Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-07-31
A DANCE OF DEATH.
HORRIBLE ATROCITIES PaAcrIcED
Upon Themselves by the 0syotess-Ths
Last Display That the Government
win Prob sbv Allow-The
Brave Warriors

oIate WUt"~
RosEBup IHprAS AG Escr, Dakota, July 30
The great annual 81 ,AAdancs OF the @oul
occurred here last wee &, probably the las,
which the government will permit Al
attempt wss made to di ssuade the Indiani
from this years performa uce, which caussd
old Swift Bear to utter this shrewd reply
in council: "You had Chl'i,t die upon ths
cross for you, and you talk much abeu,
that Bot We do something you dse moi
DO. We tie ourselves up TO the cross oi
our god and sufic, with him Tou ste
afraid 10 do that" Yet 10 has lost much
OF its early severity and popularity. To
dance was At sne time sompulsory on young
braves; II Is bow entirely voluntary, the
redemption Of q vow made to Waksntanks.
the great spirit 4 warrior msy have
promised that II q sitx child or Q dear
friend recover rom a dangerous illiasss
He Would Dasee
In the heat OF the sun At the nextsun.
dance, or he msy have been hiuseltin .
tight place, or asked success and achieved
II in some contemplated raid. A ruaner
announces the time and place Of the eyent
To the various tribes. The camp this year,
near the agency, contained ten thousand
Indians, and made a circle five miles In cir.
cumf,renSe-a beautiful sight In front Of
the tent where the sun dancers were await.
ing their ordeal lay whhenri buffalo
skull on bunch OF wild ssre. Inside the
tepee was the sacred medicine pipe on
some mysterious sticks.
Just as the rouud, full moon pe'ped over
the eastern range OF hills the dancers 10 tho
sun ,hfieen in nll.enterrd 10 fultill their vow.
They Were: Follow-awoman, Lve'in.the-
Air, Plenty Hole, White Cali, Point.at-
Thrsr, He-pog, Lttle nay. Little BOY, Hol.
low Horn, Esgie. Shed. Two Eagle, yellow,
Poor Dog and Troublesome Hawk.
- They Were strippea 60 tho waist.
and wore skirts made OF red plaid shawls
with panels Of blue hanging from their
belts in front aud behind. Ca their heads
were wrcathcs 81 sweet grass or horns, over
their chests depended representations OF
the sun. and from their wrists hung totsms-
The singers commenced TO howl and beat
their drum. The dancers put 10 their lips
the goose bone whistles, u tIimmed with tho
rare feather OF the medicine bird" and
began 10 hop up and down. As long n
they danced they were to vhistle-and
they were 10 dance ill the next sun ioun.
Some women tr supplement the noisy mu.
SIC Of the drum, commenced 10. hi VI" In
shrill key and beat q hide. spread on the
ground.
There wasn't light In tho enclosure. The
pole, iuttering with banners, stood out In
the moonlight. Near its top was bound q
fdsr's OF willow twigs, which gave it ressm.
blanee 10 cross. Tie figure Of q buffalo,
cut frsm hide, represented the sun, and
above il dangled the figure OF On, Indian,
black on one side and white on tho other
the bad and the good spirit All night
the
DancisK Meyer FIsxssd.
While the moon was up thsi- faces were
turned and their arms outstretched To IL,
and when CheeZis, the sun. came, like Q
warrior robed and painted, from, his shin.
ing lodge Of SILVER they turned 10 u and
IL one shows signs OF breaking down
he Is taken to the shade Of q mon pmeut
and given spull at pipe ora BIT Of VII.
cage 10 encourage saliva. The Indiana
brought IN dirty black kettles; ootside, the
little Indian boys are playing tricks on
each other, the Older ones making love by
cAtchingsome duSay maiden and standing
with her for hours wrapped In their blank.
cts, in plain view ol everybody on the
prairie. PapoOtcs are brought into the
arena to have their ears pierced, which nj.
mits them iuto Sioux fellowship. the
operation is not actually performed there,
but at home and q great amount OF calico
and pony have 10 he given away" for
the privilege. puTing this week between
six aud seven hundred ponies have been
Civ, n away In sort Of Cummunisuc distri.
button by the Indians.
About noon the medicine man COM
menC,d 10
Paisi the Three Daus~Ps
who we're 10 bc tied TO the pole. When
decorated their gnide led them TO the four
points of the com pass and, with his arms
extended in n vAyy motion, blew his rbis'
tie softly about them. Al the pole this
payer, IN Dakota, was offered. "Goi, We
IRE come TO observe the day you give "a.
We stand upon our feet 10 give onr H'sh
to yon. Look at u,, at our wives, ou'
chilGrtn. our friends, aud help - boar
his trial " Follows.a. Woman. the frat -
suf, r. was thrown on the ground. and tie
meGicine mau skiilfully made two ioci'
tons with sharp knife over ssch bfss'i 10
fbe y'cinity Of the pect0ral muscles. ~"
n,,h yss lifted and Q hardwood skgssr
thrust under and fastened by sinew- -
he rope which hung from the pole. ~
rpsdy weakened by the Htssn hours OF sS'
.r,ion. Of Thirst, OF hunger, bs sss 10 strain
at this rope until be broke loose By tearing
out his own flesh.
Ie Was nAgniAssasSy BSavs.
and il did not take him long. 10 FIVE min
nits he was dancing with The others - "
nothing bad happened, and the pafaspl
then allowed him vocld have msds hin
RIDICULOUS hsd not tbs red blood bssn SEEN
couniDg down his body:
Lives in the Air vas the next. He tore
out one stick In ten mlnntss, and VS. thsn
released from tearing out tss other by the
gift Of three ponies. Poor Dog hsd doss
est on him. lie struggled sod pull then
gave the rope slack aud danced about the
pole until, suddenly jerking beck, the besh
would stand out two or isehss from ths
breast 1hs s9uaws, Who came nssf
10 throw clothes and calicoes at his fssto
on the rope - gifts 70 the poor, tusssd
T2sniy MINUTES Of this agony Without
an ontcry. 4 friend eame up. snd. sstch'
ing the nan sronsd the waist, gsse z
tremendous pull. Bysn this did NOS break
the stout intsgpmsnt and y wm nea nnu'
half an hour bad psased thst the ors''
fellow fsIl back on the earth, pantini
and weak, two sssst wounds torn 10 Mi
breast.
Oss Moro KAhsbittss BssaoADs1.
| Yellow VS. cut in the shoulder and
| ,kesa inserted, bon which .. sops "a
passsd around tps head of horse. m
animal vas - asd jumped, asd thus th'
| instrument Of torture Was tom out Bss
eral msn wAo did not danca had bLts o
fiash cut IRON their arms; do sem
.susws, to make the anosAt neesAsr
from their hushsnds Isss. osto sstis1p veS
Of their o~n. The dsocsU b.. tess tim.
wtrs q shocking sight. totts1n9 seoo'
/ not able 10 stand erect, ocs o. tso sog
/ ported by friends, thdf shttes stii
clinginS 70 their dry une, their noremsos
SLOW, msehasical, spssuodie. nos one es
fsiltd In the ordeal, hoSsScr. uhisR Ro
| reli.i ar msda 4 aiRn Of distreAs. u - be-