The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1907-03-08
INDIAN CHIEF
THREATENING
Aroused Over Taking Away Of
Tom Tigers Remains.
"kILL White MAN OJUS"
u Bones of Departed Chief are not Re-
placed by Next Moon-.C commissioners
Take Action.

big nkee-------stole bones of Tom
Tiger, Indians big chief and best
friend. Indians all fight. Kill White
man Ojus, bones no taken back by big
yankee by next moon"
This is the salutation that Billie
Smith, chief of the Seminoes gave the
people of Tantie on his visit there on
Saturday, February 23rd, accompanied
by Jack Buster, and it is evident that
the Seminoles are stirred as they never
have been since the days of the Ind an
wars, and unless they are pacifed by
some method they are liable to give
trouble.
From County Commissioner Peter
Raulerson, of Tantie, TRIBUNE repre-
sentative learns the story of the case,
as follows:
About the middle of January, j. T.
Flournoy, a TRIBUNE subscriber of
Johnstown, Pa, arrived at Tantie, and
announced that he had come to write a
history of the Indians, and spent some
time there gathering what information
he could concerning their life and habits
and finally employed Mr.. Raulerson to
take him to the Indian settlements at
Big Mound City and Hungerland. Ar
irving at the latter settlement, Mr..
Flournoy employed a white trader there
by name of Barber, to take him to the
grave of Tom Tiger, which was situated
two miles within the Everglades upon a
tussock. Arriving at the spot the grave
was easily recognized from the pipe and
other articles that were buried with
him, and Mr.. Flournoy proceeded to
fill his hunting coat with the bones of
the departed chief, taking the entire
skeleton except the hands and feet and
the ribs, which were too badly decayed
to recover. He also took the noted
pipe which the chief had smoked for
many years. Mr. Flournoy told his
companions that he intended to place
the skeleton of Tom Tiger in the
Institute, and after return
ing to Tante, brought them to Fort
Pierce in box and shipped them north.
Mr.. Flournoy left on the same train,
saying that he would stop at Rockledge
and st. Augustine before going to his
home.
Nothing further was heard of the
matter until February 23rd, when
Billie Smith, chief of the Seminoles,
appeared at Tantie, and told the resi-
dents there that "White Man told him
big yankee got bones of his best friend"
and that Indians all go to war unless
bones brought back in one moon" Mr..
Raulerson tried to pacify the chief and
asked how much money he would accept
% settle the matter. The chief replied
mo want money, want bones of best
friend brought back; no bring back,
Indians all fight, kill white man ojus."
Mr.. Raulerson did not take any steps
n the matter until he came into Fort
Pierce Monday to attend his duties as
county commissioner, when he reported
he matter to the board, and steps
we're Immediately taken to pacify tho
indians and bring the matter to a sat
sfactory conclusion. Wednesday morn
ng Sheriff Carlton was dispatched to
he Indian settlement to arrange "terms
f peace" and to assure the Indians
hat every effort will be made to bring
'ack the bones of their departed chief
nd to convince them that this cannot
'e done "by one moon" The matter
vas also taken up by the commissioners
With the Interior department at Wash.
ngton and the United States court
commissioner at Miami, as we'll as with
he Governor of Florida, and every
fort, will be made to bring the cher
shed bones to the original resting place,
md the party robbing the grave to
rial on a criminal charge, if necessary.
While the community is not excited
'ver any prospective Indian uprising,
till the Indian temper is not known
quantity, and should they all harbor
he same feelings as expressed by their
hief, our outlying sections may be in
LANCER of humiliation at the hands of
he outraged Indians, and our officers
annOt be too diligent in their efforts