The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1903-08-24
Days Appable Influence viitas

anything to do with the death
Of James Starr, his father. He
at once organized a band Of fol-
lowers composed of his brothers
and cousins and a white man
named Mat Gerring, and started
out on his career of vengeance.
The First Victim.
Upon hearing of the full
blood, Stan, who killed Sewell
Rider by stabbing him to the
heart after he was wounded, at
an Indian dance, Tom and his
comrades took a man by the
name Of Wheeler Fought, who
was friendly to both parties,
there. Tom Starr and his band
hid out some distance from the
place where the dance was and
instructed Wheeler Fought to
go to the dance and give Stan
a drink of whiskey and to con-
tinue drinking with him until
he got we'll under the influence
of the liquor. He was then to
tell him that there was a jug of
whiskey hidden in certain top
of tree that had fallen and to
pursuade Stan to go there and
get it. The scheme worked and
later on in the night Stan came
up to the tree top and met Tom
Starr and his band. Stan was
shot from his horse and then
stabbed to death in the same
manner that he killed Sewell
Rider.
Manifested Superstition.
When it appeared to Tom
Starr that his end was near at
hand he concluded to visit the
Indian medicine men. He went
to see a woman who was a con-
juror and was advised not to GO
north--that he would get hurt
to 90 any course but north and
he could escape. The next day
he met two Of his friends in the
road with a jug of whiskey and
they gave him some and wanted
HIM to 90 north with them. He
tried to beg off but his pleas
availed nothing and they called
him a coward. After he be-
came we'll under the influence
of whiskey he concluded if his
friends could make the trip he
could. They set out and came
to a narrow pass between a hill
side and a fence. Starr wanted
his friends to 90 around the
place but they would not, and
so all started to ride through
and were fred on by the Indians
in ambush. The friends of
Tom were riding ahead and es-
capped without injury but his
horse was shot from under him
and he was wounded in the foot.
The animal also fell upon him
but he extricated himself and
climbed up the hill. While on
the hillside, it being very dark,
he would throw stones down in
direction to mislead the
Indians. Every time he would
throw stone down the Indians
would fire on the place where it
fell and in this way he misled
them until he made good his
escape. But Tom soon discov-
cred that he was about to bleed
to death. Hethen stopped and |
bound up his wound with his
handkerchief but this did not |
give him much relief. Next, |
after making his way to a place |
where he knew he would not be
discovered, he built up a fire.
heated his knife and burned the
wound and in this way made it |
quit bleeding. He said the only
hing he regretted was having
20 ruin his knife by heating it.
Next day Tom was lying sick
n the Mop of a fallep<tree when
he full-bloods rode all around
t searching for hinI but with
lut success. He Nafterwards |
made ais way to a pring and |
inally escaped and Joined his
bead. lie had not been be-
,yayed when he rode into the
III