Weekly journal-miner. [volume] (Prescott, Ariz.) 1908-1929, 1914-03-11
TELL WONDERFUL TALE
OF INDIAN TRAGEDY
(From Fridays Daily

Fraught with all the features of
film or novel, oozing forth from
every phase new revelations of the
tribes superstitions and is ignor-
ance of modern ways and laws, re-
plete with the stole indifference and
fancies of the defendants and the
practical absence of sordid details,
the murder trial i'll which four In
dams are charged with the killing
of their medicine chief, which starts
today, promises to be one of the
most dramatic, romantic. interest
ing and gripping cases ever staged
in the old Yavapai county court
room. The trial is in the Federal
court before Judge Sawtelle.
Three brothers and one nephew,
I'll members OF the Navajo tribe on
the reservation in Apache county,
are the defendants. In Uncle SANS
official register they are known as
Natani Bezab, Hoskay Ohio Meth
Nata We No and Bitse No Dozie.
Erect. handsome and displaying mus
cles like whipcords, the four rep
resent a type of the Indian often
read about in novels or Indian his
tories. The Navajo tribe is known
as one of the most intelligent and
handsome in the country. The four
defendants might be deemed the
choice of the lot
The history of the case is as
romantic as all the environments
would imply. When the sister of
the nephew and neice of the three
brothers suddenly fell i'll, the medi-
cine man of the tribe, CT Shin Beta.
was summoned Prior to this time.
the medicine man and the three
brothers had fallen into a wrangle
and a spirit of diStrust prevailed
during the period of contortions
and antics of the former.
The girl. who was attacked with
pneumonia, became worse and an
other medicine man was summoned.
The latter made more bitter the
enmity by declaring that the first
medicine man continued an evil
spell over the patient. Subsequently
the girl died.
After the funeral the four men
went to the first doctor. Their
course, shaped by their supersti-
tons and strange laws. was mapped
out for them. They announced
their mission; either the medicine
man or they. the avengers, must
die They feared for their lives
lest similar spell be cast upon
them.
\ verbal alteration followed, one
of the Indians seizing an axe and
the deed was done. The body was
hacked to pieces. The government
agent heard of the crime and the
four Indians were arrested.
The Indians are stoics in every
sense OF the word They never
show tremor in voice or cyclash
as they answer through an inter-
prefer questions asked by their coun-
sci. They believe that they have
done the most natural tnlnS III the
world But so great is their courage
that they even declare the gallows
hold no fears for them; they are
willing 10 die. bur they will not
that they have done wrong.
Attorneys Leroy Anderson and
II. II. Linncy have been appointed
by the court to defend the Indians.
There is absolutely 10 compensation
or fee attached to the case. but
both attorneys have Tut their hearts
into the task and their hands to the
wheel and interested themselves
deeply. The fight will be d warm
one and will not be wagcd upon
the basis OF whether or not the de-
iendants committed the crime, but
the defendants were re-
sponsiblc for their deed.