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Page 3 - Choctaws
"The Indians of the coast made their own laws. If one killed another and ran away, the Indians could take some member of his family and shoot him for to them a life was a life. 3ut they never ran away, always giving themselves up	to their chief.	,
"When an	Indian was to be shot,	a grave was dug	and he
was draped in	his blanket and put in	the grave and	then shot.
With him was placed a jug of whisky,	some tobacco,	a
pipe, flint and other things that belonged to him. The grave was filled in with earth, each Indian throwing in dirt and singing. There was no disgrace about such a death— it was simply the law.
"As T said, the Indians were good people, and there was never any trouble, but they liked whisky and sometimes when they got drunk they killed, When sober they were dorry and were ready to pay the penalty and die for it.
"Whiskey was very cheap then — 18 cents a gallon at wholesale — and 25 cents at retail. It was fine whisky, too made of corn and rye."
Still existing in i-iancock County are evidences of Choctaw habitation. Founds have been located and excavation is in both active and planning stages, n small ^roup of descendants of these Indians are now in Philadelphia Mississippi. Their ancestral arts, crafts and games are kept alive through a "’air open to the public each year about mid-July.