Evening star., 1909-06-27

mystery that attended it. a mystery that
has continued to this day and that is
likely to continue for all time. All that
is known is that Houston's bride left him
and returned to her parents home. Hous-
ton drunk or sober. never told why and
his wife never gave explanation. The
theory that is accepted most generally
is that Mrs. Houston loved another man;
that she married Houston because her
parents considered ii a brilliant match
and that three months after their mar
riage, when she confessed to Houston she
never could love him, he determined to
close the book so far as their married
life was concerned.
His old friends the Cherokees were far
up the Arkansas river in what now is
the Indian Territory. and to them he went.
He was received with joy by Oo-loo-tee-
kah, who always considered him a SON
He became member of the tribe under
his old name of Colonneh (the Roven,
and he assumed Indian garb. He sat at
the council fires and he was one Of the
chiefs.
But there is sadder picture of Hous-
ton to be viewed at this time. Never a
temperate man. he gave himself over to
unbridled indulgence To his name OF the
Rover there was another by which he
was known. and that was the Big Drunk.
And he took to himself an Indian wife
Tyania Rodgers
For three years he lived an Indian
chief. and these were the darkest and
blacklist OF his queer life.
In 1880 he accompanied a delegation
of Indians to Washington to plead with
the Great White Father to redress their
wrongs, and in 1882 he went to the
capital with another delegation on a
similar mission. No other white man
ever had the confidence of the Indians
had Houston. and they never had /,
better pleader or a more faithful friend
and counselor. 1t was while Houston
was with this second delegation at
Washington that he caused another
great sensation by a fearful beating he
administered to William stanberry. u
member of Congress from Ohio, WHO
had criticised him bitterly.
President Jackson openly applauded
Houstons conduct and the assault was
made a national political issue. Houston
as former member of Congress, was
brought to trial at the bar of Congress
and after a long investigation was sen
fenced to be reprimanded by the Speaker.
The Speaker made only a pretense of rep
rimanding him. Then he was prosecuted
in the criminal courts and fined $500
President Jackson RENTED the fine.
In the three years that Houston buried
himself among the Indians a crisis was
southwestern domain of the United
States known as Texas. Within half a
century the region had passed from the
hands Of Spain into those of France,
from France to Spain again and from
Spain to Mexico. And now in Mexico
there was convulsion. Bustamente. the
tyrant. was being opposed by Santa Anna,
who. using the constitution Of 1894 as a
cloak for his ambitious schemes. sought
power only to be more despotic ruler
than Bustamente. The United States had
cast envious eyes on Texas ever since
the Louisiana purchase, and Texas, while
nominally part of the state of Coahuila,
had more Americans than Mexicans
among It's 20.VrO or 10000 inhabitants.
Between the Americans and the Mexi-
cans there was constant friction. Mexico
had freed its slaves and in 1880 tried to
extend emancipation to Texas. Mexico,
having peons had no need of black
slaves. Texas had LOCO blacks in slavery.
In the struggle between Bustamente and
Santa Anna Texas supported Santa Anna.
but when Santa Anna obtained the presi-
dency Texas no nearer its declared
desres-separation from Coahuila and re-
lieious freedom-than it was before No