The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-10-18
A Man Who Ran the Gauntlet.

a man VINO Kan Cn0 GaunCloC.
From the Denver News.
4 The pages of fiction scarcely con-
tain 80 strange and thrilling story
las that narrated to NetUS reporter
last evening by Sebastian Beck. He
Is Q plain, honest looking German,
probably fifty years Of age, and lays
Hahn to being considerable of lin
l'nist and capable of speaking seven
languages in addition to Sioux In
ian, which he speaks with great flu
:nsss apparently. During nearly ten
I SFH Beck was a member OF the
4Sfouxtribe. His story of how he
ran thegouatlet is thus told "We
did not know what fate awaited us.
But we had carcely arrived at the
Indian camp han we were given TO
understand that we would have TO
run the gauntlt. This consisted in
running betwee1 two lines of braves,
five hundred in zach line, and taking
all the blows tha, these give us while
we made the run, which was twice
up and twice down the line. The
lines were just fr enough apart to
give US room to rln, a line of guns
being placed along On each side be-
tween us and the Indians, which
could not be crossed by either us or
the Indians. We wee compelled to
keep within this line. and the Indi
ans were not allowed to leave their
position in the line, but could inf1ict
all the punishment pssIble while
within reach of them in turn. The
Indians were armed with sticks, moe
casins, and every thing that could be
used to strike with of a nature that
would infiict pain withoutdoing great
bodily injury, hut chiefly with kind
of cat-o'-nine. tails used by the Indi-
ans in riding their ponies. This is a
terrible weapon, having a large mum
ber of strings, en- one end of each OF
which is a chunk of lead. There
were large number ofsquaws in the
lines in addition to the braves, who
appeared to take as strong an inter
est in the matter as the latter.
I'VE were stripped naked with
] WY option of breech-clouts which
were given us. / was placed first in
line of twenty-five, the run being
made by altogether in single file.
This was decided advantage to me,
as | could go as fast as l liked. not
having to depend upon the speed OF
Others. A friendly Indian, the one
who had encouraged me at first, sig
nailed me, giving me to understand
that l was to run as fast as / could.
l did not need the advice after l got
well started, but it served me until !
got past the first dozen, as l started
while they were chatting among
themselves. But the rest of the way
l got it, tell you. l ran just for
dear life, taking the blows as they
came. l conld not repress some ex
clamation of pain as the whips cut
into my flesh, but l managed to keep
from disgracing myself in the minds
of the Indians although suffering ter
ribly at every blow received"
"Did many of them miss you"
"After the first dozen none that
know of. They laid on the blows as
hard as they could, but conformed
strictly to their law, which is not to
leave their place in the line to inflict
further punishment.
"When 1 reached the end of the
line the first time l was covered with
blood and thoroughly winded, being
scarcely able to stand. We managed
to get through with our lives, not one
ofthe twenty-five falling or giving
up. We we're then admitted to mem.
bershiSin the tribe"
Beck Is now travelling among the
Indians looking for his wife and chil.
dren, whom he lost when captured
years ago.