The San Francisco call., 1909-05-10
MISSION INDIANS ARE
SUBDUED BY A WOMAN
Clara D. True 'Conquers Drunken lrlbesmen
In Southern California

whisky had been drunk by the earth
she turned TO the sstORished outlaw
sittins stiE with astonishment;
.To,. are under arrest" she said,
~and YOU are going to be tried and
sent to the peuftentiary." With that
she moved on through the dusk to
where several hundred drunken In
dians were rioting around huge IRE.
one huge and whisky cadden buck.
who had learned of the strange doinss
concerning Dol Martin. advanced to-
ward her in a threatening manner
There was no word spoken as Miss
True whipped out a pair of handcuns
and snapped them around the wrists
of the astounded brute. Before ne
realized what was going on, he found
himself ignominious1y chained to the
wheel of nearby wagon-and very
much sobered by the incident,
INDIANS YIELDS EBEDIENCE
Miss True walked to the freside,
where more than 500 drunken braves.
who had watched her dealing with the
drunken buck had stopped their riot
ing and now stood spelloound- Stand
ing in the midst OF that throng OF
crazv savages. she made a speech.
\The wretch whom she had chained to
the wagon. moved by her words, vol
UNFAIRLY offered TO disclose the place
where he got his supply of liquor. She
unclaimed him and a short distance
away he unearthed enough rum 70
make a regiment drunk. She didn'S
waste any time in properly disposins
of it.
around the fire. still silent. overawed
by this small and wonderful specimen
OF the white squaw." she percieved q
Mexican ~bootlegger," who had crepe
over the border for the occasion, slin<-
ing into conceaIment behind a group ok
Indians whose attitude was stin h0s>
tile. She started for him, and the
craven 'tgreaser" ran to neighboring
hut in which he kept his Iiquor. Miss
True pursued him. He gained the door
and shut it upon her. She seized a stoue
piece of wood and soon battered 1T ins
Meantime. some half hundred drunk
en- Indians. who resented her intrusion
upon their festivities-and probably
saw chance of looting the Mexican's
stock-made a rush for the hut.
DRUNKEN MOB COwED
Miss True stretched her arm across
the now open door. The drunken mob
halted; but one bold buck. thrusting
himself out of the press. seized hold or
her wrist. The next instant he felt che
cold muzzle Of pistol against his tenn
pie.
go back" said Miss True. "or I'll
blow your brains outP'
The buck went back: so did all the
crowd ON them. saddsr but wiser.
Miss True entered the hut; cap
tured the covering Mexican. and
emptied his plentiful stock OF "red eey"
on the ground.
That evening of the eighth of Febru-
airy marked an epoch in the whisky
selling trade among the Mission In
dians. No longer did the bootlegger
boldly ply his trade among the Indian
villages. Man after man she hunted
down and sent to the penitentiary
But while the interruptions bootleg
ger was forced to work in the dark.
he did not act wholly on the defen-
sive Shortly after the Palm Springs
episode she started to retire one night.
A neighbor in the little settlement of
Banning. where she lived. came in and
persuaded her TO come over and spend
the night.
BED RIDDLED WITH SHOT
When Miss True returned home next
morning she found a pane OF her bed
room window smashed to srnithereens
and her pillow riddled with copious
bUckshot.
Miss True does not seem to look
upon her remarkable career as any
thing more than merely the day's
work. Her reports telling Of her thrill
ing experiences-fOr the Palm Springs
raid was but one of nany-are. written
in modest matter of fact style. as
though she had not the smallest com
prehensfon OF what a novel and dan
gerous work she was engaged in.
Witness this telegram dated May 12,
1908:
Raided San Manuel reservation sat
urdsy night. Captured wagon load OF
whisky and nine whisky sellers Very
little violence. Prisoners now in Jail
at San Bernardino."
BY her work and her teachings. Miss
True has brought about a marvellous
change among the Mission Indians.
Drunkenness is now almost unknovn
in the tribe. 1T has been six months
since drunken Indian has been seen
near Bannig." a special agent lately
reported 1T is all due to Miss True
he continues.
A recently patented anti-snorinz
device consists Of soft rubber bali TO
be fastened to the sIeeper's shou1dars