Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-05-06
WHITE MANS VEHICLE
KILLS INDIAN CHIEF
Was Keeper Of the Fire of the
Quapaws Which Has Been
Burning For Ages.
From the Oklahoma City oklahoman

A>a' onAA's = SNae
of the oldest and most romantic fig
ures OF his fast disappearing tribe.
AFTER aNlng passed through the cen
Jury that saw both the greatest rise
ana the almost total determination OF
ms tribe, Plus Quapaw received m
1urles in a recent automobile accident
that resulted fatally to him..
UP to the time of the accident, Plus
in spite of his greatly ad-
Vanced age, was perhaps the strongest
IN a tribe of men noted for their
Strength For many years Plus had
llVed in the wild country not far from
here near that section called Devils
Promenade and for more than half
a century he had been the keeper of the
1lre or the Quapaws, a fire that has
been kept burning no one knows how
does any white man
know the object Of the Jealous guard
ing of the fire and the reasons for its
continual burning.
Mysteries concerning the origin, de-
Velopment and customs of this once
great tribe will doubtless be buried
forever with their last survivors, who
are becoming more and more scarce as
the years go by. Where they came
from, the secret of the fire, and many
other things that would be of tremend-
u interest To any white man., Will
perhaps never be known. for the Qua
paws are a peculiarly secretive tribe.
The legend OF the tribe, which in
cludes many unique features, was once
old by Plus 0uapaw, the old FIRE
keeper, who suffered the lgnuminious
death of being conquered by one of
the inventions of the invading pale
face. In substance, the legend of the
tribe, as told by him, is as follows:
Women Dominated.
Many, many years co., the land OF
the Quapaws was a wondrous country
where the women dominated every
thing. In this tribe, which was one OF
time most powerful of the American
Indians, maternity counted for every
thing and paternity virtually nothing.
The mother was the head of the fam
lily and the recognized ruler. QuapaW
women were proud and strong. They
kinds. Physically, they were the near
est to perfection any race In the
new world. They We're graceful, hand-
some, agile and brave.
Girls were desired by all families.
They chose their husbands who came
come q part of the family and obey
her rule. With them, the freedom of
the women began with marriage. I'm
til a girl was married, she was MOTH
ing; but upon marriage, which fire.
Quently occurred at the age of Is. she
at once attained complete liberty. She
could dismiss her husband at once if
she SO chose, but she remained a mar
ried woman and was permitted to do
as she pleased.
The rule of the mother and the vir-
tual ignoring Of the father was the
last survival Of a system asserted to
nave been once the general law of the
world-the recognition of the mother as
the real creator of the races and the
rightful ruler. Brothers unquestion-
ably obeyed their elder sister and re-
spected their younger sisters. Sons
We're not obliged to remain under the
roofs of their mothers tepees. but
We're permitted to set up wigwams of
their own. taking with them one of
their sisters who. by that act. became
the ruler OF the new household. If the
son married, the wife owed obedience
to her sisteiinlaw If domestic trouble
arose. the husband stood by his sister.
and his wife. in her turn. gave up her
husband OF sacrificed him in any way
for her own brother. Conjugal life
was a light thing, but brothers and
sisters remained %steadfast to ach
other until the end.
Adverse to Work.
Old Plus Quapaw was perhaps the
strongest Indian in a tribe noted for
stout, healthy braves. Up to the day
of his death he a the strength of
the ordinary Indian Of 30. The tribe
which bears his name, holding to the
traditions Of old. will not stoop to any
kind OF work other than fishing and
hunting, in both OF which they are ex-
perts. but not in the way Of the white
man.
They do most Of their fishing with Il
strange poison. the secret of which has
never been earne Uncle Bill Tib-
bans. who has lived among them for
many Years. says he lived with them
more than a year before the secretive
Indians took him into their confidence
sufficiently to permit him to join them
on one of their fishing excursions. That
was more than 20 Years ago. and at
that time the streams were filled with
fish of many varieties.
The party went UP the Neosho river
a few miles above what is now Miami,
to where 1t spread out into a pool 60
feet or more &cross. The men divided
into two parties. n going up and the
other down the stream SO or 60 Yards.
Then they entered the stream and.
thlashins the water with their feet and
with sticks, returned, driving all the
fish before then into the pool.
In the meantime one of the men had
been grating some mysterious kind Of
roots, resembling horseradish, together
With a handful Of small red berries into
about a gallon Of water. This was
,hro"n into the pool at various points.
In a couple of minutes minnows came
to the surface. belly up, remained a few
seconds and then disappeared. In 10
minutes all the small fry were on the
surface. apparently dead. The larger
ones soon began to go through the
same performance. With a long
II scoop net. one of the Quapaws
nearly filled a bushel basket with fish.
from Is to "a inches long, within 20
minutes.
Some Of the fish were cooked on the
spot, but Uncle Bill" hesitated about
eating them. The Indian surmising his
reason. took several spoonfuls Of the
poisoned mixture. and, mixing it with
a cup of water. drank it down. 1t had
not the slightest effect on him To all
appearances the fish remaining in the
stream We're affected by the poison
only through their respiratory organs,
n experienced no lasting injury.
These Indians killed their game by
means OF arrows tipped in this mvste-
poison. which seems to render
the animal struck by one Of them
senseiess or unconscious for the time
being. ~
On Giving Advice.
G. F, Brady, a rancher u,}ro ,t,>a