The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1916-06-03

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q hedge across the road, and Sweeney
! had been seen going toward the farm
! cr.s hU.s" a short time before the
murder occurred. and returning after
! ward, carrying a rifle on both occa-
! siOuS. He was known 10 have threat
ened the mans life; but, since there
was no direct evidence against him he
| was acquitted. The episode had made
| Sweeney so unpopular. however. that
! he had been forced TO leave Clay coun
/ y ana make his home with his sister
and her husband near Little Cabin
/ Creek, Indian Territory.
/ IL 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-
| clarcd, because Miller had been killed
while attempting to rob "A bank in a
little town in Missouri | 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 III another section Of the
country. Accordingly | resolved TO ar
rest Sweeney, on the charge OF having
murdered the dead man, and also f.,r
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
i 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
put into operation when subsequently
arresting Sweeney.
The chief of the United States In
dian police at this time was Can't. 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 | 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 i'll in bed with a fever | 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 to
Sweeney's house.
Luke Sixkiller was Mortified at my
proposal
Why" he said. this man Sweeney
is terror. He is wonderful shot
with either rife or pistol. and it will
take at least half dozen men, well
armed. to capture him. lie is a des
perate man, and we will have to wast
until the chief gets well enough to
come and help take him"
had been accompanied to VirFta BY
William II. Bonnell, one of ny most
trusted assistants. a little Fan, but
noted for his fearlessness. Upon
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 PROPOSE
ton. however, | decided to make the
arrest single-handed. | had seen
Sweeney year before in Kansas City.
when the man WIS pointed out to me
by an officer, bit felt sure that Swee
ney would not recognize me. and that
could take MIN by a stratagem, IL !
went sinElehanded. whereas, if | were
accompanied by my assistant, Swee-
ney wolld become suspicious of our
motives and would open fire | knew
that the bad man" becomes a very
good man indeed when he is confront
ed by man over whom he has no
treacherOusly acquired advantage.
Bonnell demurred strongly. fearing for
my life, but | refused to allow him to
join me.
| hired a horse from a livery stable
and started for the farm, reaching the
house about $50 in the morning. after
passing through three miles of under
growth along the banks of Little Cabin
creek. Ii was a dangerous ride, for IL
Sweeney had been in ambush he could
have shot me at almost any place in
emerged on the open field which
formed the approach TO the farmhouse.
saw the building about one hundred
feet away. and Sweeney seated upon
the porch In plain sight with a Win
chester rifle leaning against the wall
at his side. At that distance | would
have been an easy mark even for an
ineNpert marksman.
There was a gate to the field, and it
was necessary TO let down one of the
bars and crawl through, leaving the
horse tethered. entered the field, and
hardly had ! passed the gate when
sweeney shouted TO me to throw I'D