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This is a great book for history buffs, for anyone interested in Native American history, or for FBI buffs since it tells the story of how the FBI was started. The period in which this story unfolds (1920's) is also known as the "bloodiest chapter in American crime history"!
This book tells the story about the Osage Indian Tribe, how they were treated by the government, and touches on only a few of the many murders that occurred within their tribe over a short period of time. It's a very upsetting read if you have a heart. I never knew this story of the Osage tribe, so I was blown away that this even happened!!! And why isn't this story more widely known?
I was not as captivated by the murder cases and didn't find them very suspenseful (once the investigations started, it seemed clear to me that there was a specific ring of people responsible). What I found interesting was the number of murders that happened within this community over a short period of time that were not investigated properly or taken seriously, in my opinion. I also found the history of J. Edgar Hoover and his creation of the FBI interesting, as I had never delved into its history or how it began.
I am glad that someone was found guilty and responsible for these murders. I would love to know WHY. Isn't that what we all want to know? I'm sure it was greed. It was so sad that Americans would marry Osage Indians just for the money. They were sitting on a gold mine! I'm sad that the Osage didn't realize they were being used for their money - or maybe some of the marriages were out of love.
One of the perpetrators, Ernest Burkhart, was married to Mollie, an Osage Indian. Mollie's family was one of the main ones that was targeted and killed off from the influence of Burkhart's uncle, William K. Hale. The questions are posed in the book - did Ernest marry Mollie out of love and then allow Hale to brainwash him into assisting with the murders of his in-laws? Or was Burkhart forced to play a role and marry Mollie because his uncle made him to do it in order to carry out the murderous and greedy plan all along? Either way, it seems to me that there was a love relationship between Ernest and Mollie. Whether it grew to that over time or it started out that way, I'm not sure. I would guess that it started out that way and then the uncle saw his opportunity to step in and have Burkhart do his bidding.
I was blown away at the immense wealth that the Osage had! The book stated that while one in about every eleven Americans owned a car at this time, every Osage Indian owned eleven cars! Unbelievable! I would love to see historical photos of their homes (interior and exterior) and some of the fine indulgences that they made. It seems like a fairy tale...but it had a bloody ending for many. I also would like to know some post-story about the American individuals and spouses that inherited this wealth when their Osage Indian family member was found dead. What happened to all of this money? Were they forced to pay it back? Was it all a government conspiracy? Was Hoover crooked and started the FBI with a nefarious intent? So many questions from reading this book!!!
The Osage were a very smart tribe! I hated to see them being taken advantage of in this book. Burkhart, Hale, and their accomplice were all charged with murders and served time; but what about all of the murders that went unsolved. There are generations probably alive today that have a murderer or two in their past lineage!! That's an uncomfortable thought...
Would love to hear your thoughts on this book/these cases. I'm not a politically-minded person, so I'm not going to get into political or governmental discussions about any corruption that might have happened.
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