Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-12-10
Jhs Daily xress ssa 1stsaiss
Nhsrok DAKOTA.
wsdnssda, Evening, NC. 10, 1879.
ELLA sru.e.s' 1esnno.Y.

sese Gives Evidence In the Reno Trial
which Places the Major In an Awkward
Position.
From the Deadwood Pioneer We take the
following scrap Of testimony, brought out
~ the court martial Of Major Reno:
Miss Ella Sturgis testified: Ny name il
Ella Sturgis. am q resident Of Fort
deade. know Major Reno. / was at the
residence of my father. Col. 8. d. SturRis.
n the evening Of Nov. 10, 1879. During
ne latter part Of the evening l vas in the
library room, and had just left it and gone
o.he parlor, where I had been receiving
callers oil the evening, and found my moth.
q, Who said she wanted to have . few min
utss conversation with me. We stood talk
Jog together for about fifteen minutes, when
mamma took . chair by 4 table which was
behind the shade Of one Of the front win.
lows, the other shade being up. and I sat
down on a chair in front of the fire 10 the
left of it, about four feet from the side win.
dow We sat about the room without
either of US speaking a word. It just hap
pened That any one passing BY in front
would have supposed that I was in there
alone.
After l had been sitting there about five
minutes, I think it was, 1 heard a noiss out
side Of the side window. l looked out with
out moving my chair and saw something
black. Ny impression then was that it was
the gate, but l suppose now it was . cape ;
as the gate is several, l don't know how
many, yards from the window, it would be
impossible for me to see it from where I
vas. or indeed to see it at all from the win
dow. Some little. time elapsed when 1
heard a noise and saw the same thing ; but
even then I could not suppose any one
would come to a side window, so I thought
nothing Of it until a moment afterward
when l heard some one tap on the window,
and l looked just in time to see a figure
jump back. Just then, I said: Mother, there
Is some one at that window" 1 sat forward
and looked out int the darkness and saw a
face gradually appear. I sat paralyzed, as
my eyes met Major Reno's. He evidently
saw no one in the room but myself, as when
he was able to see in the room, his eyes
were fixed on me. I was 30 frightened I
could not move. / was only able to say just
abovea whisper: "Mamma, it is Maior
Renow When I first said it, mamma re-
Piled. ut is not" as if it could not be pos
sib!e, but when she saw the state l was ip,
and when l repeated his name, she said !:
ella, run y but I could not move. 1t was
only when I heard mother leave the room
and call for father, who was up stairs. that I
had strength enough to get out of the chair
and run into the corner, which was between
the fireplace and front window. I should
have said some time ago, that the face was
Immediately against the pane and that / saw
Major Reno for at least five seconds. Ny
impression at first was that I would be shot
for l knew that Major Reno must have hard
feelings against father, and as his face was
very pale, looked as if he was about to do
something desperate.
He was very much excited and his ex-
preston was that of anger and threatening.
! remained in the corner until father came
down. 1t was probably only a few seconds,
but 1t seemed to me ar age, as I was tremb.
ling all over and frightened nearly to death.
Ii he (Reno) had waited five minutes more,
he would probably have found me alone, as
it was then about II o'clock, and mamma
was about to retire, and l bad determined in
my own mind to stay down stairs until very
late, as l intended writing a letter and prob.
ably reading a little. As l was about 10 get
my book | heard the first sound. 1t was the
fret time I could even imagine such a state
l was in that night, twitchy and nervous
az | could be, almost Saint Vitus' dance.
When papa found me, I was only able to
say: papa! Major Reno! that windoww!