Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-28
SCENES AT PINE RIDGE,
Tho Indians Docile-Sensmtional Dispatches
From the Northw est Denied.

1 AOCAAc-otnB8tIOn8I OIDO0tGh0D
From the Northwest Denied.
William S. Mellen, general manager of the
Northern Pacific railroad, has sent the follow
ing telegram from st. Paul to the Associated
Press Sensational article from Missouia, Mont.
In many morning papers about battle bet ween
Indians and troops near Fort Keogh is without
foundation in any way. The publication Of
communications Of this nature from unreliable
correspondents is doing gross injustice to the
northwest"
Regarding those sensational dispatches sent
from the Indian country q special from Pine
Ridge says: Somebody at this agency has
made cruel blunder and there are conflicting
stories as to the attitude Of the Indians before
| the troops came, but it is certain that for the
| past week there has been no more prospect of
| an Indian outbreak than there was Of an up-
heaval OF the earth. The reason for the sensa-
tional Information sent out to the newspapers
| was because the correspondents, being for the
| most part strangers to the country, were visited
| by persons who should have been, il they were
not, in possession of the actual truth. The
liar at the Pine Ridge agency is an animal of
abnormal growth. Even now he has been
peddling out ghost yarns which have proved
far more dangerous than the ghost dances Of
the Indians Professedly friendly Indians have
been responsible for some of them.
THE INDIANS GRIEVANCE.
1.-THE grievance of the Indians is that they
don't get enough to eat. They realize that it
would be death to them to fight. They have
no place to go if they choose TO break away
from the reservation. The land on which they
live can scarcely nourish a blade of grass.
They are hemmed in on all sides bv hills. be-
hind which men now stand ready to shoot them
down the moment they cross the line. There
Is not hostile Indian in the great town Of the
Sioux now pitched about the agency.
SCENES AT THE AGENCY.
Their horses cover the bleak plains and hills
and their children romp along the trails with
all the merriment of white urchins in Central
Park. Coffee-colored squaws lie on yellow
grass and smoke contentedly. and Young bucks
in gaudy blankets stand around to make love to
shy maldens who lounge about post traders
stores. Each night there is a monOtonous noise
OF tomtoms where old women squat on the
ground and sip soup made Of Indian turnips
and Wild cherries. This has been the spectacle
seen every evening since the Indians began to
come to camp in obedience to the summons of
Agent Roger. III there is a specter of grim war;
OF blazing cabins and of scalpless settlers it
does not take much to make up scare.
Meanwhile, however troops continue to
pour into the reservation. The Indians are
utterly dumbfOunded by such a display of SOL
dlers. They do not know the cause of their
presence and naturally believe they have been
called III here to be corraled and then shot
panic now raging in all the border towns
Whether ignorance. timidity or mercenary
natives prompted the scare which has now
spread throughout this country. it is certain
that South Dakota and western Nebraska have
received blow from the effects of which they
Will be slow to recover.
INDIANS TO BE DIsARMED.
"If there has been a series of blunders il ia
probable that there will be some more. san
culinary ending to the trouble. while IL is not
expected or desired, would be a mighty in
dorsement of somebody's action in this matter
1t is now safe to say the government is con-
tempiatlng disarming the entire Sioux nation
TINS VIII be done simultaneously at all agencies.
Even with the screws put upon them at this
tension ii is not likely that the Indians will re-
bel One of the greatest dangers now confront
ing the troops is the possible stampede of In
dams who are uneasy because Of the coming of
80 many soldiers. II the redskins should take to
the hills in fright they will lead the boys in blue
merry chase. and then. and no. until then,
would the situation become critical.
The Indians now here have one more griey-
ance which does not help the situation and
that Is the refusal of Agent Royer and Gen.
Brooke to hold council with them. They
cannot understand why negotiations are at an
end and nothing remains for them as peace
able Indians but unconditional surrender Red |
Cloud cannot get a hearing. No Water il |
threatened with arrest and constantly keeps
plead all day yesterday for conference with |
the officers and late last night hearing was |
given him.
DoCILE BIG ROAD.
IF anybody who was present at the confer |
ence doubts the pitiful docility of the Sioux at |
Pine Ridge he must be callous skeptic Seated |
in the center of the floor was the famous chief. |
who Is known the length and breadth of the |
reservation as man who never breaks his word |
and as warrior who has courage. He came. |
he said. to plead for his people and to beg that
they be not killed He had danced in the re- |
hSious dance and frankly admitted that he had |
done so against the wishes of Agent Rover but |!
he declared that he thought himself in the right
and promised there and then that neither he |
nor his band would dance again if it WAS against |
the earnest desire Of the Great Father Big |
Roads people have been sifted from the So |
called unfriendly camp of the Sioux around |
Red Clouds house and are now in the village |
OF friendly Indians"