Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-24
INDIANS SOUGHT LIFE
Condemned to Die, Explorers
Impulse Saves Him.
DRUMMED MEDICINE MAN
Framed Fakir's Head in Rim and
Paralyzed Tribe.
ADVENTURE AMONG OJIBWAYS
Alanson Skinner, Anthropologist,
Has Exciting Times Amid
Foes on Hudson Bay.
AMONG 0JIBWAYS

NEW YORK, October 23-Alanson Skin
ner of the anthropological bureau, the
American Museum of Natural history.
has just returned here from adventures
among the Ojibway tribes on the southern
shore of Hudson bay
His report of the expedition sounds like
chapters of fiction. but he brings ample
evidence of its genuineness. That he re-
turns to civilization at all he owes only
to an exhibition of sheer nerve born Of
desperation
At one time he was condemned to death,
and the sentence was just about to be put
into execution when pure courage came
to his rescue. a score of rifles were aim
ed at the scientist. but at that instant
came the impulse that was to save his
life.
This was SINNERS second trip among
these tribes. He says they are particu-
the least civilized of all the North Ameri-
can Indians.
While they have seen many prospectors
and traders from whom they buy their
rifles. tents and simple household arti-
cles. they had never met one bent on
studying their ways of living and tribal
them.
Indians Prove Unfriendly.
From the first several tribes refused to
make friends with him. and one settle
ment on Cat lake proved particularly re-
sentful of his studies. This was but one
instance of hostility among many.
Another tribe not far away sent him
word. when 1t was reported to them early
in June that he had returned, that II he
did not leave the section at once they
would kill him on sight
knowing their SuperStftionS, he sent re-
ply that though they might kill his body,
they could not kill his soul. and il they
did kill his body he would haunt them
forever. This message so unnerved the
savages that when he finally reached
their village he found them more friendly
than ever before.
The extreme hostility of the Cat lake
village, however. was traceable in
measure, Skinner thinks. to the resent
ment which the women of the settlement
manifested toward him for taking photo
graphs of them. They got the idea that
camera was sort of X-ray APP
paratus and every time the scientist
tried to take pictures of them they would
run away or dodge behind trees.
Sentence of Death Pronounced.
.The enmity of the men, however, soon
manifested itself in threatening form.
Led by the chief medicine man of the
tribe, the braves held a war dance and
finally council. the chief medicine
man presiding. At this Skinner was
condemned to be shot that day.
The explorer was then on the opposite
side of Cat lake, and later in the day.
when he heard that some hostile move
against him had been determined upon.
though ignorant of the nature OF H. ne
decided to visit the village to learn for
himself what had been done. as he had
by no means completed his studies.
He had no idea that so many of the
men of the tribe were involved In the
affair or he would have headed at once
for the nearest friendly village. When
he got out of his canoe on the village
side of the lake he could hear the old
medicine man beating his drum furious
ly in the opening through the woods.
little way distant, and directed his steps
thence expecting to find only the savage
with the drum. He had no arms, and
was alone. except for his guide, who was
unarmed also
war whoop, and at once he saw that he
had a slim chance to get away alive.
But as the whole tribe had seen him, it
was too late to retrace his steps. From
his knowledge of the ways of the Old
ways he OWNED that their plan was for
the old medicine man, In whose power
they had childlike faith, to throw a spell
over him so that they could shoot him
at savage leisure.
Saved by Lucky Impulse.
For a moment the explorer had no idea
how he was going to get out of the peril
Gus situation. 1t didn't matter that he
was not armed. for one rifle against SO
many would have been nothing. and his
wit playing on their superstition was his
only hope. He had to act quickly. arid
he did. Walking up to the old medicine
man. seated with his drum in his lap, he
said in the dialect of the natives:
Il don't care anything about your old
medicine; my medicine is stronger than
yours
Then he picked no the savage's drum
and crashed it over his head. leaving it
a ring around his neck. The medicine
man turned almost white i'm the face with
anna cement. For years he had ruled the
tribe with an iron hand through the In
dams fear of the spell they firmly be-
lieved he could cast He alone knew he
was faker, and that was a secret he had
shared with no one.
The effect the braves with their
rifles cooked and at their shoulders. ready
for the old man to give the sign to fire.
was even more pronounced. They had
never in their widest dreams imagined
that any one would have the courage To
do such a thing to the man whose weird
powers they all reared so much. SO they
stood like statues, their rifles still at their
shoulders.
Mr.. Skinner. who is not more than thir-
Nv years old. acting IL he had done
nothing unusual. whirled on his heel and
walked away. He intimated yesterday.
however that he made pretty good mara
hon time toward the boat after he was
out of sight of the settlement. That night
he slipped away, and he says he doesn't
expect to see that tribe again.
Edward \. Jones, who founded the