The Vinita weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1905, 1908-03-12
READS ALMOST
LIKE FICTION
True Story os a Girl VINO Dressed
As Man aad Taught School
In Indian Territory

. safe hiding pleee fai tho>e who
wanIcd for Various reasons % kser
their iientisy hId ii iast ltuallv was
g. q certain cSgrns a sale hiding
place. ISOLATED as i was at that time,
Many persons sought is confines. It
became. IS { we've. "Sity oi
refuge fof every class ol criminals
on the face q the earth and foT this
cause and on Aeeoant Il ihe presence
q this criminal class 81 refugees the
indian Territory vas considered a
10, beds q outla9Fy. One indi-
vidual. who attempted for a time 70
hide here. developed a very inser-
eStlng bit q romantic history. On the
roll 81 the Cherokee Teachers In
ssiluie" held At Tahlequah in the
year VI 1884 there appeared the
name Il ]. r.. Huertas. This person
came before the board AZ that time
and applied for the position q
teacher IN tne public schools. Ap-
peamntly about Is years q age,
dressed ii the most iautless q male
attire, and showing 4 high degrce
Il sul,ur and refinement. the
teachers IN attendance soon bccame
attracted toward this Individual and
the effemina,e build and ecneral ap-
pcafancc u the person VAS tilr o..
easion II much comment Dark Al.
most as an indian. hut showing un-
misfakaele characteristics q spanish
deceni. this. combined with a re-
serve on the part q ,fe persons
made the idcniIty n the individual
a much remarked question. Upon
examination no one Of tlr one
hundred OF more teachers In atsen-
tance secured a better grade and Up.
on the assignment 4 teachers foI
the fall term !. r. huertas was a..
signed BY the board Of educasion so
> school iuslninois district, not Ia
lifsm Fort Gibson. Suspicion grew
stronger IN the matter and { became
: subject of much talk. many a<.
sefting that there ~as no question
but what the person claiming 70 b
man vas nolhing less than . No.
man masquerading N male clothing
Bul hoN 70 determine TIE truth q
THE matter ~as . question. ihe
Chefokec Law having no jurisdiction
over . non-cilizen. Finally The mat
ter was brought 10 the attention d
the military commander. then
stationed !, Fort Gibson. uha, or
geaefal suspicion. had The party a.
rested. and i vas found true thai
the person vas indeed . female.
She was held hy the military
authorities pending flther investiga-
ton. The woman at onoe com.
munieaied with her tatfef living o.
the Island u Cuba. who instructed
i the authorities to hold the girl unti
. hls arrival. he came % Fort Clssef
1 and hts explanation q the affair
pfuving satisfactory % those having
the woman IA cltarge. she vas r.
LEASED from custody and allowed Il
accompany her fasbeT home. 1
seemed that The family q which slH
Nas memltf was ore q u.
I richest and most influential iamilie.
J Il Cuba There Was ] large estate
coming e the first male heif II
{ certain lne This estalr vas IOcal
: 81 IN Spain. TIE scx d this chill.
had hecn carefully concealed irun
Infancy. and upon reaching sclioo
age she was sens "a TIE Unite,
sgaies % he educated il 3 pfiyan
school. Upon mztfleulation ST.
E vas sent 70 the Indian Territory =
! the most dsely place 20 hide he
!, identity uutll hef majority, Whel
: she was 70 II produced a. The claim
: AM ioF the estate IL question. VIA
2 tie sequal to this ronalIc. hm lfu
2 story vas. the writer IS unahle I
? say. Bot i IS presumed that afle
leaving hefe tla deception vas y
DOUBT continued. The story whk|
might b. woven from this chapse
{ from real lie would trench on tn
]. fields of Fiction and would sequIf
: the brain II > greater novelist Tia
s TIE writer possesses.
: j " CHAspIEp.