New-York tribune., 1903-11-23
BRAVES LAST TRIBUTES.
uBITE MOTHER HONORED
Mrs. Conuerse's Wam pam of Chief
,a;usbip Passed to Joseph Keppler.

,.s beneath the burden Of a common woe.
-. than score Of full-blooded In
st.,s NJ various tribes took part in the
- n Mrs Harriet Maxwell Converse, in
.,snel OF the stephen Merritt Burial Com
,srv Nfneteenth-st. and Eighth-ave.. yester-
6sv afternoon. For time at the ceremony
racial stoicism and Indian impassivity strug-
rqea with emotions aroused by the sense Of
T-o,ound loss but in the end emotion tri-
,,mphed and tears and sobbing choked the ut
teranoe OF the red men they paid their last
tributes at the Great White Mothers bier.
Nor were demonstrstive expressions wanting on
the part Of the ''paleface" strangers. Many Of
these had come impelled by curiosity. They re-
snained reverent and spellbound at the deep i'm
pressiveness and dignity Of the scene as In
oian after Indian rose and in language made
trebly eloquent by its pregnant pathos and rare
simplicity told OF the happy hunting grounds"
where under the shadow Of the Great Spirit.
the speaker hoped 70 meet again Yaie-wa-noh
she Who Watches Cs-the first and only white
chief Of the six nations Of the Great Iroouois
Confederacy.
The most moving address was that made by
Chief Cornplanter Of the Senecas who lives on
she Csttaraugus Reservation in Erie County
end is not only chief, but priest Of the
froouois religion. Dressed in an old custom made
SUIT and retaining while he spoke much
crumpled topcoat. Cornplanter. in voice Vi
brant with emotion but so low 20 he inaudi-
bic more than a few feet away. said simply:
MY heart. is YER sad-best fren'-Cpointing
20 the flower draped bier). She lef me in this
svorr. She done geat many thin's. I'm sorry.
! can help it. Excuse me"
Here the aged brave waving the stump Of his
tsttered right sleeve apologetically. broke down
completely coughing low That all; yet
snsny in the audience who had remained i'm
pressed. but so far undemonstrative, burst OUT,
quietly sobbing.
Chauncey Adams. likewise Seneca and act
tng for the chief performed the time -honored
rite of the passing OF the horns" This con-
sisted OF detachng the string Of sacred wam-
pun beads. the insignia Of the dead woman's
Office from the lid Of the casket. and presenting
it 10 Joseph Keppler. one Of the publishers Of
puck" and long associated with Mrs. Con
verse in her work among the Indians BY this
Hct Nj Kenpler was selected by the chiefs
present for the dead womans office. The Office
carries with il the title of The Great White
Father" The choice win be approved by the
5rocuois Confederacy at the next meeting Of its
council year hence.
afR KEPPLER ADOPTED y THE SENECAS
Meanwhile the possession Of the horns as the
Nrsmpum string is termed. invests Mr. Ke-pler
with the Office. the ratification being merely a
Senacas many years ago and bears the Indian
saszne Of -ont-RTa-ESa. or The Planter
The In6ian ritual includes extemporary
speeches addressed 10 the dead
II was early yesterday morning when fifteen
delegates from the Iroquois councils. now in ses-
sion. arrived in the city. The Indians, headed by
Chief COrnplanter. were met at the Grand Cen
Sral Station by Detective Sergeant Kehoe. who
at once escorted them TO the chapel where the
hoo of he lot har' 1av in its
flower covered bier. In single file the Indians,
part Of whom were scuaws, marched to the
open cssket, where they stood for several mo-
ments, their faces wet with tears. Chief Corn
planter noted with satisfaction that THE horns"
were In their proper place on the casket Soon
they turned and in silence marched to one Of
the upper rooms, where they waited until the
beginning Of the service at . o'clock
In addition to the delegates from the Senecas
Cayugas Mohawlzs and Onondagas. there were
present Indians from the Hurons Siouxs, Abinki
Algonquins, Aztecs Of Mexico and several other
tribes.
At ? o'clock the Iroquois took their places on
the platform Of the chapel, again marching in
in single file and with low-bowed heads The
Rev. Dr. Thomas H. Sill Of St. Chrysostonl's
Chapel the dead Woman's pastor. read the
Episcopal service for the dead after which
MI Radcliffe. acting as master Of ceremonies.
introduced as the first Indian speaker William
Crow, Seneca Indian.
TALKED IN NATIVE TONGUE.
The Seneca made brief az sress in his native
tongue. lamenting the death of The Great
White Mother" He addressed himself TO the
body before him and in closing wished her All
happiness in the Spirit Land. Then turning TO
his tribesmen. he said in Inoquois, we have
lost our best and dearest friend. In the many
gifts the Great Spirit has given US. there came
nothing so beautiful as this woman. She was
the most beautiful Of all gifts. She knew
us and understood US. She stood between US
and those who would have Wronged Us. It will
be happy task now for the Great Spirit to
make her a home in the happy hunting
ground"
Chsuncey Abrams likewise q Seneca followed
s. English. He acted for the chief. and lifted
the horns from the casket. which he presented
70 Mr. keppler. informing him that by the
choice Of the chiefs ne had been selected 10
take her Office Although her body was dead
sald the Indian her spirit stin lived
MI Keppler. IN accepting the ancient horns"
promised faithfully 10 administer the trust i'm
posed IN him by his red brethren. The posses
son q the sacred wampum gave him courage
ne sald 10 continue in the WORK The Great
white Mother had begun and so ably carried
On throuEh0ut her life. II was an Inheritance,
"e sac. ~ which he would always be proud.
me Corn1lanter followed he wore under
tSo,,lS - a red sash, suspended over his left
90 +Let- j vas the token Of the high priest
ne nc gon-oi-lin" religion
~ sslesses in the Seneca language were made
which r,, M DelSh and Chief Longfellow after
erosS tA tolA Cloud, his hair streaming below his
C,rr7,e- l,laetE. said that IN the death Of Mrs.
nh ,,-S,e-s e-s INDIANS had lost q friend. and one
Nho liQerstood he rrst-,- - 49, -
IRON, tbe T1sr seneca said he. hut come
Norbe-. =, - - Tribe know The Great White
her she studied he T1s,. a. rms az Allo.eS
hclehee = ne true religion = ;s s--,55 ~, ~
uue Coo Our God touched RS = ,. n,I'e. 11- 3It ee
Is ca