The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1906-09-08
SAW HEAVEN AND HELL.

Cherokees I'm Awe of Tribesman
They Came Near BuryinE.
Tooley Catron, a Cherokee Indian Of
p or 20 years. who declares he has
arisen from the dead, is just now the
center Of more attention than is usual
ly accorded one who has never been
known beyond the marrow confines Of
his neighborhood, says the Muskogee q.
IT, correspondent OF the New York
Herald.
Not many years ago young Catron
was returning from Tahlequah, a dis
lance of about ten miles from his home.
Travelling on foot, he came to a river
and he proceeded to wade across when,
without an instant's premonltion Of ILL
ness, be suddenly fell unconscious on a
gravel bar There he remained for some
time, when he was found by a passer-
by, who. supposlng him to be dead, car
rled him to his hut In the forest near
Barren Fork Creek.
There Catron was laid upon his bed
and efforts were made to restore him to
consciousness, but TO no avail, and he
was given up for dead.
All the next day he lay stark and
cold and 1t was decided to bury him
on the following day. Consequently,
preparations for performing the last
offices were begun, but, after all, the
interment was not to be, for before
the sun had arisen on the day set for
the funeral obseQuies Catron began to
show signs OF returning animation, and
BY the time the sunbeams were dissl
pating the mists in the Barren Fork
Valley the supposedly dead man was
very much alive and ready to partakf
of food and drink and In few days, a:
strong as usual, was to be seen about
, his usual haunts.
r But while he was well physically al
, ever, the processes OF Catron's mint
were diverted into other channels
Whereas he had previous to his un
conscious state entered into the com
monplace conversations Of his compan
ions with readiness, he now assumed
+ greatly changed manner Of speech. hi
demeanor, too, was different. He al
, sumed a more dignified carriage.
All of this was in Itself surprising I
Il his neighbors, already mystified by III
return from what was supposed o
them to be death, but their surprise wa
d even greater when Catron informe
" them that he had really been dead, ma
d seen 10th heaven and hell and the pos
D. ton TO be occupied in the unseen wori
q nv the red, white and black races.
II His future on earth, he Indicates
D. would be different from what II ia
y been IN the past. In conversation VII
lie an old acquaintance, Catron inrorme
,s him that he (Catron) was like the LoI
y. IN that he. too, had been dead ana na
IL arisen. Claiming at first to be ma
y Of business, Catron purchased So
IL case and. going to yelling, boarded
be troin. saving that he intended going
washington for the purpose OF consul
inc ,he President on the public que
a. lions Of Importance. However ne q
10 NOT make an extended journey Out "
hack home in a few days, making pre-
orat,ons for preaching, and addressed
n large crowd of 'fullbloods in the mo, mou
Il tain regions, far down the lil'n'
River. %
ou catron is a slender, dark man OF
re naorance and one Of the Is
that would be supposed to have a III
sr, sion to perform. but his having
II strangely fallen into what was app
ur ant,v the state of death and having
nd turned will, no doubt, cause MN 70 =,
rega cded with a peculiar ', ve .au,a
and awe by large bands of his peOp'e