The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-12-23
ONoNDAGAw AMPUM BELTS.
Tr.HES-LA's SUIT TO RECoTBR THEN
rRON JOHN BOYD TEACHER.

fNhN'
-
., 7. said They Are Sacred Memorials Of
the six Nations, and That No Indian Had
pover TO Sell Them-Decision Reserved
IN a Motion to Dismiss tho Asult.
SYRACUSE, Dec. 22.-AlthouEh Te-Hes-La.
.ho Onondaga chief who alleges that his tribe
Rae been defrauded out OF It's only tangible
connection with past greatness, the wampum
Solts of the Ho-De-So-Qua-Ne. is dying at
Ma home on the onondaga reservation. his
,,it against John Boyd Thatcher OF Albany to
,scoycr the belts was tried before Justice
frank II. Hiscock In the Supreme Court in this
city to-day. When the wampum belts were
made and wampum was the currency of the
indinn tribes. the belts had a great intrinsic
,.luc. but ns they lay on a chair In the court
,,om wrapped In a piece OF grocer's straw paper.
,bnv appeared significant OF the condition Of
,hc Onondagas OF to-day. and Attorney John
Delehanty OF Albany, who appears for Mr..
Thachcr. said 10 uldn't give 10 cents for tho
vhole lot. Indeed,i I has been said that in all
nrobability the suit would never have been
brought had not Harriet Maxwell Converse.
who is an adopted daughter OF the Six Nations
and an antiquarian OF repute. urged It.
Edward Winslow Paige OF New York, the
attorney who appeared for Te-Hes-La, the
0nendaGa nation and Mrs. Converse. did not
agree with Attorney Deiehanty as to, the value
NJ the wampum belts. which he called sacred
memorials" The belts are undoubtedly OF
great historical and antiquarian value. some Of
them being, according to tradition. several
hundred years old, and one in particular. the
Hiawatha belt. being connected by legend with
that great chieftain and leader Of the Six
Nations who in the sixteenth century Is said
10 have sailed away on a cloud in his white
-, 4 II 49, - 4.
from a spot which is now the geographical
centre Of the city OF Syracuse. 'aN ~
The wampum belts were missed more than
wear ago on the death OF Chief Thomas Web
ster. official wampum keeper Of the Six Ma
lions. When he died the chest under his bed.
In which the wampum had been kept. was
opened and found empty. Stories we're then
told how Webster. who was said to DO a de-
scendant OF Ephralm Webster. the Yankee
trader and first white settler Of 0nondaga, sold
the wampum belts to some Government census
takers for $25. The belts eventually found
their way into the hands Of Mr.. Thatcher. 1t is
said that Gen. H. B.. Darlington. who nae
charge Of the Indian census in 1890. was the
original purchaser Of 'the belts from Webster.
He sold them to the Rev. DIR. Edward Crane,
who sold them for $500 to Mayor Thacher.
Mr.. Paige. In opening the case. said that the
belts we're records that had things told into"
them. and. when occasion required. talked
out" The beads represented many things. the
legends being handed from one wampum
single Indian had power to sell these records.
His suit. he said, was brought in the name Of
he State OF New York as receiver, which now
holds by agreement with the Indians all the
T TPso6s4' Me- Gelf Pais sec epnt enc sGI tha nei she 81 be III;
were national records and could not be sold
any more than a mortgage on file at the County
The only witness called by Mr.. Paige was
Gen, John s. Clark OF Auburn. q noted archae-
O %Dgb tim Gen n ,o ola Tx s s1id ant thSs a he had spent sgS
item tea aG fRoss ss SSIeh ' RI. FFfh% RaRSSsF h Ss.f Il i hasp az
1 poss osSedaG &c Ghief @sbster ER wSo ~ sept u ah sae
under his bed. Gen. Clark got photographs Of
them ard these Rfh nsss FssPtise Se tSaIP Placed &c 1s in
Daniel Lafort. and other, Indians at the time
and afteryard that Webster was the official
~ ar .. Bs!s6a nv Z 9Gs a;sat .t t9 hi s,sds ss. On
20 testify to the facts which it was being at
tempted to prove BY Gen. Clark; The Court
others. until, the close Of the case.
IS, Paige intrq}dused II ey,depee The desig-
Sa11En 1i ke eee Gs sfsned by re pe~pr Ns@ a4Ts az az
ali the Six Nations. Mr.. Delehanty objected on
the ground that there was no such official posi-
signing It had no right to make the designa-
ton, and that money was paid them for so
anything. Mr.. Paige also Introduced. the Bill
q sale OF the wampums to the'universityi for
With. this the plaintiffs case was rested. and
Mr., D~elehanty moved to dismiss the complaint
on the ground that sufficient facts had not been
nation had M standing in RnIIrf That fha indt-
yidual Indian plaintiffs have no authority to
bring such 2 suit, and thatthe complaint was
power Of attorney. Decision was reserved.
Mr.. Delehanty In his opening took the posi-
ton that the wappqm belts were ordinary
that the Rev. John sanborn. who had charge
Of the Indian exhibit at the Worlds Fair. sug-
Tor It's exhibit. Mr.. Thatcher. who was the
State Commissioner. replied to the suggestion
that the State funds could not be properly ueed
belts personally. which he did.
The Rev. Mr.. sanborn was the first witness.
but was mainly Interesting from his assertions
L~egarding his experience among the Indians.
&c L said that he had been among all ths tribes
I sSn il that 3 f shs sSisf way wa iorFfsS FEY hf had a." Ss e9t sap-
e.sTsG's fec6 ey mof Ban %Sdf faioT Re taiS tS Si P %is.
pess that the belts were merely relies. although
be is nominally one OF the PLAINTIFF In the case.
dian living in Canada. was and had been for
many years the official wampum keeper OF the
Sonondagas, This testimony was to controvert
The contention OF, the plaintiffs that Webster
was the wampum keeper.
To rebuff Mr.. Sanborn. Mr.. Paige again called
Zen. Clark. The General swore. from thirty
years. research and experience In Indian mat
tiers, that after tho Revolutionary war the On
ondagas divided. part Of them going to Canada.
after which each section had awampum keeper;
Thomas, one Of the chiefs Of the, 0nondagas.
Baptist speaks pretty good. English. and his
tast time he saw the wampums they were in
ne possession of his grandfather. thirty or
iorty Years ago. The grandfather was .wam-
O. Chief Abram Lafort. and when no died Web
t tSer took them" as Baptist, termed 1t. On
out the fact that the chiefs received $25 apiece
tor voting to designate the University Of New
ioTE as the official wampum keeper