The Washington times., 1913-12-31
CHIEF CRAZY SNAKE
IS NOW IN BOLIVIA
Leader of Indian Revolt in Okla
homa Will Spend Rest of
Life With Aliens.

GUTHRIE, Okla, Dec. 3.-To live
during the remainder of his life with
an alien tribe in order that he may es-
cape the restraints of civilization and
enjoy the liberty and freedom of his
fathers is the fate Of Chitu Harjo, the
Snake Indian chief, who led his peo-
pie in revolt against the Federal and
State governments In the Creek Indian
county OF Oklahoma in 1909.
"Chitto Harjo. or Crazy Snake, as the
whites always called him, is now with
the Niagre Indians In Bolivia. South
America / know, because took him
there myself"
This is the statement of Elega Harjo.
a nephew of the former Snake chief,
who cast his lot with Harjo when the
revolt occurred several years ago. The
nephew was captured by the authori-
ties. tried on charge of treason
against the State. and sent to the
McAlester penitentiary to serve a term
of four years. He made three escapes
from prison. He was taken into Gus
tody here several days ago on the
charge of carrying concealed weapons,
and is now being held by the county
authorities.
His srst escape was made to protect
the aged Chitto from the State and
Federal authorities. He had been sent
by the prison authorities to Granite.
Okla, with several other prisoners. to
while thus employed that he made a
dash for liberty and escaped the guards.
Finds His Uncle.
Il went directly to my old home in
the Creek country" says Harjo. land
Immediately hunted up my uncle. We
talked the matter over and decided
thet II he remained In this country he
sSr fe aaG IN az
cided that thet best thing to do was
to get out of the United States. / had
been in Carlisle University for fifteen
years. graduating from that institu-
tion In 1907. and had studied considerable
in regard to the countries of South
"A few nights after my return we sad
died our ponies and rode overland to
Haleyville. Okla. where We took the
British Honduras. II was while there
that / discovered that the NiaEre In
dians spoke a language similar 10 that
of the Creeks. and determined to take
my uncle to that tribe. He consented.
THE Indians of that high plateau
country enjoy the liberties that the
original North American Indians did.
They hunt through. the Andes and fish
slong The Desaguadero and In Lake
Titicaca, the old home of the founders
of the Incas. Here, 1t Is said, was es-
tablished the Oldest civilized empire on
the American continent Here Chitto
Harjo found many men of his oSn type
smong the Niagres. and 1 left him there
happy and contented."
Returning to the United states Bega
Harjo was captured by the Stat, author
tiles and returned to prison. He escaped
twice later, being recaptured both times.
and led an open revolt q third time, dur
ing which he was shot twice by the
guards and severely wounded. He
fiEally completed his term on the trea-
! son charge last summer.
Story of Rebellion.
Eiega Harjo says that the Snake re-
bellion was not caused by any act OF
the Snakes themselves, but by some in
tcxicated white men. who shot into the
tcIits of an Indian camp on the Hickory
stump Ground, the official conference
place of the Snake Indians, where a
convention of the Snakes. presided over
by Chitto Harjo. was being held. A
Snake woman was killed. Two of Chit
to's warriors followed the white men
in the dark and fired upon them, and
!, during the battle that followed two
whites were killed. This, according TO
Elega Hario. was what started the
Snake rebellion.
Elega Harjo is a part blood Seminole
and Creek. and was allotted with the
Seminoles rs No. 961. This allotment
corners with the famous Hickory Stump
Ground. He also owns n tract of ISL
acres in the heart of the HenIietta oil
field. the income from which amounts
to something like sl.5o month.