River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1916-06-01


which the bad man" affects. Like
most dad men" he was a coward and
a braggart. He was 1.-THE and agile,
and never failed to talk of his wonder
full craftsmanship with revolver and
rife. In Clay county, Missouri, he had
passed for horse thief, treacherous
coward, and a notorious liar. He had
been arrested and tried for the MUIR
der of reputable farmer, who was
shot dead one evening while sitting on
the porch of his house with his infant
in his arms. The shot was fired from
a hedge across the road, and Sweeney
had been seen going toward the farm
er's house a short time before the
murder occurred, and returning after
ward, carrying a rifle on both occa-
sions. He was known to 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-
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 a bank in a
little town in Missouri. l knew, too,
hot he
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
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 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 a number plying their me-
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 crime on sight, and according
ly telegraphed him, requesting him
to meet me at Vinita for the purpose
of arresting Sweeney, without how
ever, mentioning the mans name.
The reply, which came from Sixkil-
lers physician, stated that Sixkiller
was i'll in bed with a fever. l there
upon called up Luke Sixkiller, the
chiefs brother, who resided at Vinita
and was 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 a wonderful shot
with either rifle or pistol, and it will
take at least half dozen men, well
armed, to capture him. He is des-
perate man, and we will have to wait
until the chief gets well enough to
come and help take him."
had been accompanied to Vinita by
William H. Bonnell, one Of my most
trusted assistants, little man, but
noted for his fearlessness. Upon
learning of the detection Of Luke Six
killer, Bonnell at once asked permits
sion to join me in the arrest of Swee-
ney. After sleeping over the PROPOSE
ton, however, 1 decided to make the
arrest single-handed. I had seen
Sweeney a year before in Kansas City,
when the man was pointed out to me
by an officer, but felt sure that Swee-
ney would not recognize me, and that
l could take him by stratagem, if
went single-handed, whereas, if l were
accompanied by my assistant, Swee-
ney would become suspicious of our
motives and would open fire. I knew
that the bad man" becomes a very
good man indeed when he is confront
ed by a man over whom he has no
treacherously acquired advantage.
Bonnell demurred strongly, fearing for
my life, but refused to allow him to
join me.
I hired a horse from livery stable