The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-04
FOUR THINGS
Continued from sixth Page,

Jennings and the latter swore that he
would have Houston's life for vengeance.
The father OF the Jennings boys was
man OF prominence and high character,
who served for several years as a judge
Of the territorial courts, and Albert Jen-
nings himself was once prosecuting at
torney for Canadian county After his
term expired he went TO practicing law
and was regularly retained 10 defend the
desperadoes in the territory who we're ar
rested for crime. From being their Legal
adviser he gradually beanie mixed up in
their conspiracies and after his brother
was killed by Temple Houston ne took 10
the roal himself. He was engaged in
train robbery on the Rock Island road in
Indian Territory q year ago. and with the
rest of the gang was followed. captured
and sent TO the penitentiary for life.
The train robbers have been pretty well
cleared out down in this section. There
are no more organized gangs in existence.
and the professionals have al been shot.
hanged or sent 10 the penitentisry.
Liquor selling among the Indians has
also been pretty well suppressed. For six
enforce prohibition among its wards in In
dian Territory. Congress made it a penal
ofense to carry whisky or any other in
toxicating liquor into an Indian reserva-
ton, and a similar penalty was imposed
upon its sale to Indians anywhere. To
enforce this law the courts have been in
creased and hundreds if deputy marshals
have been employed both in the territory
and along the border.
Years ago, when the Indians were prac-
tically alone upon their reservations, It was
a difficult task TO control their thirst for
fire water. but when $4,000 white men
were aided to the population. the problem
became almost impossible OF solution. If
he can be kept sober the Indian makes
good citizen down here, but when he gets
few ounces Of fire water into his veins
all his savage instincts and passions are
aroused and ne becomes demon. Ninety
five per cent of the crimes OF ali kinds
committed in Indian Territory can be trac-
ed to drink and nearly all the business of
the courts is provided by the whiskey ped
dlers.
The law is SO severely enforced and the
rnarshals are so vigiant that the little
traffic requires not only large amount OF
courage. but ingenuity, and some of the
subterfuges adopted by the smugglers are
amusing. Ex-Representative Springer, of
Illinois, who IS one of the judges of the
territorial courts, has judicially decided
that any liquid that contains more than
per cent of alcohol is intoxicating, and
that decision has ruled out fthe terri
tory many innocently appearing decoc-
tions that have been sold for medical pur-
poses and consumed in large quantities.
Hard cider is a prohibited beverage; HOP
tea" and various tonics manufactured in
st. Louis and Kansas iCty are now under
the ban; jamaica ginger. vanilla extract
and other grocery goods have by cheEni
cal analysis ben shown to contain more
than the lawful amount of alcohol, al
though a man in search of intoxication
would have TO consume gallons before he
could arrive at satisfactory state OF in
ebriety.
The Indians have learned to make their
own beverages. and one in particular,
brewed Of a yild fruit called the coffee
berry, is a quickly and violent intoxicanJ.
Judge Spencer says a glass of it will make
a craven image drunk. White mule is
the familiar term to describe native wills
key manufactured from corn In rude stills,
and a good deal of it is struggled over
the border from Arkansas. The division
Of the Indian lands, which is now going
on, will make the enforcement Of the
liquor law more difficult. because the ordi-
nary Indian will then have property That
he can lease to raise money without work
ing. and an Indian with money IS always
the victim of the vicious whites.
A prairie schooner was sen passing
through Kansas town the other day with
this inscription painted in rude cAarac-
ters upon its catered canvas cover: