The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-06-22
THE Sun DANCE.
BarbarOus Festivities at Spotted
Tails Camp.

YANKToN, d. T., June 2l.-The young
men at Spotted Tails camp are just con-
cuding their annual sun dance, and the
bsrbarous festival has been one OF more
than ordinary success. Forty.eight can
didates passed through terrible ordeal
of self-torture, and are entitled to full
diplomas as warriors Of uuquestioned
bravery. The candidate for honors cuts
two longitudinal Sits down each breast
One end of lsrist Is passed under the
strip of skin and the flesh Is lett between
the incislons and lightly tied
and the other end is
made fast to the top of high pole. The
candidate thon throws himself backwards
with his weight upon the lsrist and the
dance goes on until the flesh gives WAY.
Should he fail TO break loose IN the man
ner prescribed, or should he faint during
the operation, he is forever dlsgraced.
The Sun dance jdst closed was held about
fifteen miles bsck from the Missouri
river, and was witnessed by about seven
thousand Indians and twenty-five whites.
Old Spotted Tail was master OF ceremo-
MES, and from the manner IN
which he performed his incantstions
and hourished his mystic wand, from
which danged the seal p of a white
woman, one would not suppose him to be
the civilized Red Man who figures upon
the government pay rolls once a year.
The sun dance has closed, and Spotted
Tails Indians are now ready Ior the gov
ernment 10 move them to new agency
The Hostile Indians.
SAN Francesca, June 2l.--A Silver
City dispatch says the road between here
and WinnemuCco ls clear of hostlles.
Jerry WinnemucCO and other friendly
Piutes who have been in the hostile camp
recently, say the Bsnnocks claimed that
they had then killed thirteen whites, and
mad three of their own Indians killed.
Three white mep were killed and burned
ia cabin near Stein Mountain recently.
The Malheur reservation Indians are be-
having worse than the Bsnnocks,
slaughtering every animal that came
within their reach.
SAN FRANCISCO, Juno 2l.-A BOISE
city dispatch says: Parties from Fort
Hall rnd Lemhi via Wood river and
Big Kansas prairie, report having seen
two hundred Indians several miles east
of this place, who claim TO be friendly,
and on their way to Fort Hall Agency.
These Indians stated that James A.
Dempsey, u white man, who has an In
dian wife. and who has lived many years
with the Indisns, and who was with the
hostlIes in the Laws Beds at the COM
mencement of the outbreak, bad
been shot and killed by war
party before they lett the Lava Beds
on their raiding tour. Small parties of
indians and traces Of larger bodies were
daily discovered IN the country border
ing on the land stage road. These In
dians are, no doubt scouts, and are strsg-
Cling reinforcements on their way from
the East to join the main body now in
the ueighborhood of STEMS mountains.
They are keeping up a regular line Of
communication between toe Lava Bed
region and the place OF rendez-
vous, and are watching the movements
OF troops. Major Sanford, who is tonight
at Canyon creek, forty miles east of this
place, will arrive here tomorrow night,
and 90 with General Grover to Join Gen
eral Howard in the Wslhem country.
General Howard, with about for hun
dred men, will proceed tomorrow in the
direction of Stems mountain, where, 1t is
understood, the Indians have concen~
trated and decided to make stand.