The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-12-26

q
The tragedy was enacted In the vicinity
of Cold Springs church. six miles north.
west or Grant, There had been a number
OF sudden deaths In the community from
spinal meningitis. little son Of Soloman
Hotema was among the number Hotema
was the pastor OF the church and was the
| head man and leader among his people, rs
| "ell as their spiritual adviser The Choc.
| taWs were greatly disturbed by the sudden
deaths, for which they were unable to ac-
| count. The manner In which the disease
worked upon the victims caused them to
attribute the malady to the evil charms
Of witches.
Meetings were held at the church to dis
cuss the matter and 10 devise means Of
staying the plague. sam Tarnatubby, who
lived fifteen miles east OF Grant, had the
lame among the full-bloodS OF being a
great witch doctor He was sent for. His
diagnosis OF the patients confirmed the
uspcion that they had been bewtched
BY the occult methods OF the witch doctor
l' located the witches and declared that
the only way that the plague could be
stopped and the patients relieved was TO
Kill them. Some of the supposed witches
were relatives OF the defendants and had
sat up with the sick members Of their fam
lilies.
Tarnatubby having declared that the
witches must be killed 10 stop the plague,
Hotema, as the chief man in the commu-
nifty, summoned Tobla Williams and sam
Frye, young full-bloods, to his assistance.
They got In Hotema's buggy, armed with
a Winchester and shotgun aud started on
their death-deallng mission. They FIRST
called Mt the home OF VIVA Coleman. the
sitser-n-law of Hotema, and shot her down
without conjunction while she was hold
Ing little child In her arms, The babe
was wounded but not killed. An older child
attempted TO run away when the shooting
began and was shot In the back.
~
They next went to the home Of Hall
Greenwood who came ont to meet them.
They inquired whore his wife was, Inform
ing him that she was witch and that they
had come TO Kill her Greenwood began
to plead for her life. Hotema babe him be
still or they would kill him, but that If he
would keep quiet that they would not kill
him until the next day. After he got his
wife buried they said they would kill him,
and for him 20 be sure 20 he on hand.
They then killed his wife before his eyes
The last victim was Alfred Morris, who
was deliberately shot down without any
kind OF warning. From the house Of Alfred
Morris they drove 10 the house OF Eastman
Mississippi, who was away. little boy
living with him saw them coming and
ned: AS he ran away several Yhots weFd
fred at him,
The murderers were arrested and lodged
In jail at Antlers, and from there were car
red TO Atoka, the hsldover jail for the
Antlers court While incarcerated there
Tobias Williams died. Hotema. Frye aud
lhIhhipbuY we're granted cnange or
venue to the Paris federal court and were
transferred 70 jail here pending trial
Ihay made application through habeas
corpus proceedings TO Judge d, Z. Bryant
for bail. Hotema and Frye were denied
ball, while the offense OF Tarnatubby the
witch doctor was held 20 be ballable he
having advised the Killing, but not being
present when the tragedies were enacted
lie was admitted to bail In 5000 as an &C.
cessory before the fact.
~
The wholesale killing OF the supposed
witches by Hotema and his confederates
is but one OF the many such killings which
have occurred among the Choctaws in
years past One OF the most striking OF
these witch executions took place several
years ago In Blue county on the BoguV
stephen Belyin, who has since that time
been sherln or fhe county, a member of
the National council, who has held other
responsible positions, and who Is still liv
Ing, had pneumonia and was being treated
by a white physician.
Being full-blood, unable 10 speak En-
glish, Mary Folsom, a beautiful half-breed
girl living In the community, was en-
ployed as nurse and Interpreter TO see that
the medicine was administered according
to directions. The patient did NOT Improve
under the white doctors treatment His
neighbors and friends becoming disxatls.
bed, insisted that a Choctsw doctor be
sent for.
There was one in the community known
- Blind Isom" famous as witch doc.
tor. He was sent for. As soon as he