says he remembers 1t
well. He says they painted the town red
| that night. but that there was no town
| there then and at that time none was ex-
pected to be built there. / though then
that had got hot story, but since that
time have been informed that Mr. John
| Mosier is a man of wonderful fancy ana
extraordinary Imagination. i must say. how
ever, that his story is vouched for by other
Indians who. on that occasion, helped to
paint the townsite of the Peerless Princess
red with the blood Of the ancient Wichitas.
Mr.. Mosier. despite the fnsinuation touch
1 ing his veracity, still insists that the story
| of the fight with the Wichitas Is absolutely
| true.
1.-The wichitas," he said. "were camped
at the confluence Of the Big and Little Ar
| kansas rivers and we were then living on
| the Verdigris river. They came over to
our settlement and stole some horses from
| our tribe. We followed them for three days
| and finally located their camp on the ex-
| act spot on which the city OF Wichita now
stands We waited until night TO attack
| them and when our scouts told US that
| they were resting in supposed security In
| their tents, we fell upon them and began
killing them like hunter would kill prairie
chickens. I never saw such slaughter in
all my life. They tried hard to get away
| from Us, but every avenue of escape was
blocked and great punches Of them fell be-
| fore our arrows when they least expected
trouble. When we got through in the morn
| ;yo .,f
| hardly enough left to mourn"
How many were killed on your side" I
| asked
"OnIy six. We did the things so quick
| that there was not much time left them to
! plan defense and the result was they fell
i like wheat before a reaper's scythe. There
were only few of our people present and
| they did not propose to give the enemy
much time for preparation"
What was the loss on your side?'
Just six men killed and a few slightly
wounded
And 400 on the other side?"
Eyes; that is what the Wichitas told US
| afterwards. but our people thought the loss
was greater"
Did the Osages get back their horses?"
"Yes, and more too" said Mr.. Mosier
with a knowing wink.
From the way John Mosier described the
battle ground it must have been along the
river bank between Griswoids park and
the Douglas avenue bridge. He said 1t was
on the east side of the river and very close
to where the two rivers merge into one.
This battle was fought in 1852 and it seems
as if either Mr.. Meade or Mr.. Mathewson
ought TO know something about it, John
Mosier said there was no white men at
Wichita at that time or anywhere near
there. The story of such slaughter, how
ever, doubtless lived in the memory of the
Indians until white settlement began.
Mr.. Mosier has been the government in
terpreter for twenty-five years and like all
government interpreters he has the repu-
tation of being a horrible fake artist. Be-
fore being appointed government interpre-
ter he did a little Interpretation on the side
for his tribe and was the Official interpret
er at the big council in Neosho county.
Kansas when the Osages made the treaty
ceding their lands in the eastern part of
the state to the government. The first
treaty was made in 1864. but so many In
diars were in the war that 1t was not rati-
fed until they returned home in 1865. Mr..
Mosier was horn in Missouri, but ne came
to Kansas while young and was educated
at Usage mission. He is an old soldier and
tial loss of sight, in the service. A few
years ago he came within an ace of losing
his pension for peculiar reason. He was
at the national encampment and took a
half-dozen Indians up to the top of the
Washington monument. While at that alti-
tude he pointed his finger across the river
and called the attention of the ether In
dams to the spires of the churches at Alex
andria, nine miles away This demonstrat-
ed the keenness of the sight of man who
was drawing a pension for blindness and
the other Indians peached on him, with the
result that the case came very near being
investigated In justice to Mr.. Mosier Il
is plain to be seen that his eyes are weak.
He tells an interesting story about the
various wars the Osages have had during
half century.
You can talk the American language
pretty WELL I suggested.
"Oh. yes he replied, land you observe
that I can talk English pretty well also. |
This was new idea. The Indians say their |
native language is the American and do |
Tot relish the idea OF having the tongue |
of the republic referred TO as the American |
language"
He said that the Frenchmen whose des- !
cendants the "half-breeds" are were most |
~ artisans who came among the Indians
with missionaries TO aid then, in advancing |
TO civilization by teaching them the art of |
building houses utilizing ron, making leath- |
er and such other things as are usually in 4
the small villages in the states. Those |
Frenchmen. by the suavity and politeness
soon made an impression on the Indian 1
ms;dens and they were IN great demand. /
IN fact they were in such demand that
many OF them married several wives. /
Polygamy. OF course. is wrong. but for al /
that the Frenchmen aided greatly in civiliz
ing the Osages and bringing them TO their |
present condition OF advancement
Among the members OF the Indian coun-
esl who are here is John Palmer, mixe.
blood. He Is the only man ever sentenced /
to be hung by Parker. the famous hanging
judge OF Fort Smith. who was ever par
doned by Grover Cleveland. Mr.. Palmer Is
d ma gnificent specimen Of manhood and 10
one could tell. BY casually meeting him.
that he has drop OF Indian blood in his
veins. About nine years ago he killed
couple OF cattle thieves in the nation. The
dead men had some influential friends who
instiga;ed a vigorous prosecution against
Mir. Palmer. charging him with murder
He was arrested, tired. convicted and sen
fenced by Judge Parker 10 be hanged. bu,
ClsAland. VINO was appealed 10. made
thorough invest CATION with the result that
Mr.. Palmer was given fun pardon Nov
he Is a councillor of his nation and one OF
rs abIest ard most prominent citizens The
average man would call Mr. Palmer half
breed. HIS class o. people object 20 that
term quite as vigorously as q coioT.1 man
would object to being called Niger. They
want 10 breeds IN theirs; they 70 by b.oo5 \
altogether and II one wants 20 Be al right 4
in the Usage nation they viii refer 20 hsis
breezys a. reoose Of .'uslxe6-bioo5" The