The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-09-27
THE DEATH OF CRAZY HORSE.

|
How an Indian Chief Died. Breaking
| Through Bayonets and then Mortally
Wounded with His Own Knife-Scenes
After Death.
| A correspondent at the Red Cloud
Agency in Nebraska describes the cap
ture and subsequent death of Crazy
Horse, redoubtable Sioux chief, at
Camp Robinson. The correspondent
says:
At Camp Robinson, Col. Bradley,
commanding the District of the Black
Hills, ordered the prisoners confined in
the post guard house, and Capt. Ken
nington, the officer of the day, was
charged with its execution. The inter-
prefers seemed to anticipate trouble,
and noticeably absented themselves.
Taking Crazy Horse by the hand, Capt.
Remington led him INCREASINGLY from
the adiutant's Office into the guard house,
followed by Little Big Man, now become
his chiefs worst enemy. The door OF
the prison room was reached in safety,
when, discovering his fate in the barred
grating of the high windows, the liberty
loving savage suddenly planted his hands
against the upright casing, and with
great force thrust himself back among
the guards, whose cleaning bayonets in.
stantly turned against him. With great
dexterity he drew concealed knife from
the folds of his blanket, and snatched
another from the belt of Little Big Man,
turning with them upon Capt. Kenning-
ton, who drew his sword and would have
run him through but for another In
dian, who interposed. Many of them
were dismounted and were crowding
around the guard house door, some
protesting vehemently against his
confinement, while others coolly insisted
upon non-interference.
Crazy Horse had advanced recklessly
through the presented steel, the soldiers
fearing to fire, and gaining the entrance,
he made leap to gain the open air.
But he was grappled by Little Big Man.
This Indian, as his name implies, is re-
markable both for his small stature and
great strength; his double joints would
secure him distinction, as well as COM
petence, in the arena. Crazy Horse,
though powerful, was held in wise,
until, freeing his right hand, he was OBJ
served to thrust long, keen blade into
the musclar arm of his antagonist, who
avoiding the full force of the blow by q
backward movement, reversed the hands
which contained the dangerous weapon,
and once more grasping Crazy Horse
as he made second leap for his freedom,
the point accidentally pierced the quiv-
ering groin of the chief, who sank in a
doubled-up posture upon the ground
outside the door.
Instantly every Indian present and
about fifty had gathered near-was OBJ
served to load and cock his carbine; and
the silence that ensued was broken only
by the dark figure writhing III agony on
the gravelled earth, until an old Indian,
Crazy Horses father, suddenly leaped
from his pony, and with bow aud arrow
in one hand, and cooked revolver in
the other, advanced upon Capt. Ken
nington. He was instantly hurled upon
his back and disarmed by the friendly
Sioux, Reassured by this, the officers
and guard approached Crazy Horse to
convey him to the guard room, this time
for medical attendance; but again theil
movement was arrested by the click OF
cooking carbines. What could they do
No interpreter was present, and they dio
not know friend from foe. In this emer
gency the Indians themselves motione6
} to the open adjutant's Office they had
Just quit as compromise between theil
contending parties, and into this room
they were permitted to carry the pros
! trate chief. Some of them subsequently
desired to convey him to an adjoining
village, but this request Col. Bradley re
fused to grant; and with the exception o.
guard of enlisted Indians, Touch-the
Cloud, and Crazy Horse, ST., the crowt
dispersed.
Until now it had been feared that the
, willy chief was only possuming," but
! when his wound had been examined anC
dressed, DR.. Macgillycuddy, the assistant
post surgeon, pronounced 1t fatal
Touch the old father of Tho
dying chief, and several officers remained
until the end, which approached slowly
and painlessly under hypodermic iniec
, tions of opium or morphine. He neve
! rallied, and only once spoke, indistinctl,
, about bayonets.
At about three in the morning, Graz,
Horses mother, withered old bag, wh'
was not yet aware of his death, wa
, challenged by the outposts and admitted
: to the room. Her outbursts of grief, il
,, which she was joined by her husband
seemed uncomfortable. They tore thei
gray hair, and shrieked so as to alarm
the garrison. Finally they becam
quieter, and settled in grooming manne
, on their knees, bending over and caress
ing the PROSTATE and lifeless form. boil
chanting, in an indescribably weird man
> ner, the now famous Sioux death song
, The deep cultural of the one blende'
! wildly with the shrill treble of the other
! and both were cracked by age. No on
!. who witnessed or heard the old coupl
. in their savage devotion can forget th
:. . sad scene, or their strangely impressiv
!, and mournful dirge. Touch-the Clou
:, several times grunted: "Washte !!
= = "Good |" And once, pointing to tn
corpse, he said: "That is only the tip
dodge; the rest has gone to the Grea
: Spirit in the happy hunting grounds |!
h I II