8 Conservative.
TRADITION OF THE KAWUIDK.
Grim Origin of the Name Given the
riatte's Small Tributary.
FREMONT , Nob. , Sept 8. Near the
eastern end of the Platte valley in Ne
braska , where the long winding Elkhorn
empties into that river , is a small creek ,
a tributary of the Elkhorn , an insignifi
cant stream , in the dry season only a
series of half stagnant pools fringed
with a rank growth of weeds and grasses
known as the Rawhide. It was given
its unpleasantly suggestive name be
cause on its banks fifty years ago this
season one John Rhines , a would-be
California forty-niner , was skinned alive
by the Pawnees as a punishment for the
murder of a young woman of their
tribe.
At the time the affair occurred the
Kansas-Nebraska bill had not been
thought of , west of the Missouri river
was Indian country and the rich bottom
lauds along the Platte and Elkhorn
rivers were a favorite hunting ground
of the Pawnee. In sight of one of their
principal villages , which was situated
on the south bank of the Platte about
ten miles west of its junction with the
Elkhorn , there was a well-defined trail
along which the government later con
structed the military road to old Fort
Kearney , extending from the Missouri
up the Platte to the fort. Although not
as noted as the trails from St. Joseph
and Kansas City , it was a route which
many of the Mormons took to the
"promised laud" and was traveled by
thousands of emigrants on their way to
the mountains and the coast.
Many of the older residents of eastern
Nebraska are familiar with the tragedy
of the Rawhide , having talked with
men who were in the same party with
Rhines and compelled to see his suffer
ings and death and all the circumstances
of the case are well authenticated.
Rhines' Foolish Ilontt.
The Rhines party came from Wiscon
sin. They crossed the Missouri with
about twenty men and nearly as many
wagons loaded with supplies of pro
visions , mining tools and other equip
ments. They were under the guidance
of an experienced plainsman , and far
better equipped for then : journey than
were many outfits. During the trip
through Iowa Rhines had been almost
continually talking of shooting Indians ,
he had been constantly on the watch for
them , but not one had he seen. He had
repeatedly told his friends that he was
going to shoot the first one he saw.
They paid little attention to his talk , re
garding him as a wild , reckless kind of
a fellow without enough nerve to de
fend himself if they wore attacked , a
worthless coward who would crawl into
his wagon and hide if an Indian came
near the train , and they did not hesitate
to tell him so in emphatic language.
w&zfw m M
This talk , instead of convincing him of
ihe danger in which any hostile spirit
shown toward the Indians would place
ihe whole party , seemed to make him
more determined than ever to make
good his threats. The second camp of
; ho party in Nebraska was on the west
bank of the Elkhorn about ton miles
southeast of the present city of Fre
mont.
On that morning , just as they were
breaking camp , Ehines and a companion
.eft camp and strolled through the tim
ber along the river. A short distance
away was a young squaw picking up
wood. No one else was to be seen and
from their camp out on the open prairie
not a sign of human habitation was
visible , nor had they seen any signs of
Indians the night before. The other
man saw her first and called to Rhinos ,
who was a little distance away : "Say ,
John , see that Indian over there ? Now
is your chance. "
At the sound of his voice the squaw
stopped her work and stood idly looking
at the two men with that stolid indiffer
ent expression so characteristic' her
race. Without saying a word , and
almost at the instant his eyes rested on
the woman , Rhines raised his gun to his
shoulder and , taking deliberate aim ,
fired. The woman dropped dead.
Rhines turned to his companion and
with a smile on his face and with a self-
satisfied , boastful voice , answered :
"Yes , and I've done what I said I'd do.
I've killed him. "
The men glanced hastily through the
timber and , seeing no one , returned to
camp.
"What were you fellows shooting at , "
asked some one as they came up to the
camp.
"AnIndian , " answered Rhines , "the
first one I saw and I killed him. "
The whole party were alarmed and
uncertain which was the safest course
to pursue , whether to turn back toward
the river in the hope of meeting some
other party or hurry ahead , trusting
that some time would elapse before the
dead squaw was discovered by her com
panions. The fact that she was picking
up wood was pretty convincing evidence
that there were Indians in the vicinity ,
though not a sign of them was visible.
Surrounded by Indians.
They started west as fast as their hor-
86s could haul the heavy wagons over
the trail. Before they had gone a half
mile they looked over southeast toward
the Platte and there were a group of
Indians coming toward them as fast as
their ponies could run. South of them
was another and a larger band. Hurry
ing on to the banks of a small creek ,
they hastily hauled their wagons into a
circle. They were now surrounded
completely by a band of several hun
dred thoroughly maddened Indians and
with no possible chance of breaking
'T
away from them. The entire band cir
cled round and round the unfortunate
party , gradually drawing nearer and
nearer.
Suddenly at some unseen or unheard
signal they halted. Several chiefs , ar
rayed in full war paint and feathers ,
came out from the line toward the
wagons. They stopped only a few yards
away and made signals indicating that
they were peaceful and wanted to have
a talk. The guide and several men left
; he shelter of the wagons and went to
where the Indians were standing.
By signs and broken English and
French the chiefs told them that they
wanted the man who had killed one of
their squaws. They were friends of the
white man , for many moons the white
man's trains of wagons had passed over
their hunting grounds and they have
not disturbed them.
An Indian Savr Him Do It.
Now one of the white men alone had
killed the squaw ; they must have his
blood. If he was not given up not a
white man of the party would be spared.
They would wait there a few minutes
until the white man decided what he
would do.
The men went back to the wagons
and an excited discussion followed. The
younger element were for fighting.
They thought they could hold their own
until overtaken by another train and
might possibly slip a man out that night
to the Missouri for help. The more
conservative argued that the Indians
were right , the man had committed a
crime which in a civilized community
would be punishable by death. If they
gave him up they could at least save
themselves ; if they fought the chances
were 100 to 1 against them. It was
finally decided that Rhines must be
given up.
When informed of the decision , Rhines
broke down completely. He alternately
begged and prayed and swore to his
friends to protect him. The case was
decided and he had to go. He was
brought out and given into the custody
of the chiefs.
The chiefs had something more to say.
The white men must stay and see the
punishment of the murderer. As all
hostile demonstrations had ceased aud
as they were completely overpowered
by the Pawnees , they were obliged to
consent.
Indian Justice for Ithines.
The Indians stripped Rhines of all his
clothing and bound him to the ground
with a lariat of rawhide. His compan
ions were placed in plain sight of him.
Around the entire party was a circle of
half-clad warriors , their faces hideous
with paint , and with scalps dangling at
their belts.
This is what followed : The Indians
who had tied Rhines pulled out his
finger nails , next his toenails , then took
