The Colorado statesman., 1912-03-23
A NEGRO WAS ONCE
LEADER OF The SIOUX
TRIBE OF INDIANS

Galveston, Tex.-Judge M. T. Won
Rhaden. whose Off cial title is police
magistrate at the town of Creighton
in northern Nebraska, who has been
spending short time in Galveston,
tells some interesting stories about
his section OF the country and the lit
tie town which is on the border OF
the big Indian reservation for the
three or four tribes of Sioux. Judge
Won Rhaden speaks several languages
including Sioux. and. having lived for
many years In the Indian country, is
familiar with the manner and traits
of the willy red man, who is living in
ease with plenty at the expense OF
Uncle Sam.
There is a thrifty family of half
breeds up there" said the Judge.
These people are the children of old
man Godfrey, a Louisiana slave ne
gro, who died a little over year ago
at the age of eighty.two years.
About the time of breaking out OF
the war between the states he ran
away from his master in Louisiana
and went to Minnesota and took up
his home with the Sioux. He spoke
French and English and soon picked
up the Indian language, and, being
desperate negro, became a leader with
the bucks. who, in tnose days, were
bloodthirsty set of redskins.
1T was in 1863 that the New Ulm
massacre took place and the band OF
cut-throat Indians on this memorable
occasion were led by Godfrey when
they raided this peaceful settlement
in Minnesota, killing men, women and
children. Quitting the reservation
and ignoring the commands of the
soldiers, who tried to prevent their
going on the warpath, the red devils
swooped down upon the little town
about the noon hour Not satisfied
with killing and scalping the helpless
women and the men who so heroical-
ly, but ineffectually, defended their
families, the savages threw the babies
they found in the red-hot ovens in the
homes With the few troops left to
guard the Indians, because OF the war
between the states, the government
had hard time getting this band OF
several hundred back on the reserva-
tion.
gan the trial of half hundred or so
of the supposed leaders in the massa-
ere who had been imprisoned upon
return to the reservation. Among
them, of course was Godfrey. the ne
gro, who had an advantage over many
of his red brother because he spoke
English. And he was a shrewd ne
gro, though most desperate charac-
ter, as you can imagine black man
who became leader of a tribe OF
savage Sioux. About ten or twelve
of the Indians were sentenced to be
shot for participation in the massacre:
others were given life sentences in
prison and others from ten to thirty
years in prison. When it came time
for the execution and the Indians were
called from their prison, the tricky
Godfrey, upon the calling of his name
pushed another Indian out in line, tell
ing the redskin in his own language
that the officers were calling'hi name,
and this redskin paid the extreme pen.
atty, while his black brother mixed
with the short-term prisoners, and in
course OF time was liberated.
Il understand that some years later
the government discovered the plot,
but for some reason or other Godfrey
was not molested again. l presume
the government figured that 1t didn't
make much difference whether 1t was
a redskin or blackskin and that all
of them were equally as guilty
But Godfrey was known to the
white settlers, and while he lived to
a ripe old age he feared the white
man, and had reason to. He left the
reservation but twice or three times
during his life, and on each occasion
had a narrow escape from being muir
dered. One time he crossed the river
in his boat and was shot at, but he
managed to reach his canoe and es-
cape with whole skin, although the |
boat was riddled with shot, some OF |
which penetrated his clothes. He soon
learned that he was a marked man |
and began to live in dread OF the pale
face.-St. Louis Globe-Democrat.