The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-09-14
BAD MEDICINE NAN.
WHY THE sAUK INDIANS SLEW
KELLEY AMMAN.
and They kgfaea Him in s~sf-De-
fen~e-Coavfcfsa of Nansianghtcr
-Hfkhwayman shot ON La FIeur.

Special Disratch 70 tie Intelligence
AT. VERNON. sept 1z-0ne Of tire
NEST Interesting Ind}an murder trials
ever hesd IN the courts oT skagft county
came 70 close yesterday afternoon. me
court having been ln continuous session
for ter days
On July 18th last four Indians Of ths
sa1k tribe. named Johnnie Tommy.
Shariie Moses. Johnnie Town ard JOAN
Enicn were arrested. charged wfsh the
murder OF a1 Indian named Kelley An
nan. On the banks 81 the Skaett river.
Two miles above NJ. Vernon ia Nav last
~ tic preliminary examination two II
the Indians. Johnnie Town and John
Enicn. turned states evidence and were
discharged, the other two pleading not
entity At the trial JUST closed in the
superior court large number Of Indian
witnesses were examined through tire
aid % an Interpreter. ard some very in
tersssing testimony on old Indian customs
introduced.
Prom the evidence I; appears that the
Tour Indians IN question. accompanied
~ their wives and Kelley Amman
brought down a boom Of single bolts
from Hamilton 70 the mills az Mt Yer
ron. On the return trip the party caraned
Tor the night on the banks Of the river
Just above the Great Northern railway
bridge Kelley Amman, the murdered
man, had swhisky. which was partakea
OF by the others. Qua rreiing eusued.
with the result that Johnnie Tommy and
Charlie Moses killed Kelley AMMAN bv
striking him on the head with an ak
and cutting his throat. after which his
body was thrown into thu Skagit river
tied 70 a sack o. sand
The defense brought out the fact that
Kelley AMMAN was a medicine man with
a very bad record and from the states
own witnesses sought TO show that he
had Threatened 10 kill the accused by his
spiritual power According 10 Indian
custom. when a person wishes TO become
a medicine man. he separates himself
from the tribe and goes into the woods
alone for ? period Of fasting and scoury-
Ing ~ the flesh During this time the
candidate for priestly houors sees visions
and dreams dreams. and at the end Ct
MS nQvltiste spirit enters him and he
becomes henceforth a medicine man.
Bat the spirit must be either good or
an evil spirit. II a good spirit, the medi-
cine man goes about healing the sick and
doing good. but Il an evil spirit he
breathes vengeance against those whom
he dislikes and spreads dismay
ana disaster throughout the tribe.
When a bad medicine msn pro-
nounces maledietion against an Indian.
the victim dies. unless the influence or a
sccd spirit can at once be invoked to
save him.
The Indians stand I'm great dread Of the
medicine men. and when a curse has
been pronounced against one Of their
number. II Is the duty OF any member Of
the tribe 10 bill the medicine man. 50
that the evil spirit may be released and
no more harm done. Such then was KEEL
ley AMMAN. and when he pronounced his
curse against Johnnie Tommy. the latter
believed hts only safety was TO kin his
adversary and that In so doing he was
performing a duty 70 his tribe.
The main theory OF the defense. how
ever was that Kelley AMMAN was an ex-
convict bad always been a fugitive from
Justice and was In the habit Of system
atically disappearing. so that his rela-
lives could accuse Indians or killing him,
and thereby collect hiackmaii according
70 the usages Of the tribe: that IN this
Instance, Kelley AMMAN had not been
member OF the party that brought the
shinRie bolts 10 Mt. Vernon: that the ac-
cused had not seen him for two years.
and. thehrefore. could not have killed
him.
The Jury was out about twenty-four
hours returning sever,s times for m
stFuctl0ns. and their ballots ranged all the
way from murder in the first degree 70
acagittaL Finally n verdict Of man
slaughter for both the accused was hand
ed In. with a recommendation 20 mercy
The defense Will move for stay OF
Judgment and . new trial Both prose-
cutlon and defense were ably conducted.