Omaha daily bee., 1874-06-11

Fort Benton for the purpose of haT-
monizing existing difficulties be-
tween the several tribes occupying
the reservation set apart for their
use, a mixed band of Assinaboins
and Gros Ventres, Joined by a band
of River Crows, concluded to 60 on
the war path and compare their
valor with that of the Piegans, q
portion of the Blackfoot Agency In
dams. Acting upon this 'shappy
thought" the warriors of the tribe
named, decked off in war paint and
EARNED as the law directs" WEI t
out to hunt the fight they so yearn-
ed for. At Ritinger's Fort, a de-
serted trading post on the Marias
river, about forty miles from the
BlackfoOt Agency, the trouble sought
was found. A Piegan encampment
was discovered at that place, AID
the confederated Indians proceeded
in their savage way to ''clean them
out.n This was on Wednesday
night, the Goth inst. The Piegans
were not taken unawares, and pre-
pared to repel the assault. The bat
lie was but a brief time in opening,
and the rifle and tOmahawk were
soo dealing the work of death. For
a time there were varying adj
vantages to either side. Finally a
charge from the besieged dislOdged
and put to fight the attacking
forces. The casualties, as reported
to us, count up three Piegans killed,
and a half a dozen more wounded,
severally fatally. OF the other In
dams four killed and left on
the ground, the wounded being car
ried off the field. Cut Hand, head
chief of the Piegans, had a brother
and brother-in-law killed, and his
wife severely wounded by a shot
through the side of her head, in
this fight. The old chief is in sore
distress, and, while crying for ven-'
geance, promises to remain peaceful
unless his wife should die from the
wound inflicted by the foe.
At the time of the fight Cut-Hand
and a party of t~hirty-six of his tribe
had just returned to the Marias en-
campment from the Benton peace
conference. He reported the attack
and its results to Agent May and
awaited an answer as to what, un-
der the circumstances, he was ex-
pected to do. 1t is hard for him not
to seek revenge, and it is likely We
shall hear of more trouble coming
of this family quarrel.
A free fight is reported in the
Piegan camp, near the BlackfO0t
agency, growing out Of the Illicit
traffic of whisky to the Indians. 1t
occurred on the same night as the
fight above reported, May Goth. A
drunken Indian named Heavy Run
ner-a notorious desperate of the
tribe-was shot and killed by two of
his associates i'm carousal. Two 9TH
ers of the band, savagely besOtted
with 'lire water" were also shot
and seriously, if not fatally woun-
ded, and three more escaped with
only slight flesh wounds. This was
only a gallon of whisky affair, and
lasted only as long as the effects of
the liquor held out. The parties
who traded the miserablestuf to the
Indians, were two Red river half
Observation-Disclosures and Layette by
name, who were both discovered
and arrested on the reservation, and
brought by detective Dusold to
Helena, and deposited in the Uni
ted States prison.
The night previous (the 19th) a
drunken Indian shot and killed his
squaw in his lodge a mile and a
half from the Blackfaot Agency.
Colonel May, we understand, i'm
view of these multiplying troubles,
has ordered from the reservation
all persons not having his permit to
remain, and the Indian detectives
are industriously at work hunting
out the bad men who are the cause
of the recurring disturbances i'm the
localities infested by them. 1t is
sincerely TO be hoped that good rid
dance will soon be made of the last
one of them.