New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-12
WALLA TONKA SHN ED AGAIN.
THE ROMANTIC STORY OF THE INDIAN
BASEBALL-PLAYER AND MURDERER.
ma urvr t,op WHOSE SAKE HE KILLED MAN.
THREE TIMES sOFrENs THE JUDGES
HEARTS by HEB PLEADINGs.

in the last two years has Walla Tonka, the Choc-
taw Indian baseball-player. stood on the DRINK OF
his own grave with blinded eyes and waited LOT
the Sheriff to fire the fatal bullet He had onered
I'D his prayers TO the Great Spirit for the saie
transmission Of his soul across the great pHicA
river and calmly stood to be shot down
Rut each time his wife. a white woman. arrNeu
on the scene lust I'm time to save his HE. She
came from the Indian Judge with reprleVe' Inc"
Walla Tonka would go free for rev months
again This has been kept up since August Is'''
In Nav Of that year Waa Tonka, or william Co
ing az he Is known in English, killed hS uhcIe
Sampson Young. at green corn dance near
F,ufaula Ind T. because the senior relative PAID
too much attention to Tookah Ingamore pretty
and vivacious white girl who had given her heart
to Tonka.
The shooting occurred at dusk on May D. Hun
dreds OF Indians were present and they joined
In saying that Tonka had done the square thing.
According TO Indian ways Of arguing love affairs
no man should daro court anothers sweetheart
This Is especially true among the Choctaws Inc
dav after the shooting OF his uncle Waa Tonka
was taken before the Indian Judge and was
sentenced 10 be shot in August The redskn TOOK
his sentence as an expected occurrence, and gave
his word Of honor TO the Sheriff that he would be
present upon the day SGT for his execution Then
without. any preliminary he turned loose. 10
go and come when he might His word was sum
Gent The Indian officers knew Tonka would come
to his execution II he were alive
HE MARRIEs AND TAKES TO BASEBALL.
Tonka's frat act after being sentenced was 10
marry Miss Tookah Ingamore for whom he had
killed n fellow-man Then he joined baseball
team and toured the Western United States gain
ing much notoriety from the curious and unpleas-
ant position in which his life placed. Thou
sands came 10 witness a man condemned TO be
shot playing ball with officers near. In Kansas
city St Louis. Denver Wichita and many other
Western cities white people swarmed to see TINS
unbound murderer It was Waa Tonka's fortune
TO he a criminal then. He made money easily IN
the hotels people would surround him. Inc paAI-
PLAYER was a hero.
"Ah, YOU call me brave" ne would say. sadly
"I am not any Drawer than my people. 1t Is our
duty"
Then the whites would clap their hands and re-
ply. Your people are heroes"
Tonka never refused piece Of money. ut is
not for me-" he would explain to the contributors.
This IS for her" and he would drop another dollar
given by an admiring white into his pocket
Then they would crowd near and urge him 10
tell them his story Ugh, White talks.
Indian say nothing. She is white but her heart Is
Indian. Some day tell you. Not now. May be
so you see her yourself some day. She will be
famous"
His dark eyes would CLEAN with satisfaction at
the compliment he had passed upon his wife, and
then he would thrust his large brown hands into
his trousers pockets and walk away, leaving the
whites even more amazed than before. There are
hundreds of his acquaintances. including many
newspaper reporters. who will testify to this And
so Tonloa became a character Of the West
HE RETURNS TO MEET HIS FATE.
The baseball season rapidly drew to A close, and
Tonka FASTENED back to the Choctaw Nation 10
meet his fate on August 1s In the little log hut,
far from anything civilized lived Tonka's bride.
She had heard OF the Juror her husband had ere
atcd she had read long stories OF his bravery and
hints to thu mystery; but not once had she read
name from the public
The meeting of husband and wife was arec-
fTonla upbraided her
BE brave. my girl, or else you are not the wife
of a warrior. See me; am TO be shot, but DO
not trembe"
Then the white girl looked up 20 heaven and
asked God 10 give her strength Make me as
brave a woman my husband is warrior, she
said. Her prayers were answered
Several DAYS before the execution she babe her
husband goodby and told him she was going to get
him rprevf The place where IonSa d Eas Go of
eighty miles from Eufaula, the town where me
"cd E oSc ana earney NTH the stern old md
ian Judge for repreve, but ne was oodufAte.
It is said his son was among me d many @enr ye
retained ill-feeling for her. - 49,.
1 g o nSe Se told her II vii not reprieye Your
husband. He will be shot on August Is"
LACERATION WINS THE DAY
but you must pardon him. I say. He has done
no crime to merit such treatment He Is A brave
man am HIS wife I am brave. too. See" Then
she cut her flesh with ponknfe and oarelessly
lc, the blood flow. This proved her bravery. To
an Indian decorating ones flesh when requesting
favor T. almost sure 10 meet with success. And
so she did. But II not until the morning Of
the dav set for Tonka's execution. Then the old
man save her reprieve, staying the death sentence
uutil April lSS This was easy You say. 70 save
MS he then? No g. was not. Il eighty niles
over a rough and ultraviolet road. impossible II
almost seemed. hut Tookah was Young her pony
Was young also. and a human lie hung N the
Naiance Il was mar % her husband,
into The execution grounds AZ Aiheni Courthouse
t-st - ~ san Vs. Ss---ns. SO ss eIN~ ~
She-s@ r,aaly rurre5 Ire conde-nn~i MAJ loose. a.
nm - loving people 40. To1ka aai h.S pAle-tace
VIE went AWAY 90 thfT hume c't.--t tar
Indian Rad 10 more cause % chloe - VIE - eer
4 s-es, many va,'e 7eoIle cane - - wans
r---1.-r IN - 6ay aSt-r thtS -nci5ert The Cho>-
laws ha5 ra-Toss3y So or: re Hco1s eate -
f-teriS knew 80 IA tiu's- He2ce re 0o-arc-
a. TonSa's he 81, rer,ai-s'; se,cet- -,
- IA - - 1890 -~ - .>--S.-
MIN nas heen v-ese-. a. 10Th dates Int w
forcors,e,y. AS di6 IRE o;he-s- arrives u7on re
Is, summer cazae ;hs chanse in Indian Terri
cory c'u--s ard -hs rsover ~ SAVING nrnsa'S li-a
ch1nset f7cS' ;he Indian judge A. Eutsuia ~ JIdse
Jas-e Clayton s a stem man from the East sni
- Was determined that this Indian murderer
should die when The next execution 1ay arrived.
Bt,. when TookSh. the 5risht-eyst and Sotr-vo.ce1
crsat u-e appeared before him ans hagsed Tor her
husbands life ~ succumhed 20 her p,eadinEs. and
Tookah was again reprteved However he made
the girl tell her story. and then she mounted a
swift horse and rode OF into the forest % arrive
al the execution grounds In time 20 stay he fatal
bullet for \ third time
"Trs good thing 10 have such brave little
wife writes Wals Tonka' The baseball hero.
My husband taught ME the brave path. adds
his paleiace savior Perhaps Tonka never VIII be
does not deserve death for winning such a woman
AT any cost"
SHIPS AFTER ANERICAN REGISTRY.
San Francisco. March u-There now tied up
NJ Honolulu five ships which have registry. and
therefore cannot get cargoes OF sugar They ara !