Sunday, April 29, 2007

'Squaw Enters Happy Hunting Grounds' (Suicide), Worthless Husband

Reno, 1905

A YOUNG SQUAW TAKES HER LIFE

HATTIE JONES GOES TO THE HAPPY HUNTING GROUNDS BECAUSE OF HER WORTHLESS HUSBAND

Hattie Jones, a young Indian squaw, has gone to the happy hunting grounds and her erstwhile faithless husband, who has the more pronounced ideas of the Mormon church, will have the opportunity to woo his new found love.

Hattie's heart was broken because her husband played fast and loose with other squaws of the lodge, and because of this she took her own life.

It is a rare occurrence for an Indian to commit suicide. The death of the woman was reported to the police yesterday morning and after an investigation by the officers it was found that she had taken a quantity of wild parsnips the night before and this was the cause of her death.

Hattie was happy until a few weeks ago when the first papoose came and then her man took to caring for another squaw and made life miserable for Hattie.

The Chief of Police acted the big chief to the departed squaw and tried to fix up the domestic infelicity and get things running smoothly in the family affairs, but as soon as her husband, John Jones, would get out of sight of the police station, he would hurry to the side of another comely squaw by the name of Hattie Moore, and then Hattie's troubles would begin all over again.

On Thursday night Hattie's rival called at the Jones' tepee and gave the former a severe beating. This was resented by Hattie, who immediately drew a knife and proceeded to cut up the Moore squaw, when the latter and a number of friends who were along fled.

Hattie was arrested at the time of the cutting, but as soon as the facts in the case were made known to the officers, she was released.

The husband and his paramour were placed in jail yesterday but as no evidence of crime has been found, it is probable they will not be prosecuted.

—Daily Nevada State Journal, Reno, NV, Feb. 26, 1905, p. 1.

Comment: The article is so cold and callous, so unbelievable that they thought making Indian jokes would be a good way to handle a matter like this.

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