The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1956-08-30
Indian Witchcraft

Why the some 400 Indians in the
$4,000 acres on the east side of the
Sandusky River were called Senecas
nobody can explain, not a Seneca was
among them. Some were Cayugas and
all were Mingos-the remnants of
Logan's band of fierce outlaws. The
Mingos were no tribe at all but were
a desperate gang made up of worst
elements in every tribe. When an
Indian became too bad to be tolerated
by his own people he went off and
joined the Mingos. The Seneca Mingos
also included Oneidas, Mohawks,
Onondagoes, Eusxarawas and Wyan-
dottes.
About 1926 Coonstick, Steel and
Cracked Hoof left the reservation on
a three years trip of hunting and
also looking for lands for the tribes
new home. The United States govern
ment was trying to take the reserva-
ton from the Senecas.
Comstock, brother of the first two,
then was the principal chief of the
tribe at that time.
When the three Indians got back
laden with furs in 1928 they found
Seneca John, the fourth brother, in
charge of the tribe and that Com
stock had died. Comstock was the
favorite brother and Seneca John i'm
mediately was charged with causing
his death through witchcraft. John
denied this in an eloquent speech
declaring that he had loved his
brother Comstock "more than the
green earth l stand upon and would
give myself limb by limb and shed
my blood to restore him to life"
Nevertheless Coonstick and Steel de-
clared him guilty and named them
selves to be his executors. John an
swered that he was ready to die and
only wanted to live until next morn
ing to see the sun rise again. This
was granted and John told them that
he would sleep that night on Hard
Hickory's perch which fronted the
east and there they would find him
at sunrise.
The condemned man chose that
place because he did not want to be
killed in the presence of his wife and
he wanted Hard Hickory, the chief,
to observe that he died like a
man. Coonstick and Steel slept
that night in an old cabin nearby. In
themorning, accompanied by another
Indian named Shane, they went to
Hard Hickory's house. 1t was little
after sunrise and the chief opened the
door just wide enough to peek out.
He saw John asleep on blanket and
the three Indians standing around
him. One woke the victim who got
up and took off handkerchief which
held up his unusually long hair. The
hair fell around his shoulders.
John then looked at the landscape
all around and took a farewell look
at the risen sun. Then he told the
executicners that he was ready to
die.
Shane and Coonstick each took
John by an arm and with Steel walk
ing behind led him about ten steps
from the porch. Suddenly Steel struck
John on the back of his head with a
tomahawk and the latter fell to the
ground bleeding freely. Thinking him
dead the Indians dragged their victim
to a peach tree beneath which he
soon came to-the blow had been
broken by his great mass of hair.
Knowing it had been Steel who
struck the blow, John said to Coon
stick: "Now brother do you take your
revenge. This awakened Coonstick's
sympathy and he interposed to save
the wounded brother but Steel, en-
ragged more than ever at it, drew his
knife and cut Johns throat ear to
ear.
That ended the execution and next
day Seneca John was buried with the