The sun., 1909-06-02
A F0OTSORE THUNDERDOL7
CHIPPEWA CHIEF STROLLS
HITHER FROM MAINE.
s2 .es Gathered From selling Post Cards
He surrenders 10 Robbers On the
Brtdse-Taie OF . show indian VINO
says D Manager LIFT wards stranded

y
says Manager Lift wards stranded
Chief Thunderbot has a low opinion
OF the show business. He says 1t makes
your legs tired. He formed this opinion
In the course of the last few weeks while
walking from the rural districts OF the
prohibition State of Maine to the city
Of New York. As there 10 every prospect
that he will have to keep on walking until
he reaches Indian Territory II he ever
expects to see that region again. he sees
no cause to think that he will be called
upon soon to revise his views.
| Chief Thunderbolt dropped In at Police
Headqua rters yesterday morning. not to
complain Of the show business so much
as to ma Ike objection to trea tment received
at the hands of two inha bitants OF this
city He said that they had deprived him
| of s2.0s. He thought it was no way to
| treat chief
The noble redman left with Inspector
McCaferty the impression that up to the
time theatrical manager visited the
Chippewa reservation il Indian Territory
his life had been an honorable and happy
one. This uStoward event occurred last
July. The theatrical man owned a trav-
elling show, wore audible clothes and
evinced signs Of personal prosperity.
Also he spoke happily Of the large sums
of money to be made in his business by the
enterprising.
He represented to the Indian that it
was shamo that he should deprive the
great public OF the chance to gaze upon
his heroic proportions. The public would
say money for the privilege OF viewing
Chief Thunderholt. Would not the chief
assemble company OF braves and
sauaws and travel with the managers
show? Food and lodging and travelling
expenses would be furnished free OF cost
and at the END OF the year profits would be
divided.
Chief Thunderbolt had never seen a
show booster before. The mans elo-
quence undid him. He persuaded nine
braves and two squaWs to join the show
along with himself The show prospered
until this spring. To he sure the Indians
got no cash. but the contract didn't call
for coin until the expiration Of the year.
But business fell of down East. The
inhabitants OF Maine were not interested
in noble redmeii. Chief Thunderbolt
was a triHe vague about the exact spot
whence the manager fcd. He only knew
it was somewhere up there long way
from Portland. They waited two days for
the manager to come back. He didn't
come hack. They were stranded.
All told the Indians had something
less than one real dollar. II was clear
that barring something providential
Al, t,, f4r If,n~ rTU
squaws couldn't very we'll walk back TO
Indian Territory. So the Indians who
had received religious instruction from
lussio M res back on the reservation
now found use for II. They hunted
up the village priest This sphilanthropist
found money to buy railroad tickets
reservation. Then at the order OF
Chief Thunderbolt, who thought he and
his braves would have n better chance
to forage on the country II they travelled
separately, the ten Indians. each one
by1 himself, started out for the stroll
to Indian Territory. 49,
What became Of the others Chief Thun-
derbot does not know. He himself
walked to New York by way Of Boston,
he says. and it took him two weeks and
three days TO get here from the Massa-
chusetts capital. When he got to Boston
he went down to the beach resorts TO
bark canoes or something, but it was
too early in the season. Then he started
for New York because he had heard
that Coney Island had opened and that
almost anything was likely to happen
there.
away walk. mind you: Chief Thunder
bolt all this time was Juggling two heavy
bags filed with all sorts OF Indian ma
terials, such as blankets. arrows. feather
headdresses, and picture postcards
that showed views OF life on the Indian
reservation. The chief couldn't very ae-
curatciy describe his route from Boston.
But he had inside information to the
effect that he had mighty little to eat the
last three days OF his walk. The last day
Of all he met some boys and got them to
give him some crackers and cheese in
exchange for some OF the picture post
cards.
The chief was OF the opinion that from
the northern end OF the city 10 Coney
Island for which he straightway headed.
he was stopped by no less than 500 police
men, all OF whom had TO see what he was
Juggling in his ba gs, When he reached the
island the gatekeepers Of the big shows
to the picture card business, which he
found much better In the city streets
than in places like Pleasant Valley, Conn.
or South Framngham. Mass.
When he was at Coney Island he got
to talking with Everett Sager. chauffeur
for Inspector Schmittberger. Sager gave
him his address and on Monday the chief
walked up to The Bronx to see the chauf-
feur. On his way back to Brooklyn he was
going over the Brooklyn Bridge at about
midnight when two men held him up.
They asked him II he had any money.
Chief Thunderbolt had acquired SOS
in the picture postal card business and
naively said SO. Whereupon he was
promptly choked by one man while the
other took the 81 os. departing immedi-
ately thereafter with great despatch. The
chief had an excellent description Of his
assailants, He said they were both white
men.
The chief said he was going TO stay indoors
nights after this. II the picture card
business continues good he hopes to save
up enough by October to buy a ticket
back TO the reservation. He announces
with every APPEARANCE OF sincerity that he
has renounced the stage permanently.
Robert r. lincoln Well Again.