The sun., 1903-11-20
THE INDIANS FRIEND DEAD.
HARRIET MAXWELL CONVERSE
SOON FOLLOWS HER HUSBAND.

Grief--What She Did for the Indians
-Love for Their Great Whito Mother.
Mrs. Harriet Maxwell Converse @The
Great White. Mother Aunt Hattie"
sGa-e- wa -noh,' or "She Who Watches
Over U.s." as she was known to Indian
tribes throughout the United States from
the Atlantic to the Pacific, was found
lying unconscious and dying at o'clock
on Wednesday evening In her little
apartment on the top floor Of the house
at 45O West Twentieth street, where
she had lived for several years. She never
spoke and never recovered consciousness
after she was discovered, and died that same
evening at IL o'clock.
The body was taken yesterday to an
undertaker's in Eighth avenue, where tho
funeral services will be held next Sunday
kilograms were sent yesterday by Mr..
Joseph Keppler of Puck to the head men
OF all the Six Nations, composing the great
Iroquois Confederaoy in the State. notifying
them OF the death Of The Great White
Mother" who was herself the duly elected
chief Of the Seneca nation, and large num-
bers OF Indians from all the reservations
of the State are expected to attend the
funeral.
It was we'll known among Mrs. Con-
verse's friends that she wished to have the
and Mr. Keppler, who was not only warm
friend Of Mrs. Converse, but also for many
years had been in enthusiastic sympathy
with her in her work among the Indians,
searched for q long time yesterday, after
instructions on this subject, In this search
Mr.. Keppler was assisted by Arthur Cas-
we'll Parker-himseH the grandson OF
Seneca chief-but up TO late hour neither
those instructions nor any testamentary
document OF any sort had been found :,
no specific directions we're found the funeral
services Of Mrs. Converse would be con,
Quoted according to the Indian ritual and
that Corn Planter, chief OF the Wolf clan
of the Senecas and priest OF 'Gon-0i-din,
dtequosa rssodn would aannS o
Snake being the prophet OF the lroquois
religion and giving his name to 1t just as
Mohammedanism takes its name from Mo-
hRmmed. Corn Planter lives at the Catta-
raugus reservation In Erie county, and
yesterday morning announcing Mrs Con-
verses death.
From her grlhood up to the time Of her
death, at 8s years Of age, Mrs. Converse had
consecrated her entire life to the service
Of the Indians. for whom she had love
Of devotion that had in IT not the faintest
taint of self-seektng and at sacrifice OF
her fortune, as well as OF that ease ana
comfort in her advanced years to which
her well spent life had 80 justly entitled
Her fondness for the Indians, her stanch
faith In their worthiness, she inherited from
her father. Thomas Maxwell, whose daugh-
ter Mrs. Converse was. devoted great
part Of his life to the same cause He was
born in Athens, Pa, In 1902, and when he
was years old his parents moved & to wha.
the county which then was Tioga and now
Very early in life Mr.. Maxwell interested
himself in Indian matters in systematic
way, and not after the hostile manner COM
mon among many Of his fellow pioneers;
Jacket, the great indian chieftain whose
gifts ranked him among the statesmen OF
his day. Through Red Jacket Mr. Maxwell
was adopted In the Wolf o!an OF the Senecas,
Just a. his daughter, the late Mrs. Converse,
was adopted into the Snipe elan OF the same
nation long before she was chosen CHIEF
of the Senecas in 1898
Mr.. Maxwell, In addition to his activity
among the Indians, was also prominent
in the busineas and political life OF his time.
He was the postmaster OF Elmira, the clerk
Of the Supreme Court, a member Of Con-
sress and at one time vice-president Of the
Erie Railroad From him Mrs. Converse
Inherited a comfortable little fortune and
to this there came a considerable Accession
on the death of her first husband, Mr.. Clark.
a brother of C. c. Clark vice..president in
times gone by of the New York Central.
AS a memorial to her father Mrs. Con-
verse some time ago presented to the state
Museum the collectionof Indian antiquities
and c,rios which Mr.. Maxwell and she had
been many years in getting together, and
which represented in money value many
thousands Of dollars.
In the rooms which Mrs. Converse occu-
pied at her death there is still another col.
lection Of the same kind which in many OF
its specimens, particularly in ceremonial
masks is also OF great value. Mr.; Parker
said last evening that he had understood
from the talks he had had with Mrs. Con
verse that 1t was her intention to leave this
collection to the American Museum OF
Natural History.
Among the Indians Of the State the sena-
ment that was felt toward Mrs. Converse
was something apPr9baohing .bn orot aa0raton; n;
the Six Nations, held at Onandaga every
wear. and now in session there. This was
the first Great Council she had missed in
many years. and only her i'll health pre-
vented her from going at this time.
councils Of her own adopted nation, the
Seneoas and all the festivities Of her own
clan Of that nation. Each Of the Six Ma
tions is divided into eight clans with names
such as Wolf, Deer, Bear, Snipe and the
like. This clan tie is regarded as an actual
relationship. A member Of the Wolf clan
must not marry a member OF the same
clan in his own or in any other OF the ma
tions. In the old times the penalty Of q
breach Of this law was death and to this day
it Is relieiously observed. In this way the
entire confederacy is knit together by ties
Of relationship without commingling Of
blood.
The feeling OF the Indians toward Mrs.
Converse was born not only OF gratitude
for her const ant efforts in their behalf,
but from q feeling that she was actually
one Of them: Mr.. Keppler said yes
terday that Mrs. Converse had been 80
long in contact with the Indians that she
thought as they thought, fully grasped
all their ideas and aspirations and was
with them in sympathy and understand
Among tho Indians there was an
element Of the superstitious In their
alteration Of the Great White Mother.
She was a seventh child, and the Indians
had great faith in her powers Of clair
voyance. They we're sure that she had
more or less the gift Of prophecy.
Here in the city her home was their home.
From far and near, Indians all over the
country knew Of her and adored her. The
81 oux and those Of other far Western
tribes who came here with Buffalo Bill or
with other shows invariably hunted her