The times., 1898-05-11
AN INDIANS SUICIDE.
Leaves a Beautiful White Widow in
Weeds.


Weeds.
New York May 10.-An Indian killed |
himself out in Niobrara. Neb.. last Tues |
day. He wasn't a good Indian, and the |
fact that he killed himself is not in itself |
a matter of great Importance. The only |
pity is that he didn't do it before he met
Cora Belle Fellows. eight years ago.
His name was Chaska There are those
so uncharitable as TO assert that the only |
good Indian is a dead Indian. And, ac-
cording to their point of view. Chaska.
despite his many misdeeds-not the least
of which is embodied In the shattered life
of once beautiful white woman-is now
wearing halo in that portion of the Ce
lestial Kingdom reserved for the red men
who have to die before they can be good.
No matter what the calamity or how
pitiful its import, there are always those
to say. 'I told you So" For eight years
Cora Belle Fellows Chaska has heard
little else. Cupid plays many mad pranks
but he excelIed himself when he planted
his twin darts in the breasts of the dusky
brave and the fair teacher.
And now Chaska has ended it all by
snufing out his miserable life. He was
in the Niobrara jail, awaiting trial for
thief but he came as near TO it as he
could While being searched he succeeded
in concealing a knife. and he cut his
| throat.
Ten years ago Cora Belle Fellows aban-
! doned a bright social career in St Louis
to become a teacher among the Indians:
| Handsome. accomplished, finely educated
| and a favorite in society, her departure
| for Dakota removed a most interesting
| figure from the circles in which she
| moved She went TO the Rosebud Reser-
vation and there she met Chaska.
He was a big, brawny, fine-looking
| buck with more intelligence than the av-
| erage Indian possesses. He was full
| blooded Santee, was quite prominent in
| his tribe and ii was not long before he
| became Miss Fellowss favorite pupil He
| had an income from the Government as
! his share in the proceeds of the sale of
| the Santee Indian lands.
1t didn't take long for Dan Cupid TO
appear on the scene. The little god of
| love shuffied up the hearts and made
misdeal, but nobody objected at the time.
and the consequences did not develop
until later. Chaska proved an ardent
wooer, and Miss Fellows was completely
| infatuated by the doubtful charms of the
red man. So they We're married.
1t was all very romantic, but not very
| practical. For awhile the romance con-
| tinued but for q very short while. The
conditions were too unfavorable.
| Miss Fellows soon discovered her mis-
| take. Her lord and master. her child of
| nature, did not prove TO be exactly what
she had anticipated. She gradually be-
| gan to feel that the friends who had
| warned her against taking the plunge
| had at least some ground for their OBJ
| iections. Already they were beginning to
| say. II told you So"
And Chaska? Well. Chaska was an
Indian, despite his veneering OF elviliza-
| tion. AIT first he paid court TO his wife
| after the manner of the white man; but
this didn't last long. His comrades taunt-
ed him They couldn't understand why
a man should be at the beck and call of
a woman. They thought the conditions
should be reversed And SO they called
him ''squaw man.
stand He was an Indian and he was
proud The indignity ranked in his
breast His veneering Of civilization wore
off The true Indian nature asserted it
self and the condition of affairs was re-
versed Chaska's wife was no longer his
pet. She became his slave. She reached
the level of the wives of Chaska's COM
panions.
And then the love Of this white woman
for her dusky husband began to wane.
Gradually she was forced to realize the
awful mistake she had made. She had
been one OF those unfortunate women
with an ideal. and after the manner of
such women she was loath TO realize
that her ideal was shattered. But she
was forced to 1t in the end.
There were numerous quarrels. In the
meantime family of half-breed children
had appeared on the scene. and these the
mother. with a true mothers devotion,
cared for. But finally affairs became Sc
unbearable that she decided to leave
him.
Then the kind friends who had all along
said, 81 told you So wagged their heads
wisely and said 1t was the only thing to
do. But her disgraces were not yet over
"All right" said Chaska, "if you go
get another"
That was not very comforting. And
Chaska did get another. With a woman
of his own tribe he lived on the Santee
reservation, and there were more chill
dren, but this time they were not half
breeds They were full-blooded Santees
Then Mrs. Chaska. nee Cora Belle Fell
lows, went home to Missouri thoroughly
convinced that her efforts to reclaim the
benighted, heather race IN general and
one specimen in particular, had been fu-
tile.
The divorce courts had been open to her
but she had not knocked at their doors
She was a woman with an abnormal
sense of moral responsibility She pre-
ferred to wait, and she has not waited in
vain. Chaska returned to the ways of his
class, just as water finds it's own level
1