Hide Article Text (OCR)
Hilloun trylansleveBv MAUDE K. WYATT( opy r.gbt 1051, bjr the Home Color Print Co. ^t 1 ESS than a century ago the title .-L* of “chieftain” among Indians; I. v of old Indian Territory meant - headship and undisputed power.Now there is not much left hut the title,and the present generation has almost forgotten the days when they were a war-like and independent nation. Yet in sections of Oklahoma some trace of the old days remain in local customs and beliefs.For example, the ideapersists with many Indiansthat there are two codes of law—the man-made laws of the States and the unwritten laws of the tribe to which they paid homage, and to which, even now, they are compelled at certain times to apply to their more intimate relationships. Far back in the early days of the present century tribal teachings were instilled into the hearts and minds of theseprimitive people until unconsciously their conduct was guided largely by these teachings.For instance, if a man, either Indian or white, stole another man’s cow, the beast had to be returned together with a year's supply of feed; if one killed another without provocation, or stole hiswife, or his betroth lt;1 sweetheart, the tr.bal penalty was death; if an innocent person was falsely accused of perpetrating a crime, bad luck or sudden and terrible death was destined to bt fall theone who brought the accusation.True Story of Tribal CodeAbout thirty years ago there lived in the Cherokee Hills of eastern Oklahoma, near Wauhillau, a youth by name of Charner Tidwell. Many persons in that part of the State will recall the sad case of thispromising young man of a highly respected family, and the long term of ve.irs he spent behind prison walls where he was sentenced to life imprisonmentfor a murder he did not commit. Miss Alice Rol^rt-son, Oklahoma’s only congresswoman, became intrrested in the youth and through her influence obtained his freedom, but belief was quite general among the Indians that a curse would fall upon the h*»ads of his accusers and all thor.e who had anything to do withhis conviction.Perhaps some of those ancient superstitions were contemporary with thetime in old Salem when witches were burned at the stake, lie that us it may,nothing can shake the faith of a once primitive folk in retributive justice. 1'iven the white race believe in it to a considerable extent. Take for instance the case of Lord Carnavaron, who died while in command of the expedition thatexcavated the tomb of Tut-Ankh-Amenin Fgvpt. A cur^e had been pronounced by the great Pharaoh King, Tut-Ankh-Amen. upon anyone who should disturb his tomb. This was*only one of a number of similar cases scoffed at by science, but which to the Indians of C herokee Hills held a far deeper meaning as applied to the real things of life,and in proof of their contention they point to the record of vengeance which has seemingly been visited upon every person who had anything to do with theconviction of innocent Charner Tidwell.Vengeance Is MineYoung Tidwell was employed on the farm of Wil iam Brown in whatwas known as Rabbit Tran Hollow,” a country community located near Stillwell in the old Cherokee Nation. United States marshals and United States constables were in charge of that territory. One morning Brown was found murdered and nil evidence pointed to Tidwell as the murderer. Ho was arrestedRetribut ive Justiceby a United States constable, J. A. Hensley, and turned over to a United States marshal known as “Long-Haired-Joe” Payne. Payne had charge of Tidwell during the trial. Judge John R. Thomas sat on the bench and passed sentence of life imprisonment in the federal penitentiary on the youth for killing Brown.Mrs. Brown, wife of the murdered man. was the main witness agamst Tidwell. She testified that there had been some dispute between her husband and the youth over his wages and that Tidwell had slain his employer in her presence.Record of Bad LuckNothing of coincidence or chance in the eyes of the people of Cherokee Hills is found in the tragic ending of those persons who had a part in condemning innocent Charner Tidwell to years of imprisonment.In 1913 Hensley met sudden and violent death when he was hurled underneath the wheels of a moving train at a railway crossing, near Muskogee, while driving homeward in his auto. “Long-Ilnlred-Joe” fell a victim to tuberculosis, the most dreaded disease in the Cherokee country, and died at Tahlequahafter a long illness.Judge Thomas, a charitable and just Judge, who dealt fairly and faithfully with the public, was told many yearsafter he had passed sentence upon young Tidwell that there might have been crooked work during the trial. He went immediately to the penitentiary to investigate and question a convict there —one who had been a witness in the case. \\ hile inside tin* penitentiary walls a mutiny broke out and a shot fired by a convict hit him in the breast, killing him instantly.Mrs. Brown, wife of the murdered Brown, contracted tuberculosis after her second marriage with a man by thename of Gregory. On her death bed it is saiil she confessed that she had testified falsely at Tidwell’s trial and admitted that her first husband was slain by Gregory.A series of misfortune, followed by an untimely death, is said to have overtaken the attorney who prosecuted Tidwell.Thus the record of had luck that followed persons who took a prominent part in the persecution and conviction of an innocent youth has had its effect on the minds of the hill country folks. With reverential awe they recall the wording of the old proverb (or maybe, a curse) handed down from time immemorial among the Indians, “Bad luck and sudden death is certain to befall anyone who falsely accuses an innocent person of a crime.”
Newspaper Details
Canyon News
Canyon, Texas, US
Thu, Feb 05, 1931
Page 10
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
AU 10 Mar 2019
Other Publications Near Canyon, Texas
Canyon City News
The Randall County News
Canyon Stayer
Canyon Sunday News
Canyon News
