The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1916-06-01

| erS house a short time before the
murder occurred, and returning after
ward, carrying a rife on both occa-
sionS. He was known to have threat
ened the mans life; but, since there
was no dtrNr; evidence against him, he
was acquitted. The episode had made
| Sweeney so unpopular, however, that
he had been forced to leave Clay coun-
ty and make his home with his sister
and her husband near Little Cabin
Creek, Indian Territory.
1t was evident to me that, whatever
greater degree of guilt might rest with
Sweeney, he had been lying to the ex-
press agent. The dead man could not
have been Ed Miller, as Sweeney de-
clared, because Miller had been killed
while attempting to rob bank in a
little town in Missouri. l knew, too,
that the James boys were living reput-
able lives in Tennessee, and that Dick
Little, another member of the old-time
gang, was in another section of the
country. Accordingly resolved to ar
rest Sweeney, on the charge of having
murdered the dead man, and also for
having shot and seriously wounded
Conductor Warner; there was some
uncertainty as to whether the dead
man had done the shooting or not, and
Sweeney's arrest on both charges
would at any rate suffice to hold him
pending inquiries.
During the afternoon preceding the
affair Sweeney had been at Vinita,
and, while standing on the platform of
the railway station there, he had seen
a special train go by. The telegraph
operator had informed the men on the
platform that Colonel Eddy, the gen.
eral manager, was aboard her. This
| furnished me with an idea which l
put into operation when subsequently
arresting Sweeney.
The chief of the United States In
dian police at this time was Capt. Sam
SiXkiller a full-blooded Cherokee In
dian, living at Muskogee. The Indian
police was a federal organization, and
consisted of Indians Of good reputa-
ton, whose duty was to patrol the In
dian Territory. They were armed and
mounted, and were there to protect
the law-abiding Indians and other resi-
dents and their property, especially
from the whisky peddlers, of whom
there were number plying their ne
farious trade, selling the Indians cheap
whisky at exorbitant prices, which was
prohibited by the federal laws govern
ing the Indian Territory. Sixkiller had
authority to arrest any person charged
with a crime on sight, and according
ly l telegraphed him, requesting him
to meet me at Vinita for the purpose
of arresting Sweeney, without, low.
ever, mentioning the mans name.
The reply, which came from Sixkil.
ler's physician, stated that Sixkiller
was ill in bed with fever. l there
upon called up Luke Sixkiller, the
chiefs brother, who resided at Vinita
and was a member Of the police force
requesting him to accompany me tc
Sweeney's house.
Luke Sixkiller was Mortified at my
proposal.
Why" he said, this man Sweeney
is a terror. He is a wonderful shot
with either rifle or pistol, and it viii
take at least a half dozen men, wei
armed, to capture him. He is a des
perate man, and we will have to wait
until the chief gets we'll enough tc
come and help take him"
had been accompanied to Vinita by
William H. Bonnell, one of my mos
trusted assistants, a little man, bu
noted for his fearlessness. Upor
learning of the detection of Luke Six
killer, Bonnell at once asked permis
sion to join me in the arrest of Swee
: ney. After sleeping over the proposi
/ tion, however, l decided to make thu
} arrest single-handed. l had seel
Sweeney year before in Kansas City
! when the man was pointed out to MI
! by an officer, but felt sure that Swee
7 ney would not recognize me, and tha
, l could take him by stratagem, If
! went single-handed, whereas, if l wer
accompanied by my assistant, Swee
ney would become suspicious of ou
motives and would open fire. knew
) that the bad man" becomes a YER
good man indeed when he is confront
D ed by man over whom he has n
q treacherously acquired advantage
v Bonnell demurred strongly, fearing TO
s my life, but refused to allow him t
+ join me.
{ hired a horse from a livery stabl
d and started for the farm, reaching tn
(, house about $50 in the morning, afte
o passing through three miles of undel
Q growth along the banks of Little Cabi
l. creek. 1t was dangerous ride, for
o Sweeney had been in ambush he coul
d have shot me at almost any place /
Y that dense brush timber. When
e emerged on the open field whic
d formed the approach to the farmhouse
J. l saw the building about one hundre
IL feet away, and Sweeney seated upo
e the porch in plain sight, with VIII
d chester rife leaning against the wa
e at his side. At that distance l woul
have been an easy mark even for a
l. inexpert marksman.
It There was gate to the field, and
j. was necessary to let down one of th
e bars and crawl through, leaving th
q horse tethered. entered the field, an
d hardly had passed the gate whe
E, Sweeney shouted to me to throw u
r. my hands, at the same time rising an
d covering me with the rife.
d who are you and what do yo
IS want?" he yelled, as l came to halt
d my name is Foster" / answere
r "and want to see Mr.. John B. Swe
IS ney."
n Il am John B. Sweeney, What
It you want with met" demanded 4