The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1921-12-29

1 nGVINGSs UCkttVA ASS VA DACeCA
Redskin Battles i'm Mind of
Mrs. Eugene Fink; Tells Story
Of Brawls and Rattles.
| Madison, Wis.
An Associated Press dispatch from
Washburn, Wis, telling of the ar
rest of John "Red Bird" Beauregard
for the murder of John Mealey stirred
old memories in the mind of Mrs.
Eugene Flick, 632 w, Wilson street,
Madison.
Mrs. Flick was intimately known
to all the indians in that northern
wilderness during the numbering
days. She and her husband moved
into Bayfield, county in 1899 when the
Hines and the Weyerhausers were
cutting timber by the million feet.
Mr.. Flick worked in the camps during
the winter while she held down a
homestead site for Ernest Sauve,
then mayor of Iron River, an ad-
joining town.
| The Indians had village of their
own which had probably 80 houses.
Here the age old feuds took the best
stock of the tribes as each death was
avenged in primitive fashion by some
young buck. in the slain ones clan.
John and Charley Beauregard We're
brothers and Louis was a cousin to
them. Their father had been kill
ed in ambush years before and their
main duty in life wgs the avenging
of his death. Another brother had
beenbutchered in his tent shortly
after his fathers de4th by having
his head crushed with an axe.
John, Charley and Louis got into
a brawl one night aud when Louis
slashed the arm of 4 Charley. In
the mixup Louis's face was smash
ed and John went on his trail with
a Winchester. Louis hid under a
haypile in the loft of shed just
beyond the cabin where Mrs. Flick
and her 18 months old baby were
living. Louis was in terrible con-
dition, his entire face was a mass
of Jagged flesh and broken bone.
In the backyard of the Flick home
stead John was waiting with loaded
Winchester ready to take the life
of his suffering cousin. His per-
sistent questioning had obtained no
information from Mrs. Flick, be-
cause to become involved in the vari-
Gus quarrels of the indians meant
constant trouble for the lone woman.
The outcome of the quarrel was the
estrangement of the brothers and
cousin for a long period when a new
trouble banded them together again
for mutual safety.
Liquor was the cause Of most of
the Indian fights. Bootleggers made
big sums SLING forbidden booze on
the reservations until government
agents on their rounds locked up
the leaders. One of these dealers
owned a summer resort on one OF
| the bigger lakes which were be-
coming the hot weather haunts OF
southern residents. Failure to OBJ
tain their regular ration of whiskey
angered the Indians and they set
| fire to the resort on winter night,
Before a warning could be sent to
this deserted outpost the wife and
three daughters of the liquor deal
Ter were burned to death.
John "Redbird" Beauregard is not
recruit in the murder squad. Some
years ago he was convicted OF the
murder of "Jim' MITCHELL half
breed member of the Indian village.
Jim Mitchell, was not full fedged
member of the Indian tribe and sus-
/ picion of his loyalty 10 his compan-
ions. was often registered by the
Headers. Whether justly or unjustly
he was connected with the murder
of Redbird's father and brother
Redbird served four and one half
years for the Staying of Mitchell
and after his release lived as a her
nit in shack where the body OF
Mealey was found.
/ Mrs. Flick lived on the homestead
site for two years and then return
ed to town. The site was in Sec
/ ton of uncleared land grants which
the government had just opened. In
Vulnerable small lakes dotted the
region an dthe timber was SO dense
that the sky was invisible during
1.-The day. Wild animals chased each
other around the cabin at night un-
til sleep was impossible. Wolves
were SO bold that they bothered the
horses in the barn and killed small
lgame in quantities One morning
when she went into the yard four
wolves were under an old wagon
back of the barn. They disappeared
! into the woods on sight of Mrs. Flick
| with a rife in her hands. Many of
the lakes in the region were unnamed
/ 4 L LoI