An interesting, though pathetic scene was enacted in the Superior Court in Yakima recently. Sahpamequick Twatentush, a young Indian was on trial for his life for killing Sheowit a "bad" medicine man who had cast a death spell over his infant boy. Advised by two medicine women, who had been summoned to treat the child, that they could render no aid unless the man remove his evil spell, the distressed father rode twenty miles horseback to entreat Sheowit to come to the rescue. The medicine man refused, and according to the testimony of an eye witness, and that of the accused himself, he mocked at the sorrow of the father, stating that he had sent an evil spirit into his child's body and that it would die. He angrily exclaimed: "I am a strong man! I want to kill somebody all the time! I have killed your child and I will kill you!" With this he drew a hatchet from beneath his blanket and made an attempt to strike the young man; who dodged and backed away. The enraged medicine man followed him, striking once or twice with the hatchet. It was then that the Indian drew his pistol and killed his assailant. The medicine man was of bad repute, having killed two or more men. For one of the crimes he had served a term in the penitentiary. During the trial, many interesting points concerning the philosophy of the Yakimas were brought to light. It is needless to say that the sympathy of the public was with the defendant, who sat stoical during the trial in full tribal costume. It took the jury but ten minutes to bring in a verdict of not guilty. Barring self defense, the young man in taking the life of Sheowit, had but followed an ancient law of his tribe. It was suggested, by one who attended the trial, that it might serve a good purpose could this unwritten Yakima tamanwit be enforced against some of the quack M. D.s among the whites.
As a side light on the prevailing belief in the powers of the medicine man, the following communication is given.
Mr. L. V. McWhorter,
July 10, 1920.
My White Brother:
In God's will I was to live on this earth for a short time and I am about to lose my nice little son, Senator Leo. He is having awful time talking, repeating the words of the Indian Doctors and this matter nearly set me crazy, and if it was not for my religion I would take my gun and kill the bad Indian Doctors, but my Great God is on my side and he shall save my little boy's soul, but of course, the body will be buried to rot and decay and that my religion tell me this: Thou shall not kill, and I tried my best to save him, but white man doctor can not cure the boy because the boy had Indian doctor sick to which white man has no belief, but this is true as you understand Indian ways. Old Man Tom is a bad one. He killed my mother-in-law and one little child for me. I can not do no further to reach a cure for my little dear son. I had Priest there yesterday giving the little boy blessing and extreme unctions so the boy will die holy. The Indian doctors are killing us right and left this day. This is no lie and I do not know how long the little son live and he will go. He get some times unconscious and this is all my brother.
The sick child died four days later.