The Shasta courier., 1868-08-22
SHASTA COU RIER.
An Indian Tragedy.

Cloud announcing the fact that Hole in-the
Day, the famous head chief of the Mississippi
ChIppewas. as he assumed to be, and tn
bravest warrior, had been assassinated b.
three of the Pillager band of Chippewas. w
have since received the following particular
of the manner of his death:
On Saturday last, between two and thre,
O'Clock in the afternoon, three Cbippewas
called Leech Lake or Pillager Indians, call
ed al his house and asked where he was hi
woman replied that he had gone to Grow
Wing. The Indians appropriated three o
his guns and went to Gull river, short dis
tance above Crow Wing. They saw hin
and another Indian coming. riding in bug
gy, and hid in the bushes on a knoll by tb,
| roadside.
AS the buggy passed them and went dowr
the slope they fired at the back of the fot
they feared to face, all the charges taking eff
feet in their victim. TIE other Indian sprane
out of the buggy and fed, when these In
dams dragged Hole-in-the- Day to the ground
and to make sure work stabbed him in severa
places. They then took the horse and buggy
and made their escape.
| The dead body of the murdered chief was
first discovered by Mr.. Charles A. Ruffee
who is now at the Chippewa Agency.
We are not ar prised as to the motives which
induced this assassination of uole-in.the- Dav
but 1t may perl APPS he attributed to an old
Jealousy of Hnle-in-the-Day which the Pilla-
gers have especially entertained toward him
on account of his assumption of being the
head chief of the Mississippi band IF Chippe-
was-a pretension which they hy no means
tolerated. for the reason that they regarded
the hrnors of thai mythical royalty as be-
Lar A. Il
Enthusiastically was reg 'rded by them as d
pa'renu-a kind ot usurper-but his preten-
| Sinns have always been supported with so
much boldness. and he has won such pre-
eminence as warrior. that they have not
heretofore dared openly to contest his posi-
tion. No doubt this old Jealousy has been
famed by re ent circumstances. Hole in.
the Day has been accustomed to play con
spicu"ns part in all treaty Negotiations with
the Mississippi Chipuewas, and from long
practice had become a cunning add ''uns c-upu
l'us intrisu'r. skilled in all the mysteries
of Indian diplomacy. lie was the leading
spirit in the recent treaties for new reserva
tions made with that tribe, and probably
some discomfort of the Pillagers, on this ac-
count. NAV have instigaiei the as >ault-
though for that matter lIole-in-the-Day has
bad private quarrels enough on his hands any
day for many years to have killed hundred
other men. Hnle-in-the-Day was in some
respects one of the most extraordinary char.
acters in Indian history.
There was something almost romantic in
his reckless daring ON the war path. He
was the Chippewa Cid. or C@ur de Lion, from
the CLEAN of whose battle axe whole armies
of Saracen Sioux fled rs before an irresistible
foe. His exploits would fill book. His
father, of the same name, was a great war.
rior, who had conquered the chiefship of his
tribe hy his bravery in combat and his wis.
dom in council The old chief Hole-in-the-
Day was killed in the spring of lS47, while
crossing Flat river in Red river cart.
Young rle-in the Day, then known as
- The Boy"-he was about nineteen wears
Of age-was not slow in assuming the posi-.
tion his father had held. By his bravery in
war he soon gained all and more than his
father influence over his tribe. and sustain
ed all his pretensions to leadership. ].
The following incidents are interesting as
showing the first steps in the pablic life of
tie young Indian Chief and the peculiar arts
by which he acquired his commanding in
-fluence -
In June, lS47, young Hole-in-the-ray.
who then lived in an Indian villare near
Watab. above Sauk rapids. in company th
me ct our prominent old settlers came down
to Pigs Eye. to get medal bel .nging to
his deceased father
On their way down they met man sent
up by the Sioux agent to notify the Chippe.
was that they must not come down, as the
Sioux were highly excited in consequence of
one of their chiefs having Just been murder
ed by Chippewa. Ilnle-n-the-Dav was
tnl hat ho hud hot IT
piled that he would not go to Fort Smelling.
where the Sioux were, but would come down
and stay at the honse of half breed friend.
and 60 hack in the morning. His friend
went 10 Mendoza and stayed over night. and
next morning went to the fort. where, To his
surprise. he found Hnlein-the-Day walking
alone in front Of the main entrance. He
asked him why he was there, and told him
that his life was in great danger. He re.
piled. = My father walked here, and like
to walk where he did,"
The Sioux chiefs held n council ut the
agency just outside the fort to see what was
70 be done in consequence of the murder
Most "f the officers attended. and Hnle-in
the-Day insisted on being present to hear
what was said.
o"on at er This he came down alone. cross
ed To the Little Cruw's village. shot Sioux
and went home alone in broad daylight.
His tirst appearance in public was at Foni
du Lac. Wis. in July. ls47. At that time
the upper country If the Mississippi, extend
ing to Lake Superior. was owned bv the
Chippewas of Lake Superior. and the Cippe.
was Of the Mississippi. The Chippewas of
the Mississippi. headed by Hole-n-the-Day,
owing TO the great distance they had to tray.
el, had but small delegation in attendance.
H"le-in-the Day was late in reaching the
council ground.
Prior to bis coming several talks were
held with the Indians. in which thew admit
ted that they had allowed Hole in-the. DAVIS
f,ther to take the lead in their councils. bur
said that we're he then alive they would make
him take hack seat tnat his sun was a
me hoy. and were he there he would have
ling 10 say. consequently it was useless To
wait for him. The commissioners, who ver.,
nur fellow citizens Mr.. Henry VI. Rice, and
Isaac A. Verplsnck, of Buffalo. however,