The evening times., 1901-05-21
TRYING 70 FREE AN INDIAN
Little WhirlWind Said to Have
Been UBjustly Convicted.

The Cheyenne Serving n Life SEN
teuce for HurJer-Ncyy Workers
ask Governor TooIe, OF Mon
tanu, 10 Release the Red Man.
NEW YORK, Nay 2L-At meeting Of
the New York City Indian Association,
held in the Broadway Tabernacle. yester-
day, 1t was decided to send letter Of pro-
test to Governor TooIe, OF Montana. ask
ing the release Of Little WhirIwind. the
young Northern Cheyenne Indian who. it
is claimed, is uujustIy enduring a life
sentence for murder. a letter signed by
Philip G. Garrett. president, and Herbert
Welsh. corresponding secretary of the In
dian Rights Association, read at the meet
ing, contained the following rehearsal of
the story:
Four years ago Little Whirlwind and
his brother. Spotted Hawk. were convict
ed on perjured testimony (as was after
ward proved OF the murder Of a sheep
herder named Hoover. Stanley, the real
murderer confessed his crime to no less
than three witnesses before the trial. but
after being arrested and lodged in jail he
was induced to make a statement fmpIi-
eating Spotted Hawk and Little WhirI-
wind, under promise on the part of the
prosecuting attorney that he would re-
ceive light sentence. The 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 realty
- outrageous travesty of justice. but
y resulted in a verdict OF guilty in both
instances. Spotted Hawk was sentenced
to be hung and Little Whiriwind con-
demned to Imprisonment for life. Stanley.
the real criminal, escaped with a short
sentence of five years in the penitentiary
The attorneys for Spotted Hawk Cvho
had been engaged by the Indian Rights
Association) took the case to the Supreme
/ 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 WairIwind,
through an unfortunate oversight on the
I part OF his attorney, an appeal was not
MADE for a new trial Little WhfrIwiud
has heretofore been confined in the peni-
/ tertiary 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
a 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 WhirlEind was absolutely
/ innocent. notwithstanding this. the Gov
ernor Of Montana refused to pardon Lit
tie Whirlwind when the facts were
/ brought 70 his attention. claiming that he
believed him guilty. (The Supreme Court,
however, decided the evidence in the trial
! Of Spotted Hawk TO be Insufficient
EsE.r- IL
/ installed in his Office. at the beginning Of
the present year, application was. made to
him, on behalf Of the Indian Rights Asso-
ci&tion, to pardon Little Whirlwfnd This
appeal was Reinforced by a formal re-
/ quest Of the Secretary Of the Interior. he
having been convinced. as the result Of an
investigation made by one Of his inspec-
J9rs. OF Little " Nhirlwind's innocence. The
HeNtIll1I COuILeGuSly promised to look
INTO the matter as soon as he could but
thus ldr no action has been taken and
Little " lhriEFlno, with his health much
impaired as a result Of the confinement
I other"
/ Miss + Louise HoDpock. President of
/ Ihe SoutneFn California Indian Associa-
/ ton, made an Interesting address on the
/ mission Indians of Southern California
Many Of the Indians OF that section, she
/ Salu, are indignant because of recently
published reports that they are starving
! Their feeling IS illustrated by the excIa-
/ nation Ol an indian youth in one of the
/ reservation schools, who upon reading the
I statement said. 1t Is q lie We are u1+
: starving. and We won't have help"
Miss HODpOck spoke Of the work Of the
FsTFls School, the brass band of which
+ escorted President Mckinley from the
+ station IN Eedlands TO the hotel on his re-
+ cent visit there, and furnished the only
music III the celebration on that occasion
she read the following essay written by
/ one Of the girls Of the school
/ am an indian girl and belong to the
/ COahuilla tribe. Many Indians 90 net OBJ
. serve the three-meziS-a-day habit They
2 simply eat when they are hungry. Indi-
. ans are improving very much in their
. habits; this IS brought about through the
+ influence Of the children who attend
. school The idea advanced this winter
absolutely untrue It originated, no
doubt, in the fact that these people do
not take to the more modern ways of
. the younger generation. and consequently
/ many OF these old men and women viii
not I've with the younger ones. but use
/ the old tule or brush house and the old
! time food The young people are kind to
( them and really provide for all their
/ needs
Indians as a race are too kind and
J generous to each other for their own
good Who ever heard % an Indian with
l out home or people to whom he could
/ look to for protection or counsel. be he
! an orphan, an old man or woman, CT 9th
/ crwise2
u will end these few remarks by say
/ ing that Indians are very much like other
/ races. Some live a great deal better than
/ others Some are more intelligent and
/ progressive. some are good and some are
/ bad. You cannot judge one Indian alto
/ gether by another Indian"