The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1949-12-22

alone to the place of execution.
When the hour of death arrived
Leatherlips shook hands in silence
with the spectators. Then he turned
and with surprising strength and
richness in his voice, commenced the
chant of his death song.
Walking slowly towards the place
where he was-to die, Leatherlips was
closely followed by the Wyandotte
warriers who timed their steps to the
wild and melancholy beat Of his
dirge. The white men who had been
at the trial followed the Wyandottes,
keeping time to their steps in silence.
After walking 10 or 80 yards the
procession came to new and snail
low grave, which unknown to the
white men, had been dug for the old
chief even before his trial.
Kneels at Grave
There Leatherlips knelt and IN an
elevated but solemn chant, addressed
his last prayer to the Great Spirit.
What he said, the whites did not
understand. They spoke no Indian
language. When Leatherlips had
finished, the captain of the Indian
guard knelt by him and prayed IN a
like manner. When the warrior had
| finished the old chief again began to
pray, his voice wavering into silence.
Then all was still for a few
moments.
No weapon of any kind was IN
sight at the place of execution. All
the rifles belonging to the party had
been left at the nearest wigWam'
Consequently no spectator was able
n determine the method the warriors
had decided to use in the execution
Suddenly one of the warriors ore"
from beneath the skirts OIL ms
capote, a keen, bright and new toma-
hawk. He walked up behind the old
chief and brandishing the weapon on
high for a moment, struck with all
his might.
The blow descended directly on
the crown of Leatherlips' head and
the victim fell forwards on his face
After the old chief had lain in the
agonies of death for awhile, the
Indian captain called the white mems
attention to the drops of sweat which
had gathered on Leatherlip's neck
and face. That, he told them witt
apparent exultation, was conclusive
proof of the old chieftain's guilt.
Again the executioner advanced
and with the same weapon strucl
several more heavy blows. Aftel
them Leatherlips' body twitched M
more and the drops of sweat were
gone.
When the Indians were certain
that the old chief was dead, his bod!
was taken up and buried In th'
shallow grave, clad in all the finer!
and decorations he had put on to die
Then both the Indians and whit
spectators melted away through tn
forest in various directions. TIL
Indian courts had decreed = tn
sentence had been carried out an
Justice had been done.
| White men for long declared tina
the captain of the Indian execution
ers was Tarhe, better known as "th
Crane" That Tarhe denied and hi
word was supported by other re
men. 1t was almost certain how
ever, that the original order c
Leatherlips' arrest, trial and deaf
came directly from the headquarter
of "the Prophet" and his brothe
Tecumseh.
Friendliness of some of the Wyar
dottes in Franklin County for tn
white people had long been commo
gossip among the Indians. In 179
when a surveying party on the Sciot
4 | tdL SOluiilDuS SItcD hdu oiiy eAiis
scanty meals in four days, they can
to Wyandotte cabin whose occupar
gave them all the provisions he an
his family had-two rabbits and
small piece of venison. This, tt
Indians pointed out, was strane
conduct as the Wyandotte's fatht
had been murdered by the whites
time of peace. The father of one {
I the surveyors had been killed by IL
Indians too, the savages related, b'
n added that it was in wartime. Thu
I the Indians reasoned, the Indian ha
more cause for hostility against II
whites than the white men HI
{ against the Indian.