The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1912-04-06
AGED CREEK DEAD
CRAZY SNAKE GONE
End Comes to Red Man Who led Last
Uprising in oklahoma-stood
For Liberty"

Snake" the Indian responsible for the
last uprising in Oklahoma, died yes
terday, according to a report received
from Vinita. The end came near Old
Hickory, the stamping ground of the
Creeks in 1908.
The Indian had always contended
that his tribe was robbed of its land
by the whites. On several occasions
he went to Washington, where he ap-
peared before the senate. Failing to
get what he believed to be Justice. he
started an uprising in Mcintosh, Ok
fuskee and adjoining counties. At one
time the lives of many settlers were
threatened Crazy Snakes tribal
name was Chitto Harjo.
Crazy Snake, whose English name
was Wilson Jones, was the leader of
the Snake band of Greek Indians,
part of the tribe that was unable to
speak English. It was the boast of
the Snakes that they never had turn
ed their face from the old days and
the old customs, and they were prob
ably more primitive than any of the
other western tribes.
Permitted Two Outbreaks.
Crazy Snake was a full blood Creek
and was the leader of the resentful
Creeks from 1901 While he had a
powerful following and although bit
terly opposed to the government allot-
ting their lands and compelling them
to pay taxes, only twice did he permit
an outbreak. The first was in the
winter of l900-1901 in what was known
as the Creek war. an uprising in which
no one was killed by the Indians.
The second by the Snakes, in March,
1909, was of longer duration and re-
suited in a number of fatalities on the
part of the Indians and some of their
negro allies 1t, too. was the result of
the allotment of lands, which the In
dians knew men meant the final dis
solution of the tribal form of govern
ment and the loss of their nationality,
traditions and customs They had
been guaranteed by the government
that such a thing never should happen
without the Indians consent. SO the
willy old chief decided to make final
stand for his ideas Of liberty.
Crazy Snake was born in the Creek
country, which was then in Indian
Territory, soon after the tribe was
moved there from east of the Missis-
sippi by virture of "a treaty made with
the Indians in 1882. He lived the
peaceful life of the Creek until the
subject of the land allotment came up.
curing the civil war he was soldier
in the federal ranks.
Served in Civil War.
His service to the government as a
soldier was matter that he called at
| tention to when he made an eloquent
| dppCdl " tb tOlllulitlCC VI OiHiltu DbdtCo
senators at Tulsa, Okla, when they
went there to investigate the affairs
of the Indians. He told about the 10y
atty and allegiance of himself and his
/ followers to the federal government
during the war, saying that the In
dams were not concerned in negro
slavery and that none of their treaties
was involved, but because Of the com
pact with the government he took up
arms.
At the time the committee of sena-
tors was investigating the affairs of
the Indians and Crazy Snake was dis
appointed in the failure of the govern
ment to recan its decision as to the
allotment of the land, he started a
movement to have the tribe move to
Mexico When the Indians would not
accept their allotments of 100 acres
each, they were thrown into jail and
Crazy Snake himself spent more than
a month behind bars on this account.
He refused to take his land.