Reminiscences: Chapter 2

Reminiscences of Early Peoria
by Odillon B. Slane

Chapter 2
pages 13-14

AN INDIAN MURDER

A YOUNG Indian was stabbed one day in a drunken brawl, by another young Indian. The Indians came to Jonathan Nixon to get a coffin made. The townspeople, discovering that there was to be an Indian funeral, were all agog to find out about the ceremonies of Indian burial.

The Indians had established friendly relations with the whites, even to the extent of transacting business with them in the small white settlement, and so it also happened that a white man, Margium Belford by name, was hired by the Indians to transport the coffin to the Indian burial ground, which was located where the race track and exposition grounds are today.

The whites, thinking all barriers were down, asked Mr. Belford to watch the ceremonies closely and bring back an account to the townspeople. Mr. Belford took his team and sled, (a heavy snow was on), and on the day of the funeral the coffin was loaded, and the Indian relatives and friends clambered aboard and hung to the sides. Arrived at the burial ground, Mr. Belford was stopped by the Indians. They hauled the coffin off of the sled into the snow and then motioned to Belford to leave them and go back. "White man puccachee," they said; so Mr. Belford did not get to see the committment services as we would call them today.

Belford later served in the Black Hawk War. He has a son living in Peoria today, Frank Belford, residence, 201 West Virginia Avenue.
The sequel of this story, told me by my father, who had it from his father, is as follows: A few days after the funeral my grandfather was standing in the lonely twilight outside his cabin when he saw two Indians approaching in deep conversation. They were coming from the Indian Camp. My grandfather quickly recognized them as the young Indian who had killed the other young Indian a few days before. The older Indian was his father. The father was talking earnestly, gesticulating, and perhaps arguing. The younger Indian seemed sullen and morose. They disappeared up the river from the Indian Camp. The next morning the old Indian returned alone.

Later, the white settlement heard that according to the Indian code, the young murderer was expected to pay the penalty for his act, and that his father had secreted him away. This same young Indian who had escaped was killed later in the Black Hawk War, according to hearsay in Peoria.

Note: Frank Belford died October 22, 1929.

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