A Bit Of History

Kn. Cocrier :- I liften been asked for a bistory of the shooting of the Indian "Tongulsh " or "Tonga" ag he wai commonly called, and as often have I rehited the facts as I lcarned ihem 58 years ago. In a paper written for the State Pioneer Society, by Deacon Isaac Masón, and read at a meeting of the society, and publlshed in the 6th Vol. of "Pioneer Collections," page 398, I flud the following: The facts as related by Mr. Manon correspond very nearly wlth the account as stated to me. " While at Ann Arbor on my way west, I learned from Dr. Nichols, of Dexter, the following bit of kistory abo ut the old Indlan chief "Tonguish '' or" Toga " as he was commonly callee! The oíd chief and his son had been to Detroit, and returning had reached 'Tonguiah Plalns,' named after thU chief when thelr dogr nnd one owned by a settler got nto a flght. The settler, to stop the flghtlng struck at the dogs and killed the Indlan'i. At this the yoiing Indian instantly drew his gun and shot the settler dead on the pot. Dr. Kichols, then in Detroit, was sent witli a company o: twenty men to arrest this Indian am bring Uim to justioo. They found old ' Toga' and hls son, but the latter, evad ing tliem, ran away. At this Dr. Nich ols ordered the old man to cali hts son back. He replied, 'He won't come. 'Then I'U snoot him,' responded Nichols The chief perceiving that his son was running in zlg-zag linea, as was tlieir custom to dodge the range of the gun cried out, 'Why don't shoot then?' The words were scarcely uttered before ping. sped a bullet from a lieutenant's rifle The young Indian threw up hi ann gave a ' wlioop ' and feil dead on the ground. Secing bis son fall old Toga stormed, raved and threatened in fierce Indignation. He was Instantly scized am secured. A year after he was killed a