The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-06-05
TO HELP LITTLE wHIRLWIND.
The Indian Rights Association APP
peaIs to the Public.

PHILADELPHIA. June 5.-The Indian
Rights Association, the headquarters OF
which are here, Is making a strenuous APP
peal to the people of the United States
for justice to little Whirlwind, a young
Northern Cheyenne Indian. Philip G.
Garrett, president of the association, and
Herbert Welsh. its corresponding secre-
tary. have issued statement Of Little
Whirlwind's plight and ask that all those
who would see a great wrong righted
bring pressure to bear upon Joseph X.
Toole, Governor of Montana, at Helena,
within whose power it is to give to the
young Indian MS liberty. a circular is
sIed by the association says:
1t seems almost incredible in these en-
lightened days that man could he con-
victed Of murder, deprived of his liberty,
and detained in the penitentiary serving
sentence of Imprisonment for life when
there is not the faintest doubt of his in
nocencc.
Nearly the entire civilized word was
aroused over the Injustice done to an Of
ficer of the French army, but we have an
American Dreyfus whose cause has hard
" attracted even passing notice It is 4
disgrace to this country that such Il mon
strOUs miscarriage Of justice has been al
lowed to go so long without reparatiOn
being made, but as the sufferer is only q
poor Indian the question of right and
wrong seems to have been given little
consideration
The history of Little Whirlwind-s trou-
bIes is related as follows: -Four years
ago Little WhirIwind and his brother,
/ Spotted Hawk. were convicted on perjur-
| ed testimony (as was afteTward proved
! Of the murder of a sheep herder named
Hoover Stanley. the real murderer, con-
fessed his crime to no less than three wit
| nesses before the trial, but after being
arrested and lodged in jail ne was induced
| to make q statement duplicating Spotted
Hawk and Little Whirlwind. under prom
! Use on the part Of the prosecuting attor-
ney that lie would receive i light SEN
/ tence- TIE two accused Indians were
tried separately, although the evidence
| was practically the same in both cases.
| IN the opinion Of fair-minded men the
sO-caIIed trials were in reality an out
rageous travesty on justice but they re
suited in a verdict of guilty in both in
| stances. Spotted Hawk was sentenced to
/ be hanged and Little Whirlwind con-
demned to Imprisonment for life. Stanley,
| the real criminal. escaped with a short
sentence of five years in the DeuiteHtiaTy.
/ The attorneys for Spotted Hawk, who
/ had been engaged by the Indian Rights
/ Association, took the case to the SuPreIt .
/ Court where the decision of the lower
court was reversed on the ground Of in
sufficient evidence. The county officials,
not having any new evidence to submit,
abandoned the case and Spotted Hawk
was given his liberty.
IN the case of Little whiriwind,
through an unfortunate oversight on
| the part Of his attorney, an appeal was
not made for a new trial Little Whir!-
wind has therefore been confined in the
| penitentiary ever since. in accordance with
/ the decree Of the court Had action been
| promptly taken on his behalf he, too,
| would now be enjoying his liberty About
| year and a half ago Stanley, the real
| murderer died in prison. but before his
death he made q statement TO the effect
| that he alone had committed the crime
and that Little Whirlwind was absolutely
| innocent.
| When the newIy-eIected Governor was
| installed at the beginning Of the present
/ year application was made to him be
| half Of the Indian Rights Association to
| pardon Little Whiri wind This appeal
/ was REINFORCED by q formal request Of
! the Secretary of the Interior. he having
/ been convinced as the result Of an inEcs-
| LEGATION made by one Of his inspectors Of
| Little WhiTlWiDds innocence The Gov
| eTupT COuTteouSly promised to look into
| the ma tier as soon as he could, but thus
| far no action has been taken in the mat
/ ter, and Little Whirlwind. with health
much impaired as result of the confine-
! Tneut, continues 70 suffer for the crime Of
| another
| one printed details of Little WhirIwind 3
/ case