INDIAN HAS LIVELY IMAGINATION

Claims to be Related to Red Tomahawk and the Famous Sitting Bull

Chief Hiawatha Wi Shea-Ri-Wa-Ken-Ka-Wa, 47-year old Indian arrested at Marshalltown and brought to Des Moines to answer charges of impersonating an officer, told federal authorities a badge of the Illinois state police, found in his possession, was given him personally by William Hale Thompson, who directed him to guard the polls at the last Chicago City election.

Officers told him he would be arraigned Monday and suggested that he take an American name, but he refused. He said he spent his early life on the Rosebud and Pine Ridge reservations of South Dakota and later attended Carlyle Institute. He said his grandfather was Sitting Bull, famous medicine man of the Sioux nations, and his father was White Cloud. Of his 14 brothers and sisters, he mentioned Red Cloud, who engineered the bloody massacre of Fort Phil Kearney, and Red Tomahawk, who [decorated] Queen Marie of Rumania, when she visited this country. Records show that Chief Hiawatha served in the World war with distinction. He carries many scars, some of which he claims were inflicted by shrapnel. Others apparently are bullet wounds.

"Either the Indian held at Des Moines on charges of impersonating an office has a vivid imagination or someone familiar with a few noted Sioux names has attempted to [ ] a bit," said Major A. B. Welch, Mandan, authority on Dakota Indian traditions, when shown the Associated Press dispatch.

"Sitting Bull's children all died in infancy. Hence the Des Moines indian could hardly be a blood grandson. Red Tomahawk is in his 80^th year and was no relation to Red Cloud. The latter was an old warrior, in his 70's, back in 1874, so Hiawatha's brothers are tribal and not blood kin. The name Hiawatha is foreign to the Sioux. The Indian very probably went overseas however, lots of them did and acquitted themselves with valor. I would like to know his real name," said Major Welch.