Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1906-05-10
A PROPHET Of
THE LATTER DAY
WILLIAM ALLIGATOR LIVING
REPUTATION OF OLD THEORY
He IS ONLY eighteen
Has Strange Powers Which Have Ar
oused Much Interest Among the
People Near Wetumka.

Muskogee, |. T., May l0.-Those
who believe that the old line prophets
have passed will find difficulty in
explaining the cause Of the universal
esteem and reverence accorded Will
the Wetumka boarding school at We
Creek Nation. Alligator, although but
eighteen years old, is looked upon by
the fullbloods as prophet who pos
sesses not only divine power of fore
telling future events, but Of healing
all manner of diseases, The Indians
travel miles to see him and to avail
themselves of his powers.
Alligator is a fullblood student in
the Wetumka botarding school at We
tumka, |. T. The superintendent Of
the school, Edward Swengle. says that
the young prophet is a hard-working
student, and is very desirous of get
ting an education. lie is a devout
Christian and takes great interest in
baseball and other outdoor sports.
He is good ball pitcher, and has
pitched quite a number of games for
the school team.
Alligator's prophetic powers have
aroused much interest not only among
fullbloods but among the white people
living in the vicinity of Wetumka.
People visit the boarding school ev-
cry day either to see him or to consult
him. Strange to say that even the
young Indian s best friends and near
est relatives are in ignorance as to
the methods Alligator uses in making
his prophecies He claims that since
he was young child he has had such
power. When he was but a. very
small boy he was in the habit of TAX
ing his boy friends into the woods
and remaining there with them for
hours. When they returned the boys
had strange tales to tell of young Al
ligator's prophetic uNerances, but
none Of them could be induced to re-
veal how the young Indian conducted
himself during these transports. When
Alligator would return home he was
always very nervous for hours. His
mother tried in vain for many months
to induce her son to tell her of his
methods and finally after she had
whipped him into submission he did
reveal some of his secrets to her, with
the strict injunction, however, that
she ten them to no one. The Indian
trait of secretivencss has enabled the
old woman to guard her secret well.
Although almost very day Alligator
takes short excursions to the woods
near the boarding school with persons
who have called upon him FOR coun-
sci or healing, no one at the school has
ever been able to find out the scene
of his incantations Several times stu
dents have followed him at a dis
tance but he and his followers have
always been able to disappear mys-
teriously into the depth of the forest
and evade all inquisitive unbelievers.
The young prophet, by some means,
always succeeds in closing the mouths
of his followers so that they will not
reveal the spot where they witnessed
the incantations of their leader.
The fullbloods also believe that Al
ligator has divine power to heal dis
eases. They never take a patient to
him, but only handkerchief or some
article of clothing of the patient
which he wore when he took sick. The
messenger or relative from the sick
bed then takes this article back which
has been blessed by Young Alligator
and after the patient has held it in
his hands for some time it is claimed
that he begins to improve.
1t is also claimed that Alligator
has the power of locating lost articles
and telling the direction in which sto-
len stock may be found. Indians who
desire his services visit him nearly
every day. 1t is said that young AL.
ligator charges nothing for his ser.
vices but bestows his powers for the
benefit of those who believe in him
He does not claim to be divine or the
founder of new religious sect, bu,
maintains simply that the powers Of
phophecy spoken of in the Bible ant
exercised by the early men of Goo
! are his in some measure TO use