Omaha daily bee., 1909-04-25

eminent in 1892, though broken, should still
govern. That treaty gave to the Creeks
their present lands to be held in common
and protected against the intrusion of
white men 80 long as water runs and
grass grows"
There has never been a moment that
Crazy Snake has not been pleading for
recognition of this treaty. He told his
Snake followers not to sign or in any
way to recognize the allotment treaty of
several years ago. and they obeyed him..
More than that, they refused TO choose
allotments after the tribal lands had been
segregated, and the Dawes commission
was compelled arbitrarily to assign allot-
ments to the Snakes
Unhappily for Crazy Snake and his fol-
lowers, certain white men whisper to him
that they have, power TO induce congress
to do what Crazy Snake is fighting for.
and Crazy Snake believes them. That is
his weakness. They tell Crazy Snake and
his people that money is needed to win
the fight, and the Indians beggar them
selves to get 1t.
A blanket Is placed on the ground at
the councils and each Indian is told to
toss his contribution on It. Large sums of
AAANAAN9 oNN ~ as "a NAAo 'WoJ AAOiAi
the 900 Snakes,
These councils were held at Hickory
Ground, six miles east of the town of
Henryetta.
Had His own Policemen.
A body of native horsemen were chosen
to preserve order and to enforce the or
ders of Crazy Snake. One of their duties
was to keep white intruders from the
place of council. For infraction of the
rules of camp life, these horsemen in
flicted punishment by whipping on the
bare back with hickory withes.
The full blood Snake Creek Indian is a
timid, inoffensive, impoverished being.
Living among the Snakes are negroes, who
are slaves or descendants of slaves once
owned by the Creeks. Through lntermar.
riage most of them have Creek Indian
blood in their veins. They have received
allotments of Creek lands. Unlike the
Snakes, they are many of them vicious
and revengeful and dangerous wher
drunk.
In 1901 disturbances arose at Hickory
Ground; the report spread tina Crazy
Snake and his people were preparing tC
go on the warpath, and Crazy Snake wa!
sent TO Jail for a few months. In July
1908, stories of another Snake Creek war
were circulated. Acknowledgement Franz
Canton, an old frontiersman, went I,
Hickory Ground and learned from Graz,
Snake that his light horsemen bore arm
to protect the camp and the women ant
children against lawless characters ant
to suppress the sale of whiskey. Graz,
Snake agreed to disarm his men. but aske,
that three be permitted to retain thei
weapons to police the camp. which wa
granted, The excitement passed away.
From that council came the trouble a
Hickory Ground last month. Creek negroe
and negroes from outside states who at
tended that council remained on the groun
after the departure of the Snake Indian
to their homes In the hills. A villag o
tents and huts grew up,
ThieVinE Negroes started Trouble
Having no means of support the negroe
stole chickens, corn. bacon and othe
things from the neighboring farms and oC
o~asionally killed a hog. which quickly pre-
) voked hostility between them and IN
e white farmers. Local officers went to IN
camp on March 16 to search for stole
meat. The% were resisted and fired upor
II is said hat there was not a Snake Ii
1 dian in the camp. Nevertheless the new
spread that there was an outbreak of Ii
e dams and that they were preparing to XII
A the white inhabitants and fire the builC
5 ings in the neighboring towns.
4 Most OF the negroes in the camp wei
arrested. One negro was killed and Sc,
< eral white men wounded. though newsp,
4 per dispatches placed the fatalities as hig
4 as thirty or forty.
= Crazy Snake was suspected OF having Ia
some part in the fight. 4 force of deput
# sheriffs was sent from Checotah TO a
rest him at his home near Pierce. on the
appearance near the house Crazy Small
and his companions started to run ava
The deputies shot at the fugitlves and
general fight took place. Two deputie
Edward Baum and Hermann Odhom. we
killed. Crazy Snake was shot through Il
calf Of the leg. but he escaped.
le The home OF Crazy Snake was burned
the ground next day by unknown person