The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-16
HAS NO FEAR OF DEATH
THE STORY OF wALLA ToNAKA. THE
CHOCTAW BASEBALL PLAYER.
Whose Execution Was Delayed that
His Word as Good as a Bond.

KANSAS CITY, Mo, Aug. ia convict
ed murderer, who is to be shot to death one
week from Wednesday, played baseball
here yesterday. He is Walla Tonaka, a
full-bloOd Choctaw Indian. and his word is
all that stands between his death and Hber-
ty He has promised to go home to be shot
He will keep his word Grim, silent and
honorable to the terms of his parole this
Indian knows his fate. He will not try to
escape it. He will be in Indian Territory
! Aug. 20, and will surrender himself to his
tribe. Then he will face the executioner.
There will be no bandage about his eyes.
His arms will not be piniOn'ed. At his feet
will be his coffin and by his side his open
grave. The Indian executioner will stand
ten PAGES away. A white piece of paper
will be fastened over Walla Tonaka's heart.
The executioner will fire once. No more
will be needed. Walla Tonaka will fall
dead, and the next instant will be in his
grave. Yet the man who is to face all
this caught fly balls, scooped up grounders.
muffed a few hot ones, went to bat ran
bases and kicked at the umpire as if he
were entering on a long life instead of Just
closing a short one.
Walla Tonaka-the government calls him
William Going-might escape his death. He
has nothing but his word to keep him back
But Walla Tonaka is an Indian and those
who know Indians know their word is good
10 the death. If this wei g not so Walla Ton
aka would not have played ball here yes
terday. He will go back to his home in time
to be killed. No other idea has ever Oc-
Cured to him He is in honor bound to
Tonaka looks like other Indians He was
apparently in the same humor as the sew
enteen others in the game. None said much.
None smiled al all. Grunts and mods and
cultural EXPLANATIONS seemed to be their
vocabulary. The condemned man. if any
thing seemed more free from care than
any of the others. Tie apparently is in
different to his fate Nobody knows. He is
an Indian. All his tribe are stOics Death
IS to them part of life. Fear is unknown
Treachery when word is given is not to
Walla Tonaka was asked yesterday to dis
cuss the story of his tragdy. He refused
He was asked to talk about baseball He
was silent. EgOtism is not one of his at
tributes. The shooting scene in the Terri
tory where he will be a dead man, had no
more interest to him than the daily ball
game. 1t is all part of his life, and. with
the popularity of his race, he takes things
as they come, and not as they might b.
This young Indian is twenty-three years
old. He is six feet tall, and on his upper
lip IS a typical Indian mustache-mostly
black fuzz. He was first sentenced to be
shot Aug. 6, but the ball team to which he
belonged had long circuit picked out, and
the dates could not be filled without him.
80 the authorities of the ChoctaW nation
were obliging, and paroled the young MUIR
derer until Aug. %. Walla Tonaka will not
break the parole.
Tonaka was convicted for killing his
uncle Sampson Going, deputy sheriff of
Eagle county. Tonaka and two other
braves drank too much whisky one day last
spring, and acted, as Indians generally do
under such circumstances, in an unbecom-
ing manner Tonakas uncle Sampson at
tempted to stop the disturbance, and as the
young men were provided with rifles, Samp-
Going do
quite plain who fired the fatal shot so Ton
aka and one of his companions were con-
victed by jury of twelve Choctaw braves
of murder in the first degree and sentenced
to be shot. Both of the condemned men are
out on parole, and both will be hand. of
their own Volition, on the date set for the
execution