Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-09-24
BIG POWWOW OF INDIANS.
A Dramatic Scene on the Far West Prairie.
 Young Chief White Cloud Nearly Loses His Life for Indulging in Free Speech.


 Young Chief White Cloud Nearly Loses
 His Life for Indulsing in Free Speech. STANDING ROCK, Wy. T., Sept 24-The big powwow of Indians, to consider the question of signing the treaty, held here Saturday and ended with dramatic scene. The Sioux from all over the reserva- tlon came in with their wagons and ponies in the morning and assembled in hollow 8 few miles below Standing Rock. For several days Sitting Bull has been actively engaged securing aid ill his endeavor to defeat tho signing of the treaty and has sent runners all over the reservation to urge the chiefs and braves to attend the powwow In the absence of Chief John Grass, Sitting Bull assumed to be leader, and wore more than usually ferocious look, having put few extra streaks of red paint on his~face The crafty old savage still feels ugly over the fact that Chief Grass and not he was sent to Washington, and is more than ever deter mined to defeat the object of the comnis- sioners' visit. He opened the proceedings with an address which evidently had been carefully studied, in which he urged the In dlans not to sign tho treaty, and hinted at treachery on the part of Chief Grass At the close of his speech he was greeted with tremendous applause
 l as in days gone by, when we were on the eve of terrible fight The very air is filled with the deadly calm that foretells day of plunder and carnage; but that day has gone hence. We have buried the hatchet, and when 1t shall have been unearthed we will be resting ill the arms of the Great Spirit These men they call commissioners come here with paper for us to sign If we do so it takes our land from us No sensible Indian will sign it. l have spoken. 1 shall not signn
 The Indians listened breathlessly to Black Thunder, and at his abrupt conclusion he was received with deafening cheers of en- couragement, When the applause abated sufficiently Young White Cloud, graceful, handsome young Sioux, escended the little knoll of ground used a speakers stand, and said:
 "I have listened to the talks of our old leaders Sitting Bull and Black Thunder. They are opposed to the treaty They speak too hastily and rashly. Their words should be carefully weighed before leaving the tongue. They know not what they say The treaty Is for our benefit, and I, for one, shall sign.n
 dead calm followed the defiant utterances of the young brave Not a move was made or sound heard among that mass of red blankets. The stiffness was getting oppress- i've, when Sitting Bull slowly emerged from the crowd of painted warriors He carefully and majestically wrapped the folds of his red blanket about his form, and with a wave of his right arm made sign to his followers. Then, as one man, the entire horde arose and dashed en masss toward the young Indian who dared to brave their wrath by uttering what he believed was right. His fate was surely sealed had not Chief Gall appeared at this critical moment and peremptorily de manded order and silence His sudden and unexpected appearance had a quieting effect upon the Indians. His brawny arms were raised aloft, and the enraged savages sud denly stood still Gall then called upon the braves to inform him what this uneeemly demonstration was all about Here Sitting Bull silently sneaSed away, the young, heroic spokesman following suit, leaving Black Thunder to face the ire of Gall alone, Black Thunder made a feeble explanation of his action. Calls face twitched under his bent up passion. 'What mean your he almost screamed. "Is not this council for you all to express your respective opinions Begone, and let me hear no more of thisn
 Black Thunder meekly walked to his pony, saddled and mounted it, and dashed over the hill The other Indians silently hitched up their ponies and drove away to their different homes. It is possible that Calls sudden breaking up of the powwow will put an end to the holding of any future councils.