Beckham County, OK - Obits: Hochiney (Old Crow), 1904
05 April 2008
Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell)

*********************************************************************
                        USGENWEB NOTICE
                 Copyright.  All rights reserved.
          http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
*********************************************************************

HOCHINEY (Old Crow)
(12 May 1904, Erick Newspaper, Erick, Beckham Co, OK):
To Happy Hunting Grounds.
Hinton, O. T., May 3. - Hochiny (Old Crow) the oldest Arapaho Indian, has
passed to the happy hunting ground of his race and was buried yesterday
with all the ceremonies of his tribe, at the Indian burying ground 4 miles
east of Powderface, on the south side of the Canadian river.  Hochiney is
reported to have been 114 years old, and besides the veneration in which
he was held by members of the tribe because of his age, he was also
honored as the high priest of the Arapaho lodges.
Hochiney is said to have fought in thirteen of the bloodiest battles of
the border warfare and although he gained a great reputation as a fighter
he was never wounded.  On this account he was regarded in almost
supernatural light by the other Indians.  One of the battles in which he
engaged in with 30 other Arapahoes  and an army of Cheyennes was the
battle on the Washita against General Custer.  From this battle he was one
of the very few who escaped.  At another time he led another band of his
tribesmen in pursuit of the Utes and was in turn surrounded by his
enemies.  All were killed save Hochiny who returned bearing scalps.  He
seemed to think more of these scalps than any other of his possessions for
he kept them in a leather pouch and would never let anyone look at or feel
of them.  They were buried with him.

---------------------------------------------------
Return to Beckham County Archives:
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/beckham/beckham.html