Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1914-08-20
INDIAN CUNNING /,
OUTW|TS WHITES
Red Men Easily Elude Pursuit
When Wanted for Capital
Crimes and Escape.
lsoMETIMEs HIDE FOR YEARS
Crazy Snake, Sought for Murder,
Defies Arrest Though Within
100 Miles OF Scene Of Crime.

Muskogee, Ok.-The Unborn cunning
Of the Indian Is more than a match
for the long arm Of the law, It ap-
pears. in practically every case where
Indians Of high intelligence have
placed Themselves without the pale in
Oklahoma. The history Of the Creek
and Cherokee nations is full Of Incl
dents where Indiana Of note have
been sought as murderers. only to
evade arrest until time elapsed, their
crimes were forgotten and they have
died unmolested in their homes.
Government officials have given up
all hope Of ever capturing Crazy
Snake, whose Indian name is Chittu
'Harjo and who Is enrolled under the
name of Wilson Jones'" Crazy
Snake, the father of half a dozen "re
bellions," with an indictment for mur
der pending against him, disappeared
one night five years ago, and despite
the fact that the Federal Government
the State militia and countless detec.
tives, Sheriffs and newspaper men
have sought him since, no trace OF
him has ever been discovered.
That last resort to lure an Indian In
an Indian payment in cash-has
been held out in vain to the willy old
Greek. Vile refuses to emerge.
Crazy Snake was the leader of re-
calcitrant band of Creeks who refused
to agree to the treaty to individualize
the Indian by allotting him land He
maintained a clan organization for
many years and opposed the Govern
ment's policy in every way. He
raised money that was like wringing
blood out of his followers. to send
representatives to Washington every
year to protest to Congress against
the allotment of lands.
This money was absorbed principal
ly by grafters in Washington, who
took the money and sent back reports
to Crazy Snake that the President
would interfere and that tribal au.
thority would be restored.
In April, 1909, the annual sprins
gathering of the Snakes was in prog,
ress at old Hickory Grounds, the coun,
Gil place for the Creeks, where great
brush arbors had been built overlook
ing the Deep Fork River. While this
gathering was on q farmer living neal
reported that someone was robbins
his place. Naturally, like many other
crimes he never heard of this was
charged UP to Crazy Snakes band.
An officer was sent out, and he was
shot by negro. Instantly the coun
try was aflame. Crazy Snake knew
what this meant Gathering half
dozen Of his friends about him he re-
! tired to cabin In the Deep Fork hills
1t was surrounded and two officers
were killed. The Indians were driven
out of the house and it was burned.
1t is a mooted question to this day
whether the officers were killed by
shots from the cabin or by their own
ipossemen. 1t is also doubtful whether
Crazy Snake fired shot. for 1t Ia
well known that never in his life waa
he able to shoot rifle with any de
gree OF accuracy.
He disappeared that night. Com
panies Of State militia, scores of Fed
eral and State peace officers combed
the rugged country between the Deer
Fork and the Canadian rivers fol
weeks in vain. II was reported that
Crazy Snake was killed and his body
burned in the cabin; that he escaped
with a bullet in his leg; that he had
been seen in Mexico; that he had
Joined the Kckapoos. The finding
of Of Crazy Snake" became q habit.
One day tom Wilson," a son OF
Crazy Snake. appeared and opened ne
gotiations for his father to return
Three different times he left osten.
sibly to report the terms offered to bis
father. Each time he went away he
returned within forty-eight hours to
the hour. Apparently the old chief
was not satisfied. for the last time
his son went with a message he did
not return.