Show of flu J CHIEFS By EDITHA L. L WATSON As Aa he was lighting his pipe a ayoung ayoung ayoung young Shawnee suddenly went Into Inton a n trance No one expected r such a thing of ot 1 him He TIe was dull t and given to drink- drink drinkIng drinkIng Ing to excess and noel t trances 1 a n c 0 s were so soY Y i that perhaps r d rare p 1 the tho Shawnee In that ray r village had bad never heard of ot them So they took It for r granted that he was waa dead l 1 lamented a am m e en n t e d loudly after s the fashion of their people and prepared pre pro pared for a funeral Nothing was further from tram their thoughts than that the tho supposed corpse would revive and one may Imagine their consternation when the Indian spoke again However he had that to tell which caused them to forget their fears I have seen Been heaven Call Can the nation together er that I may tell them what has appeared to me mel melHe I He announced that he had been given a n wonderful new revelation from the Master of Life Lite He had visited the spirit world and nod seen behind the veil of ot past and future He had bad found that evil Is la punished and good rewarded there and he also learned that the IndIans Indiana were not living a good life Ute Here he denounced ced witchcraft and strong trong drink and stated that those who continued to drink would have havea a fiery flery punishment hereafter the the pain of ot burning would be theirs and flames would shoot from their mouths Sorcery and medicine were also wrong the prophet stated but other of ot the old Indian customs were the right ones and should be rein reIn- stated The old should be respected and the Infirm taken care of ot Property Property Prop Prop- erty should be owned In common as had been the tho case In ancient times White men should not be al allowed allowed at- at lowed to marry Into tho the tribe and andIn andIn andin In fact civilization should be rejected reject reject- ed entirely The Shawnees should return to the 01 old 1 ways of life Ute as aa they were before the white men came And thus said the revelation revelation revelation tion happiness would come once again to the red mans man's heart His Ills Indian hearers received these commands with considerable excitement excite excite- excite ment The belief bellet In a Messiah was strong In every everyone one of ot the vanquIshed vanquished vanquished van van- race and this seemed to be bea ben a n message of ot hope The strong personality personality per per- of ot the prophet Impressed them and although he was blind In one eye the other seemed to hold holda a magnetic power Tho name he now assumed was The Open Door and he be became known to the whites simply as the Prophet It Is doubtful doubtful doubt doubt- ful tul from his Intrigues If It he had any real belief In his trances He would have hate appeared more genuine If It he had avoided politics However ho he adroitly directed suspicion of ot witchcraft against those who spoke In hIs hla disfavor and sometimes went too far tar In his zeal z thus harming his hla cause Greenville Ohio was waa the site chosen by the tho Prophet tor for his head head- quarters Here tho the campaign assumed assumed assumed as as- a like business-like air Indians from other tribes flocked to hear the vigorous speaker and his rep representatives reps representatives rep rep- were sent cent from the Blackfoot country to Florida spreading spreadIng spread spread- Ing the report of ot his marvelous supernatural supernatural supernatural su su- su- su messages An eclipse of ot the sun occurred In 1800 had predicted predict predIct- ed this event and the tho fulfillment of ot othis his hla words served served to to stamp him as ns asa asa a true prophet The Tho other tribes accepted accepted accepted ac ac- ac- ac him without further question and began to work along the tho lines Iio ho manned There were two outstanding points about propaganda within four tour years he said some somo awful awful awful aw aw- aw- aw ful catastrophe would happen and only those who believed In the prophet would be safe This added to the numbers gathered around him Then the northern tribes advanced advanced advanced ad ad- the Ule Idea that a confederacy could be formed which would drive tho white men back and this Idea was eagerly adopted At tho the battle of ot TIppecanoe In which more than a thousand converts converts converts con con- verts to the Prophets Prophet's creed were engaged Harrison won a decisive victory over the In Indians Indiana causing them a considerable loss As had had claimed that ho he could avert death In battle this blow v was wasa a severe one and he lost his prestige prestige pres pres- tige Use on this account His work however had acquired too 00 great an Impetus to stop The War Var of 1812 brought this ferment to It Its ill height The British were wore quick to see the tho advantage of ot such an nn Indian league on their side and made good use of ot the opportunity The Creek war of ot 1013 was another result of ot the Prophets Prophet's teachings After the War of ot 1812 awa was given a pension by the He lie lived for some somo years in Canada finally Anally returning to the United States and died In Kansas In n November 1831 His burial place Is unknown Q 1932 1132 W Western ern Nw W ee r Union UnIon J |