INDIANS OF MADISON COUNTY -- ABRAM ANTONE, MARY ANTONE, AND KONKAPOT History of Madison County, state of New York by L. M. Hammond, Syracuse, NY 1872

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INDIANS OF MADISON COUNTY -- ABRAM ANTONE, MARY ANTONE, AND KONKAPOT

History of Madison County, state of New York by L. M. Hammond, Syracuse, NY 1872

The town of Hamilton, which, at the present day, exhibits to the eye of the traveler such broad, rich and beautiful farms, handsome dwellings, and which bears such evidences of that substantial progress in business and learning which belongs to older countries, was, eighty ears ago, when the pioneer first set foot upon her soil, a fast sweeping wilderness, still tenanted by the Oneidas and Stockbridges, who fished in her streams, hunted her deer, encamped in her valleys, and made their journeys through her territory, to and from the Susquehanna. The New York State documents and papers, cite us to their occupation of this land three hundred years ago, and from time to time point to their journeyings down the Chenango to their own Susquehanna lands. The pioneer found their well-worn trail, and their camping grounds upon the flat near the Forks, (Earlville,) which were readily designated by Indian implements being scattered all about their deserted camp fires---not wholly deserted, for they annually came and spent a season in basket-making, to a period as late as 1815.

Within the memory of our younger inhabitants, the Stockbridge tribes, with an old chief, Konkerpot, as their leader, used to visit Fisherman's Pond, on the farm of O. B. Lord, Esq., near Poolville, where, under a pair of large cherry trees, they made their baskets.

Year by year, as the plowman upturns the soil, some relic is brought to the surface, such as hatchets, arrowheads, pipes, stone pestles, &c., implements similar to those found in other localities. It is not a long time since Squire Lord picked up, on his farm above named, two specimens of Indian antiquity, the like of which we have not seen elsewhere. Holes were chisled [sic] out to represent the eyes---or eye-sockets---and a place cut to represent the mouth. In the center of those eye-sockets, is curiously wrought in what might indicate the sight of the eye; a bright spot of flint in those of one, and of white sandstone in the other. Both these specimens are common cobble stones, the largest being the lightest colored, and which has, also, three round holes drilled, or chiseled, in the back of the head. If we were to decipher the meaning of those holes, we should say that the person whom this was designed to represent, was killed by being shot twice in the head from behind, one ball passing out at the top of the head. Indian hieroglyphics mean much more than we can decipher, and the light color of this head, the perpendicular forehead, the dimple chiseled in the chin, the light sand stone eye-sight, the bullet holes in the head, have a strange story of their own, which we should be glad to read.

The trail which the Indians kept well worn, came from Oneida Creek and passed down the Chenango branch through the west part of Hamilton. Two miles below Hamilton village was a frequent camping ground.

One winter, about 1810, a company of about seventy encamped here and built their wigwams; lived for some months, and made their baskets; roamed about the forest and among the settlers; hunted a little and exhibited their wild customs considerably, all winter. However, they appeared to be rather peaceably disposed, and the white inhabitants on the west side of the creek became quite accustomed to their wild whoops and strange habits.

The tragedy in which Mary Antone acted a horrible part, occurred here a few years later. The party to which she and the Antone family belonged, had encamped upon land now known as the farm of J. D. Smith, Esq., and erected seven large wigwams. It was in autumn, and they were intending to spend the winter here. The young squaw toward whom Mary felt such a vindictive hatred, was fine looking, but was spoken of by some of the Indians, as "no good." She had been maneuvering to captivate the attention of Mary's Indian, a young Stockbridge, to whom, it is said, Mary had been some time married, according to the Indian form. The girl was making a basket for Mrs. Hannah Waters, of Hamilton village, and was in the act of putting in the handle, when Mary came upon her suddenly, and struck her with an Indian knife. Not satisfied with one blow, she repeated it, until she had inflicted seven wounds in her right side, which produced her death. Mary made some little effort to conceal herself in the woods, but was found with very little difficulty, behind a log, curled up like a wild animal. She, however, immediately resumed her proud bearing, for she possessed a good form and rather handsome features. She then appeared twenty years of age, or thereabouts. She manifested a remarkable indifference as to her fate, and when told that she would be hung for the murder, she replied that she did not care, and signified that had the girl lived, she would at some future time have taken her life. She added: "She got away my Indian, and deserved to die."

Mary was put in irons and held in confinement for a few days at Mr. Howard's tavern in Hamilton. Howard kept the house which is now kept by Mr. Ingalls. In this house the jury of inquest held their consultation.*

Of the jurors who were impanneled on the inquest, both ante and post mortem, the following are a part of the names:---Gen. Nathaniel King, Daniel Smith, Elisha Payne, Azel Tinney, Jabin Armstrong and Samuel Payne. Of these men, only Jabin Armstrong is now living.

There was great excitement attending the trial, which Abram Antone contended was no business of the white man's. He believed that the laws of New York had no jurisdiction over the Indians. The Oneida Chief was consulted, who gave her up to be tried by our courts. This proceeding Antone treated with contempt, declaring the chief's authority to be no greater than his own in such a case. Indeed, it is said by some that by right Antone was an Oneida Chief. The head Chief of that nation was considered an enemy to Antone.

During her stay at Hamilton, many persons visited her, to whom at first she was quite communicative, although she could speak English but brokenly. Her father brooded about the premises with a sullen cloud upon his brow, till he obtained an interview with Mary. After this she answered no more questions of the bystanders. She was removed from here to the jail at Whitestown, and after her trial was hung at Peterboro. Throughout the whole proceeding, in her trial and at her execution, even in her latest moments, she appeared extremely cool and indifferent.

John Jacobs, an Indian, the principal witness against her, and who was most active in her arrest, became ever after the object of her father's hatred, whose murder by Antone, a few years later, and the subsequent events connected with Antone's life, created an excitement which can never be forgotten so long as the generation of that day exists.

* William White, of Hamilton, Deputy Sheriff, captured Mary Antone.