The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-11-18

0N oouaoiou VI ulSGflcCS by SetIlerS IN NOfln
Dakota are overdrawn. There may be
some fearful residents who have left their
homes, but the stories of wholesale evacua-
tlon are absolutely without foundation.
I'VE have made,n he said, "a careful esti-
mate OF the number affected by the Mes
slah craze and there are in all not to exceed
thirty thousand Indians. OF this number,
perhaps e-ffth are able bodied warriors,
ana ne-half or $4,000 could bear arms.
such a body, of course, could do much
harm II their movements were not properly
arrested, but we have taken measures to
intercept any outbreak"
General Miles has received from the post
adlutant at Fort Custer, Mont, the report
Oh Lieutenant Robinson, who carefully in
vesugated the new religious craze at the
cheyenne agency. His talks were princi-
paily with Porcupine, the apostle of the
new religion among the Cheyennes, and
Win Big Beaver, who accompanied Porcu-
pine on his visit to the new Christ at
walker lake. Nevada last year. Porcupine
told him there were several hundred In
dams at Walker lake at the time, including
representatives of the Cheyennes, Sioux,
Arapahoes Gros Ventres, Utes, NavajoeS,
Sheep Eaters, Bannock, and other tribes
that he did not know. Porcupine first
heard OF this new Christ at the Arapahoe
agency, Wyoming, where he and some
noe who had been to the southwestern
country in 1888 told them. Porcupine and
others were much interested and deter
mined to see this new Messiah. They
went on from point to point, travelling
sometimes by railroad and sometimes by
ponies or wagons. Porcupine insists that
the teachings of the new Christ were in
the interests OF peace and good order and
industry on the part of the Indians.
oh M 1olyo cd hnyx
was then that certain Indian tribes had
made this new doctrine a basis
Tor neglecting their crops and in
dulging in demoralizing dances aud
even In Indian dances. Porcupine replied
that nearly all the Indians who had gone to
hear this new Christ with him had gone
hoping to hear him preach some inCeEdiary
doctrine. They were disappointed at hear
Ing that the new Christ required them to
simply work and behave themselves, and
and concluded on their return home not to
relate strictly what had been told them,
buU to preach doctrines more agreeable to
the Indians. These men, said Porcupine to
the lieutenant, are all liars, and they are
responsible for any trouble that
has occurred and not the new Mes
siah. Porcupine cited one case in
point of Sioux warrior whom he heard of
but did not know. This man preached
that the new Christ told them that belief
In his religion gave the Indians charmed
life against the whites. From this arose
violence and trouble.
Lieutenant Robertson obtained from
Henry Reed, an Arapahoe interpreter and
intelligent half-breed, information which,
If true, would establish the identity of the
so-called new Messiah. Reed says he is a
Pahute Indian named John johnson, very
intelligent and not an educated man. This
man lives on Walker Lake reservation
where other Indians claim to have
seen the new Christ. Reed reports
that the Arapahoes are much excited
over the new doctrine and that
many of them have even torn down their
houses and sold the logs. Reed says the
agent and Indian police have entirely lost
cvntrol over them.
From all Lieutenant Robertson could
learn Porcupine's influence is constantly
eXerted for good, and is in the line of what
he claimed the new Messiah told him, in
contrauistinction to the preaching of other
redskin missionaries.
Appended to the lieutenant's statement
is The statement Of Porcupine as written
down by Robertson with the aid of an in
terpreter. 1t is lengthy one, telling in
detail how he first heard of the new Christ,
and the various stages of the journey
OF himself and companions to meet him.
lie said the people at the point where the
new Christ was seemed all good people, al
though of many tribes. ''There was no
fighting or drinking. The chiefs of the
home tribe brought word from the Messiah
to remain fourteen days in camp when he
would come to see them. He sent them
something to eat like a big white nut.
Finally one morning hundreds of people
gathered near Walker Lake agency in a
great ring, and just before sun Town more
people came, dressed in white mems clothes,
although mostly Indians, and the Christ
was with them. He was not so dark as an
Indian nor so light as white man.
He had no beard, but very heavy eyebrows.
lag that he had on moccasius. We com
menced our dance. everybody joining in
and the Christ singing. We danced till
late at night, when he told US we had had
enough. | heard that Christ had been
crucited," said Porcupine, land I saw a
scar on this mans wrist and on his face.
The next evening we assembled again; he
sang. then trembled violently and then Law
down, apparently dead, while we danced
among US and talked with US, say
ing: Il am the man who made every
thing you see around you. | have
been to heaven and seen your dead friends
and have seen my own father and mother
In the beginning, after God made the
earth, they sent me back to teach the
people, but people were afraid of me
and treated me badly. This is what
they did to me Showing his scars). [ found
my children were bad. so | went back to
heaven and left them. told them that in
so many hundred years would come back
to see them. My father told me the earth
was getting old and worn out and people
getting bad, and l was to renew everything
as it used to be and make it better"
Porcupine added that the Christ said all
the dead were to be resurrected. that they
were all to come back to the earth and that
1t was too small for all. Now he would do
away with heaven, and make the earth
itself enough to contain all. He spoke to
US about lighting and said that was
bad and that we must keep from it;
that the earth was to be all good here
after; that we must be friends with one
another. He told US not to quarrel or
strike or fight or shoot one another the
whites and Indians were to be all one peo-
pie. He said if any man disobeyed what
he ordered, his tribe would be dropped
from the earth. We must believe every
thing he said, and he would know our
thoughts and actions, no matter in what
part of the world we might be. IT thought
all he said was good" ADDED Porcupine.
when got back l knew my people were
bad and had heard nothing of this. So [
got them all together and told them of it
and warned them to listen for their own
good. l told them Just what have told
you here today. If you think [ am not
telling the truth, you can go and see this
man yourself. l will go with you, and 1
would like some of my peosle who doubt
me to go, too. The Christ talked to US all
in our respective tongue. You can see him
in your sleep any time you want after you
have once met and shaken hands with
him.
Lieutenant Robertson, in partial cor
roboration of the story that the Pahute
John is the Messiah referred to, says Reed
told him Johnson has tattoo marks on his