Show o Chief of Police of Mendota Mendota m o 4 The The time one-time chief chief of of police of Mendota Mendota Mendota Men Men- dota was a little thin dyspeptic man who lived lived about bo t 1882 on on 11 eRed Red River of th the his time his time between raising horses and his official duties as the sole guardian of ot the the peace of that neighborhood He had been chief ten years at this time tim and it was a matter of history that during during this period period pe pe- he had not found it necessary to make a single arrest Mendota was peaceful s ss s East of Mendota lay great stretches of Indian land lIra Many y occupied occupied occupied oc oc- these lands by right of title and were were supposed to have military protection from the government Jt it was a kind of protection though the that highwayman usually gives to toy the victim victim- he is planning to despoil The military never entered entered the district district district dis dis- except when thrifty thrifty settlers thought an Indian scar scare might lead to the expenditure of of considerable government nt money D Despite the he pr pre predatory predatory pre pre- raids of government marshals and bad whisky sellers the Indians did quite well wellin In in the wilds still left to them They rarely rarely suffered suffered- from white brutality except when they visited visited vis vis- the towns lying outside of their own district Then if th they y had money they fell into the hands of unscrupulous unscrupulous lous tous saloon-keepers saloon and sharp merchants merchants merchants mer mer- chants and were fortunate fortunate to escape with their lives It was was' during the heavy snows and Utter bitter cold of January 1882 that a Chippewa 1 brave rave his squaw squaw and a ayo ayoung ayoung yo young young daughter of about about 16 came into Mendota on th their lr snowshoes The Indians Indian's Indians Indian's Indians Indian's In In- dian's name name in English was Red Fox He was known as a hunter of ot skill an abstainer from liquor and a t teller ller of the truth He had rarely been seen in Mendota and h his s co coming ing at at this season sea- sea son eon of the year attracted some som atten atten- tion tion It transpired however that during during during dur dur- ing the previous summer he had contracted contracted con con- with a merchant of the town to bring him certain ertain furs and having laving secured these he felt it to be his duty t to make as prompt delivery deliverY as possible He delivered the furs received his price and would have left Mendota that night but for the tM he heavy vy storm which swept over the valley and which ev even even h he could not face He was given quarters in the office of the one hotel in Mendota and there he and his women women lay down to sleep In their blankets blankets blankets blan blan- early that night What happened later appears in co court rt records that are still bUll In existence During the night there came into the hotel three men from one of ot the interior logging camps They were under the Influence Influence ence of liquor and the sight of the L t 2 L p sleeping brave and his two women let set mad mad fancies fancies' t to whirling l in their brains T They e w woke Red ted Fox ro and jand Td af after r a alo along lo Song long conversation with him mm and and despite de de- spite spit all all all' law induced him to drink with them They carried carried the their r sport sports s so so far that the tho Indian India wild I with the liquor and nd a general ral fight followed During this tight light the daughter daugh daughter ter of Red Fox was killed by one of or orthe the lumbermen and the mother waS wasso was wasso so badly injured ed that she died i the next day The frightened landlord fled fled fied from the hotel with his f family mUy and ran through ugh the blinding snow to the house of the chief of bf f police He aroused that official and begged him to come cometo cometo to tp t the the hotel hotel otel at once once Th That t little dyspeptic dyspeptic dys dys- peptic was out of bed quickly and Into his cl clothes thes He w waited for no assistance assistance assist assist- ance ance but made made his way to to the hotel al alone ne When he enter entered d Red F Fox Fos x was was lying In a a stupor behind the stove stove At Athis t his his feet was feet was the body of his his his' daughter daugh daugh- ter and beyond her the dying mother The lumbermen had fled ed The chief whose nose name was Higgins summoned medical aid and then devoted himself to arousing Red Fox It was was' long longa a after ter daylight when the Indian finally understood what terrible disaster his own folly had brought upon him Higgins Higgins Hig Hig- gins was was was with him when thet the truth came cam home Higgins had nev never never been r been tried as chief of police Higgins had yet a reputation to make The fair name of Mendota had been fouled by bythe bythe bythe the crime of murder The murderers had escaped I will find them said Higgins to Red Fox FOL Red Fox go with you said the In In In- dian dlan Then he went forth and stood a long longtime longtime longtime time by the the body of his dead child chUd and said said no word Then they took him to the room where his wife wife lay dead and he gave no sign there except ex except ex ex- to put his his' h hand nd upon upon her hel fac face After that the citizens of Mendota saw aw the chief and Red Fox go forth into the wilderness with no word of farewell except this from Higgins We w will ll find them Their way led ed them Into the very heart of the wilds of northern Minnesota Minne Minne- sota They lost the trail tran In unto untouched ched I pine forests they found It by frozen streams they missed it in abandoned logging camps they took it up where only the wild fowl and the moose moose had their their home They slept in snowbanks they burrowed Into into the hollows of ot great trees to keep w warmth in their bodies they traveled many mapy a a day without food they told told no one of th the purpose ot of their errand they simply sought three men whom Red Fox knew They passed the Knife and Rum rivers they broke through the i Ice e of the Muddy they slept siept under the glare of the northern lights and woke where the cold endured at 20 and 30 degrees below zero The strangers who met them thought they were wraiths wraiths this this little little thin white white man man an and this tall gaunt eyed gaunt eyed Indian January ended arid and February came but but still they while distant Mendota confidently waited for Higgins' Higgins return One winters winter's morning Higgins and andRed andRed andRed Red Fox came Into a far north lo longing lodging ging camp in In th the Vermilion region and found the loggers at breakfast As they passed among tl the e. e m men n a frightful fright fright- ful expression passed over the face fac of ot otRed Red Fox At the end of tho the dining table sat three young m men men n. n Higgins saw them almost as quick as Red ed Fox He sprang between them and the Indian His coat flew fiew back and his star of office shone forth He cried out I am Higgins chief of police of M Mendota I have warrants for the arrest arrest arrest ar ar- rest of these men f for for r murder They killed this Indians Indian's wife and child Higgins acted quick too in another another another an an- other way Two pistols flew fiew from his bis co coat t pocket one swept the faces of f the three cowering men and nd one covered Red Fox Take that Indian out he be said or he will murder them The lumbermen acted Red Fox was led away Higgins quickly demonstrated demonstrated demonstrated dem dem- his bis case to the foreman of i i Ej the camp and the the three men men secure securely X ly j bound were were turned f ed over over er to to- to hl him D. D 7 Now he had his long Journey home to tomake make He feared to have havo Red Fox with him The I Indian lian did not wish to to wait walt for the tho law of of the white man to- to act Higgins spoke sternly to him and told him to go on ahead and give- give warning to Mendota that he had captured capi cap cap- i tired red the murderers Red River solemnly sol solemnly sol sol- left the camp half a day ahead of Higgins The latter hired a team and a guard He started for Mendota the guard driving the the three prisoners In the middle of the sledge and he in th the rear watching them He brought them safely the first hundred miles mlles of th the jou journey ey The fourth day that that- he was out and still fifty miles mlles from Mendota he came to a heavy pine growth which h must must be passed through The trail was very narrow narrow Higgins t was worn out the driver was watchIng watching watch- watch watching Ing the laboring of the horses th the pris prisoners sat moodily In their furs sp speculating spec speculating spec spec- on the chances of escape Suddenly Suddenly Suddenly Sud Sud- denly out of th the forest shot tongues tongues- of flame fiame and the track crack of rifles Perhaps Perhaps Per Per- er- er haps two rifles were fired maybe more No one one ever knew but the pris prisoners pris- pris prisoners lurched forward dead men and and- the wild cry of vengeance of Red FoX For rang out just once He was' was never nevel neverseen neverseen seen again again- in Mendota or the pine pineforest pine pine- forest Higgins brought the bodies ln in in- He was a chief of police Chicago Chicago Record Record Herald |