AN INDIAN GIRL’S REVENGE

New Zealand Times, Volume LXX, Issue 3862, 4 October 1899, Page 2

AN INDIAN GIRL’S REVENGE

KILLS HER TORTQRK. ■ : <Dp.OPS AVATER ON piS HEAD v V\ UNTIL HE DIES. < ■ The New York Journal reports a crime from the Indian territory, which equals in deliberate cruelty, any of the <teedg of the mtffderesFs-Lhdiah ancestors. -Miss Hattie Red-Bird» a quarter-bred Cherokee Indian girlA Has beem arrested for killing her sweatheart, Joseph Ryan, by pouring ice ‘wat"er for 'l4 houi-s—drop hy drop—upon his head. TJu- Nctv Y’ork papers contain full .’-acoQunts of the crime, from which ,we .make the following extracts ; A;;;. .A.-----. * A.‘.A ::-/4’HEIMOTIYE.L-- i Hattie Red-Bir{l; is ar pretty giri, witlj just enough Indian blood in her veins to make her treacherous.-'-- She- has black eyes and hair, a fair, complexion, and pretty form. Haying' attended the. Carlisle india-n Schobl for a number of years, she was well educated when she returned to the Cherokete country last summer. Joseph Ryan was a young merchant of Tahlequah, one of the few white traders of that place. He met Hattie Red-Bird at a reception one night, ana became her slave. The two seemed to love each other desperately, so the neighbours say, who watched the progress of events. All went well until Joseph Ryan met another Indian maiden, whose beauty attracted him more. Then he began to forget Miss Red-Bird. .

The Red-Birds are quite prominent Indians around Tahleqnah.: * 'They .have a beautiful home near ;the outskirts of the town. One day all the family went away on a visit except Hattie. She remained behind to enjoy n needed rest, she said. That night, however," she /sent a note to Joseph Ryan asking, linn .to "call on her. ‘.‘lt is the last time I will ever ask a favour of you,”, she wrote, “so please come early. I have so many important things to say to you.” GOES TO HIS DEATH. Joseph’s heart was not so hardened as to resist the appeal of his old love, so did not know. What followed is told by the girl herself in a signed confession. “Joseph came, and we talked of everyday events for awhile; then I asked him why he had commenceo. going with Bertie Sanders. He gave me a short answer, and said it was none of my business. That made me mad, and I was tempted to shoot'him dead then and there. . But I did not lorget my first purpose —to torture him to death. So I smiled sweetly, and passed it off. I told him that I had another fellow, and we’d just let things pass.. He seemed pleased, and said that would be best. Then I brought out the wine which I had drugged, and asked him to drink with me and forget. ' I was surprised he did not suspect something then, as he was always so quick to catch on, but he did not, and drank the wine right down. In a. feiy_minutes., the drugs, had done then* work, and he fell asleep. I tied liis hands, and shoved him into the closet.” _ ; ‘ .. .. ri ~ , ~, jyhich (i th'ey mpr'dresyi I imentions of the dimngrodnleb.lt as justiilargei enough to ihold.'.thaJiotlyi-df. a'qjersohyof average size',u3tasid , ltt^lAliP ! stj i aight. AiJi There'hre shelves running back some six’Thches on all sides, except, where the door opens, and on these shelves were kept the wmo and eliina dishes. When Ryan was pushed Into the closet and the door locked, he was wedged in. tight, and had no room "to move, not even to. turn round. He tried to do this when- being tortured, as his broken ribs proved. Miss Bed'-Bird; continues tier narrative : • » , . ■ i . “After I had locked him up, I- went upstairs and took off the trap-door I .had sawed myself.” ■ This;itrnprdo6£i'dpthed intoj’hvw bedroom from the closet, and* was the same size as’ B thfeGhitprldr‘closet,' Underneath"- lleU'tjjfeiV .hfe’ad ; of her .. on ’thni, sewd. doiibly'her "purpose. “Then J eanripd up aytnb of ice-water and, bringing/.a [high stepeladder, commenced' mTJSdnikiA ItdTbplihdithe ■ water out of a pitcher ‘ for- fourteen hours nearly, - and till.?trlie,f while din begged hie to stop. WlieireVer-Iid 1 woMld’.moye his head to-ohft' , .isidd'‘ £ lilW6iliI il W6ilia l change' the position of ipy ( diqnd, > sq. I thq.t U,nevermissed a drpp ’durin'g Suddenly I;,had drop 7 ped-Jieimy, all .the Avater-lin.-the- tiib, which was kept icepcold by a large piece of ice. I night a.bout ten o’clock,„noon next day he was dead£!&a&'-glhct to say, Ms last words : wese;a,.prayertfdr my forgiveness.”

' M FINDING THE BODY. ' A i ■ ' my 0.1 : 1 ••-:* I Ryan was. not. missed, fr.om,,liis, ,place of bu,sinesB M unjdr when < |us former sweetheaH, 'BerHe'Saaders, gave .the alarm. The officers hastened to jsearch for him, and’oh ‘Wednesday, night they found Jiith, dejid,’ at the Red-Bird -home, ’ He'was 1 -lying dead on the iHiiing- ; room floor.;.- /■ His liead and clothes .were ! wet. -Miss. Re'd-Bird'-.was found upstairs [asleep. , She/had opened the closet- door bafter findingvhim dead, and-let-the'body fall out'bn the fldqi- iso -her pai.ch’ts b ,; some brie - ANfbuld disebyer * it! 0 ‘ Th tn she 'went 'to; Bed; sleeping roundly when arrested.' She irtlmcdutcdy ’ confessed to the crime. She used a pitcher to pour-the jivateicrpn-h'erivictiiii’s head; and it fell a distance otabout-six ur sevbh ifeet. She used about- five gallons of water. > V-re im.U: ■ - -/■: