The Washington times., 1905-07-25
BURIED
ALIVE BY INDIANS
kickapo0 Squatter Ousted
and Disappears.
CONFESSION GAVE THE CLUE
Body Found Where Drunken Red Men
Overlook, Bound, and In
tered Him.

ATCHISON, Kan, July 25.-Harvey
Swisher, son of William Swishet, o.
Bentley. WAS recently buried alive by
Indians en- the IHckapoo reservation. il
the northeastern part of the State.
Swishcr, who lived on = farm on the
reservation, disappeared about . month
ago. No trace Of him was found until u
few days ago. when news came from
NCtawaka Kan. that his body had been
found where 1t was buried by drunken
Indians, one OF whom had a grudge
against the young man.
Confession Discovers Crime.
The BODY was found as the result OF
information obtained from one of the
Indians. who made a confession, imPli-
eating several Indians in the affair.
The Indians came upon Swisher as he
was returning home al night. They cap
tUred him, bound him hand ana foot.
and after some deliberation, buried him
alive.
The officials We're Mortified at the
story, but went to the spot indicated by
the Indian and there dug up the body.
Appearances went to prove the truth Of
the Indians story that he had been
buried alive.
He was bound hand and foot, and
when found was resting on one side.
with every Indication of having made
frantic struggles. No marks of violence
could be found on the body,
Swisher disposed of his business in
Sedgwick two years ago and went to
Brown county, where he leased from the
Government q farm in the kickapoo IN
dian reservation. His industry brought
him good returns and the venture was
Z financial success. enabling him TO buy
. large quantity OF farm machinery and
start bank account.
Had His Troubles.
Though OF temperate habits himself
and not quarreisome, young Swisher did
not get along well with one OF his
nelghbors. white man. He had some
difficulty with the Indians also, incur
ring the emnity of one of them.
This Indian early last fall approached
Swisher and asked permission 10 move
his hut from the high ground on which
it was located to the low lands on
Swisher's place, where he would be less
exposed TO the rigors Of a severe win
ter SWisher consented to the change,
on condition that the Indian would move
off The place in the spring, when he
would want TO pasture his cattle near
the hut The Indian agreed and was
allowed to take UP his abode on MIR.
Swisher's land.
But when spring came he was not
willing 10 live UP TO his agreement He
It fused 10 move, and when Mr. S~isher
turned his cattle into the land around
the Indians hut the warrior turned his
dogs on them ana injured some badly.
ba
and told his troubles. The agent or
dered the Indian to get off the land
within tweuty-four hours, and the or
der was obeyed. But the sore place in
the Indian 81 heart never healed, and he
never forgave SWisheT.
Spent Evening With Sweetheart.
swisher went one evening a month
ago to the home of 4 neishbOr, about
three-quarters OF a mile from his place,
and there spent the evening with the
daughter of the house, 10 whom he was
engaged to be married. He started
home about Il o'clock. and that was the
last seen of him alive,
Soon after he left crowd of drunken
/ Indians rode past
The next morning a neighbOr went
10 Swisher's home. He found no indi'
cations lfdI the occupant cI the iiou7e
had been there during the night. Some
groceries deposited on a table in the
dining room the afternoon before had
not been touched. The bed clothes
were unrufited.
The neighbor Gid not think this
strange, supposIng that Swisher had
been called to the field By some mis-
hap or something of the kind. But
| when three days passed he said he was
! going to see what was the matter.
He found that Swisher had not been
at home for three days, and that the
! horses, cattle and hogs were nearly
| famished. He became alarmed in
! earnest and the sheriff was notified.
! Posses were organized, and although
search was made Of the country
/ around the SwIsher home, no trace OF
! the man could be found.
| Swishers difficulty with the Indian
! was known, and the redskins were
naturally suspected. They PROGRESSED
! ignorance, but the story was not be
| lieved, and now the facts have become
/ known