The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-10-03
ROBBED THE SHERIFF.
How Three Indian Murderers Siluf'led
OF This Mortal Coil.
From the BILLINGS Gazette

From the Billings Gazette
The arrival in Billings on Thursday even
ing of Elk Head, a Gros Ventre Indian, who
has just been released from a five-years'
term in the Territorial prison,swifrecal to
the memoir Of old residents the tragic Incl
dents which followed the trial and convic-
ton for murder, at Miles Gtyin 1879, Of
five Indians, one Of whom was this savage
A man named Phil. Lynch, who lived in
Froze-to-Death valley, at that time an I'M
freQuented region was found murdered IN
his cabin, and circumstanees-pOinted oil
rectly to the members OF u small band OF
Indians who had been seen near his rude
dwelling.
The arrest OF Elk Head and two more OF
their number followed, and they were taken
to Miles City and incarcerated in the Jail
there, just about the time that three braves
OF the Cheyenne nation were brought in,
charged with
THE KILLING OF A SERGEANT,
while engaged in making repairs for the
government telegraph line between Miles
City and Deadwood. The district court
soon after assembled, and these Indians
were all tried and convicted, the three
Cheyennes and one Gros Ventre to be hung
by the neck at the same time, and Elk
Head, the gentleman now sojourning among
us, to a gerH Of i've years imprisonment at
Deer Neutrality-suspicious. were made for
the execution under objection of Sheriff
Irvine, Il scaffold being erected in the jail
yard, and several OF the deputies put to
work practicing upon the complicated de-
tails OF the hangman's knot, while the
grewsome apparatus itself Vas kept in al
| most constant operation, both for the pur-
! pose OF affording the necessary practice.
and to while away the weary watches Of
the Jail patrol.
The construction Of the jail Of that early
! period was OF SO primitive a nature, that
these aesthetic pastimes were constantly
witnessed by
THE CONDEMNED INDIANS
and as the fatal day drew near, they were
| noticed to be growing fastidious in thu
makeup OF the toilet, painting themselves
most deliberately while their days and
nights were passed in continued chanting
| OF weird melodies. About two weeks be-
fore the day fixed for the matinee the
jailor was one afternoon engaged with a
blacksmith in making repairs upon the in
side OF this building, when he a called
excitedly by one OF the Gros Ven 5res, who,
! by signs, indicated to him that something
was wrong in the adjoining cells, occupied
by two OF the Cheyennes.
Looking through the little window of
this cell, he discovered a blanket rope
attached to n of the bars, while con-
fronting him stood one OF the prisoners,
painted most
HIDEOUsLY N U
with a quantity of beads and feathers,
which had been sent into the cells by the
squaws. on their daily visits, to the Jail.
Not having the cell keys, he was compelled
to seek through the tow for the sheriff,
who returned to the Jail with him. only to
find on opening the heavy cell door, that
Doth Indians had taken a voluntary flight
to the 'happy. hunting grounds" Thev
had torn their blankets into sl;re~is sro :.
which they had formed ropes, and with
these attached to the cell bars had hung
themselves most successfully. One Indian
evidently the weaker hearted, was found
helplessly bound, and lying upon the 1ool
where he had been placed by his cOmpan
ion, who had there deliberately used the
i%mprovised gallows. The BARS were too low
to permit of an upright position, and it had
been necessary for them to drop nearly to
their knees to effect their purpose.
In an hour the jail stockade was sur
rounded by Indians wildly excited, and
some
STRANGE AND SCENE
occurred among them. The bereaved widow
OF one of the dead warriors mourned most
enthusiastically by placing her hand upon
a post and cutting of two fingers with q
hatchet. The bleeding stump held aloft ir
the midst of a horrible dance made a most
unhappy spectacle.
Three or four days later the last Chey
enne was found dead in a similar manner
Extra precautionsewere then taken with
the eros Ventre. whs. ">~ ,.:.,ttd in a Gel
with Il white prisoner, securely ironed tc
the floor.
Day and night a guard patrolled the cor
ridors and Tom Irvine confidently an
nounced that the show should 60 on with
the one performer LETT. But, alas, for hu
man nope! One morning the aborigine die
not respond to the breakfast call. His re
cumbent form a m%otionless upon thu
stone floor, and an examination soo1
proved that he, too, had gone to hi
fathers. He had quietly strangled himsel
with a moccasin string.
Slowly and sadly the sc%affolding was re
moved, and the last good Indian placed be
meath the turf of his native land.
A RI Jersey.