advisable to keep on good terms with beings who repaid insult with thunder, lightning and iron hail.

THE INDIAN MURDERER.

In April, 1825, Kish-kaw-ko killed an Indian in Detroit, in the presence of Uncle Harvey Williams, on Water street near the center of the present depot of the D. & M. R. R. The dead Indian was taken to Harvey Williams' blacksmith shop, an inquest was held by Coronor Benjamin Woodworth, while Kish-kaw-ko and his son were conveyed to the fort. The jury found the Indian guilty; but the criminal drank the hemlock in his prison and died before a trial could be had. His son, who was no party to the deed, escaped.

OKEMOS, OR OKIMA.

During

For an account of this celebrated Indian see page 56. the treaty negotiation at Saginaw he was one of the most pronounced supporters of the motion to accept it.

NEH-WAY-GO.

In the history of the Chippewa Indians there cannot, perhaps, be found a character so magnificently stoic, or so rashly courageous as he whose name heads this notice. He was as gentle as a lamb when stroked, but the moment he encountered opposition, he became at once a fierce savage and remained one until those who posed his speech or interests fell. W. R. McCormick, in referring to this Indian warrior, says:

op

"For the particulars of the following tragic story I am indebted to Hon. E. S. Williams. It occurred while he was trading with the Indians at Saginaw, some time before De Tocqueville's visit and about two years before I came to the Saginaw Valley. The event was witnessed by Messrs. Williams, Judge Jewett, Col. Stanard and others, and strangely illustrates the peculiarities of frontier life and of the Indian character.

"Neh-way-go was a young Saginaw brave, living, in his earlier life, at Green Point, which is at the mouth of the Tittabawassee river, and in his later years upon the shores of the Saginaw Bay. He is described as a model of native strength and grace. While living at the former place he killed a son of Red Bird who lived on the Tittabawassee river. The relatives demanded satisfaction, and by Indian laws his life was the forfeit. He presented himself at the chief mourner's wigwam, where the warriors of the family of the deceased had assembled, and informed them that he had come for them to strike at his heart. He bared his bosom and took his position for the selected number to pass by him and inflict the knife wound. the mortal thrusts.

They passed and inflicted, as they hoped, That done, and Indian usage being satisfied,

he was making the best speed he could with his streaming wounds to his own wigwam, when he was struck in the back by a cowardly Indian, inflicting a severe stab, but, as it is appears, like the other blows, not fatal. He was yet enabled to reach his own wigwam, some distance off, where his young wife was waiting, not expecting ever to see him alive again. She received him and bound up his wounds. He was restored after fearful suffering.

"After this event he removed to Kawkawlin, where he remained until his wounds were nearly healed. When he came up to Saginaw in a canoe with his wife, to do some trading at the Indian trading post of the American Fur Company, which was then operated by G. D. and E. S. Williams, he was not yet able to get out of his canoe and go to the trading post, which was but a few rods from the river, without the aid of his paddle to lean upon. B. O. Williams, who was there at the time, describes him as a walking skeleton. "Some Indians were there at the time. They sent word to O-sow-wah-bon's band at Green Point, some two miles distant, that Neh-way-go had arrived at the American Fur Company's trading post. The Messrs. Williams were well aware that if they met there would be a dreadful tragedy. They therefore placed persons to watch whether any Indians came from that direction. It was not long before O-sow-wah-bon and two Indians were seen approaching, while Neh-way-go was still by his canoe, standing on the bank of the river leaning on his paddle. He was told by the Messrs. Williams to get into the canoe with his family and go down the river. This he refused to do, saying he was no coward, but like a brave man patiently awaited the attack. E. S. Williams went and met O-sow-wah-bon and told him he must go into the store, as he wanted to see him. After he was inside, the door was closed and he was told that they knew his business, and that he must now give up his knives. He reluctantly drew his knife from his sheath and handed it to B. O. Williams. They asked him if he had any more, and if so, to give them up or they would search him. He finally pulled out another which he had concealed down his back. They then asked him if he had any more; he said "No," when E. S. Williams said he would have to search him, which he refused to submit to. Mr. Williams clinched him, and with the assistance of B. O. Williams, now of Owosso, and some others, after a severe struggle, as O-sow-wah-bon was a very powerful man, they threw him on the floor. While B. O. Williams and some others were holding him, E. S. Williams commenced the search, and inside the legging they found a large knife, a very formidable weapon and as sharp as a razor. When Mr. Williams drew it from his legging he caught it by the blade and refused to give it up; the result was, before they could wrench it from his grasp, it had nearly severed his hand in two. They then let him up and dressed his wound. While this proceeding was going on, B. O. Williams and another person slipped out of the back door and found Nehway-go still standing on the shore leaning on his paddle, awaiting the attack, while his wife was sitting in the canoe crying.

They

told him to get into his canoe and be off, which he refused to do, repeating he was no coward. They then took him by main force, put him into the canoe with his wife and shoved it from the shore, and ordered his wife to paddle him home and not to come back again. · He returned to his home on the Kawkawlin, where he soon after fully recovered from his wounds.

"Finding the coward afterward upon his hunting ground, who had inflicted upon him the wound in the back, he visited him summarily with Indian vengeance-death. Soon afterward the Indians were assembled in large numbers at Saginaw at an Indian payment, when an altercation ensued between Black Beaver, an Indian of considerable note, and the brave Neh-way-go. The former reproached him with the outrage he had committed upon the Indian who had struck him in the back. Neh-way-go defended the act as just and brave; the reproof was repeated, and upon the instant he slew Black Beaver. This was at the upper end, where the city of East Saginaw stands, near where the upper bridge crosses the river in the vicinity of the old Curtis-Emerson mill. Black Beaver and his band were here encamped. On the west side of the river, on the open plain near where the residence of E. J. Ring now stands, Neh-way-go and his band were encamped.

"After the bloody deed Neh-way-go crossed over to the west side of the river amongst his own people. A warrant was at once issued by Colonel Stanard for his arrest, acting as Justice. Nehway-go fled back to the east side of the river, and accompanied by a friend, secreted himself in the woods upon what is now the site of the city of East Saginaw. He preferred to trust himself on the same side of the river with the tribe whose leading warrior he had stricken down than to endure the mortification of arrest and punishment of the white man's laws. He sent word to two of his white friends, Antoine Campau and Ephraim S. Williams, desiring them to cross the river and come to the woods in which he was secreted, when by giving a signal he would come to them. They did so and he soon made his appearance. He informed them that he had sent for them for advice; that the white man's punishment (imprisonment) was only fit for cowards; death by the hands of his own race was glorious in comparison, if any relative of Black Beaver should choose to make it a cause for vengeance. They advised him to cross back to his own camp, present himself to his people, and let the affair take the course warranted by Indian usage. The arrest by the officer was waived and he presented himself at his own camp openly.

"The hour for the burial of Black Beaver arrived. An immense number of Indians, from two to three thousand, were present, as it was Indian payment at Saginaw at the time, as mourners and spectators. The place of burial was just below the old Campau house on the brow of the hill, west of where A. W. Wright's planing mill now stands and near where Neh-way-go and his band were encamped. The body had been placed in the coffin.