The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-01-20

eGJkEs IludU 2EauIu
any citizen may cultivate or rent out as
much as he can fence.
As time passed by he saw chance for
speculation, and so concluded TO start a
town in the center of his farm. Arrange
ments had been completed with the rail-
road 10 build depot and a switch there.
| and very suddenly one bright April day.
| in 1895, the surveyors came down TO lay
out the town. Colonel Blackwell, accom-
panied by his wife. had made tour Of
Kansas and Oklahoma and secured peo-
| pie 70 go there and settle
The lots were sold to them for s. each.
This trifle was a bond for deed. which. in
! the eyes OF the federal law, was clearly
valid, and under the Indian statutes would
hold Colonel Blackwell to his agreement.
in it he and Mrs. Blackwell agreed 10
give deed in fee simple TO the purchaser
of the land described, al such time as the
Cherokee nation would give a deed to
them.
The laws Of the Cherokee nation give
him right 10 hold the land upon which
he was settled forever, and as soon as the
Cherokee government was abolised, and
the land allotted, a deed would be grant
ed him. At such time the purchaser OF
said lot or lots In the city of David. as the
new town was christened, was TO pay SO
more and get his deed in fee simple
Until the time fixed, Colonel Blackwell
and the people who came TO live at David
figured that matters would move on just
the same as any other town. But they
did not. The Indians did not like the idea.
One night, about a week after the first
house had been built in David, the inhabi-
tants were alarmed by distant warhoop
at the edge of the timber. Many of the
settlers had never seen an Indian before
they came to David and as the cry died
away the blood froze in their veins.
Soon there appeared in the distance a
band Of Cherokees. They were riding upon
the town. and were armed with guns
Something had to be done. There were
not half dozen guns in the town. Women
took their babies in their arms and hud-
died together in the center Of the town.
There was but one person in town who
would face the avenging foe. 1t was Col
onel Blackwell's wife. She came from her
house, followed by her husband. She had
heard the war whoop and knew what il
meant. Her early life had been spent
among these same people. She advanced
to meet the warriors. but her husband i'm
plored her to remain
my God ,Rosai" ne exclaimed, "are you
going out there to your death? Stay here
and let US all die together
DO I ont know my people?' was her
bold retort.
She started and was followed by her hus-
band and Luther Draper, another white
man, who was with them. The others re-
their death penalty.
On down the hill came the Indians
On towar dthem marched the brave In
dian woman, who was going to plead for
the pale faces who had come to settle in
her husbands town. At last they met. The
leader Of the band sprang from his horse
and. with a cry Of surprise, rushed to
meet the woman of his race.
my darling sister, he said, speaking in
Indian language to her. 1t was Daniel
Myers, whose Indian name was Red Bird.
When little boy he left home and later
his sister ran away and married white
man. Although nearly thirty years had
passed, Mrs. Blackwell was remembered
by her Indian brother.
They held a consultation lasting nearly
an hour Her husband and Draper re-
NAMED at a short distance. She pleaded
for the whites, but it was useless. Her
brother refused to quit his purpose. They
must have the scalps of the whites who
had dared to invade their country.
ID, ~
plead. Finally Colonel Blackwell came
forward. He said:
81 will go with you and suffer for the
crime if there be any,"
He did go, was chained IN the woods
and condemned to death for selling land
to white men, but his brave wife. accom-
panied by several white men of the town,
liberated the sentenced man the night be-
fore the day of his execution. He fed from
the country and did not return for a year.
Directly after BlackwelTs escape suit
was filed by the Cherokee nation in the
United States court asking for the election
IF the intruders. The whites, led by Luth-
er c. Draper had the suit postponed from
time to time. II was not allowed to go TO
trial until several weeks ago. and then,
after a struggle, the Indians won, and in
order to keep their porperty from being
,onfscated the 1000 white inhabitants Of
David transferred all their holdings TO |
Mrs. Blackwell, and she now practically |
OWNS the whole town.
Prior to the stirring scenes at David, |
Colonel Blackwell founded the town of |
Blackwell 0. T., and the town was grow |
ng rapidly when he and the authorities (
lad some trouble. 1t was then he left the /
own and went to David. He was also /
Engaged in building a railroad from Ar
KANSAS City into Oklahoma The scheme |
ell through for a time, but now It is |
learly half completed. Last summer he
'aused a great deal Of trouble at Black
veil, strong anti-negro town, by i'm
PORTING fifty negroes. The citizens armed
themselves and drove the negroes from
he place. Since 1896 Blackwell had been
living with his wife and so nat David He
many good traits and he IS Sin
erely mourned.