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, \AkEC 9. INTERVIEW.' Jefferson Berryhill,, 553$ yield Worker. June 29,- 1937. ^ >' ;. Abraham Stiakeya. The.Sacaped Killer. Interview!With Alec Berryhili and others. No man alive knows anypiore of the escaped killer,' Abraham Snakeya, than jxlkc ^errynill, because he was 1 brought up with Snakeya las true -friends. Once they 7 \ made' a vow to stand-up for ea'ch other no natter what, the cause, and this agreement is still ke.t.. Abraham C s a. fullblpod Greek Indian, the son of David Snake of Little Goweta, which a. He was born near the churchis about ei, t ht wiles nort-h«e;>.t of OkqmlgeeL It w^s believed tha he f coi.mitte.-x his > \ > first criirelby killing a fullbj.ood Creek indi:^n by the nam«of bliiid Robert Craysoi,, it was never proved. The body w<a's foutd in tne S.dt CreeK* and t.e aight before Snakeya and Gr-yson had ocen together drinking whiskey. When,last seen they were going southwest of Tkriuigee, and the next r.orning Snakeya c.u".e hot..e alone,.'-e der.ied any knowledge of killing- him. It is suid that I'.ob'ort Srayson had received sor.ie money, '.bout five hundred dollars, fro;, the sale of h s land and h id the r.oney or, him. when he.w % js\killed. lived 7 around Oi-cuigse 1 -t rri.d \. "i.cii.u". 7oaan who had yf younger sister. «,ne day he \:A' (a;.othhr ' ' ' > fullpicod Cre.: lndi:oi by the ;rz.<e of.tac.-- ^ro sue- a'ocut.soire lu:ir.e\:... t t^ el'ore t.i..t,!"cro v
IN51ERVIEW,,, ' ' -2-.' had asked Snake ya.many times for the- hand of the girl to marry, m but time and again he had been refused. It is the belief of many that Nero went with him to - MuskOgee, thinking to persuade him when under the influence of liquor. All the way to Muskcgee, and back to Okmulgee, he had asked for the sirl. Cn»keya held hi-s peace till it last as a fined" attempt Jack 4 Nero > * promised to give hiia a very pretty horse, a, saddle, \ and -i bridle. This-vrouise made Snukeya" very angry and he reminded I'ero that he had a wife nd didn't need another woi.un. Hhey quarreled all the' reft of ' the wa^iome, V.lien they reached houe, J»ack Nero Oot out of the buggy and went into the house of Snukeya to talk to "the girl. Pretty.soon he earne out to Snakeya, who was just'unharnessing his team, -ind said s. -. he would give him the saddle horse and take the.gir-l in trad whether he liked it or not.' Snakeya picked up the breast yoke he had just dropped on the ground. and struckhamoon the head, and he died instantly.. Then Snttkeya wertt i%to the house, got some of his th'ings and after telling his wife and.son good-bye he left (' "' knowing that he could not beat the law again. 1 '. He'left home a-t the age of twenty, in the year 191.0. Since then he has never returned., yet -there mayjbe some one i here who knows that-.he is still alive. The court claimed.' i
>:')::' ' 6536 him as dead and. his heirs sold his land. If he is still alive as it is claimed, he is. near ing the age of f fty years. Many of his friends say that they could never forget his looks and they expect to see ^ him come back some day. That was one man who got-taway with his crime so far, perhaps jnever to be apprehended.