Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-24
NEWS FROM THE FRONTIER.
Indians Said TO He Plotting an Ambuscade
for Gen. Brooke.

Indians Said TO He Plotting an Ambuscade
for Gen. Brooke.
Gen, Miles was at his desk at army head
quarters in Chicago yesterday awaiting news
frem TIE Indian country. The first telegram
received came from an army officer at Rosebud
agency, gAging that information had been re-
eeiyed that the hostile Indians were moving
from Pass creek toward Pine Ridge agency
in two parties-bucks, with Short Bull. along
the White river route: the old men, women and
children are on the Medicine Root road. They
say that they are going to Pine Ridge agency to
get the Indians there to talk to the command
ing general in their behalf. The report also
says that Chief Two Strikes intends to stab the
commanding officer as q sign for the attack by
his band.
LIEUT.. LANDLORDS VIEWS.
Ex,Lieut. B. F. landlord of the United
States army, who was in the frontier service
for seven years and studied the character Of
the Indians, has entirely original views on
the canses which produce the present dis
turbance. In speaking Of the matter yester-
day Lieut.. landlord said: ''SOme one sug-
gests that II the Indians want to dance, why
not let them dance? II incidentally they ex-
pect a Messiah to come with sort of hell
and-damnation for the whites and all the
blessings of the Indian heaven for the In
dams. it is only natural Interpretation of
Christian teachings. The Indians are natur-
ally religious, many of them. even among
the followers Of Sitting Bull, being commune
cants in the Catholic church.
1T may seem strange, but it is nevertheless
true, that one OF the priests attached to the
Standing Rock agency did have control of
religious band. where Sitting Bull holds forth
dian who has dared to call in question the alb
solute authority of the agent. Mclaughlin. One
of the priests. known as Father Crafts, organ
lied band of at least thirty Indians, constitut-
ing a sort of mounted Y.M.C.A., many of whom
rode eighteen or twenty miles every Sunday
morning to 90 to church. There they were
taught that the Messiah would come with great
power to help those whose hearts were all right,
and to resurrect their best ancestors, besides
playing Hail Columbia" with the bad people,
including. of course. all their enemies, which
they now interpret to mean white people
"Christians are still teaching the coming of
the same identical character. but, apparently,
he never comes, and it's dollars to doughnuts
they would not recognize him if he did come.
These same Christians would feel indignant at
any interference with their religious ceremo-
MES The key to the whole matter is that the
Indians should be given chance to work for
living instead of being fed, after a fashion,
clothed occasionally and kept in idleness all
the time"
PLOTTING AGAINST THE SOLDIERS.
William d. McGaa, formerly an Indian scout
and now wealthy ranchman, has brought to
Pine Ridge agency information of an Indian
plot against Gen. Brooke and the soldiers.
While lying down in tepee full of Indians and
apparently asleep a few nights ago he heard
the details of the plot arranged. Their plan,
as McGaa heard from their own lips. is to con-
tinue the ghost dance until the troops try to
stop it. The place selected to carry out their
murderOus designs Is place sixteen miles and
half north OF Pine Ridge, and a more advan-
tageOus locality for such deed probably does
not exist anywhere else on the entire face of the
continent. 1t is where the White Horse creek
empties into theWounded Knee and lays in some
thing of an amphitheater shape. The only
practical way of leading to the spot is by a road
that follows along the bank of White Horse
creek. Upon either side of this road and creek
are dense clumps OF trees. SO many as to almost
form wall either side of the approach.
The plot is to have ghost dance in the center
OF this amphitheater and have the woods on
either side of the road full of Indians when the
military comes up to stop the dance, and they
would be easily shot down by the Indians in
ambush on either side. BY lining the road with
their Wrnchesters for the distance of a mile
and letting troops get well into the amphi-
theater they were calculating they could wipe
out every soldier that came, and their calcula-
ton Is perfect one.
MORE TROOPS FOR THE FRONT.
Gen. Wesley Merritt, commander of the de-
partment of Missouri. yesterday received in
structiOns from headquarters of the army in
Washington to send troops at once to Pine
Ridge agency, the scene of the Indian trouble
Gen. Merritt accordingly ordered regiment
the seventh cavalry, consisting of eight compa-
mics of about 500 men. under command of Col
Forsythe, and company Of artillery, with a
battery OF four guns, commanded by Capt
CampreH. from Fort Riley to the scene Of
trouble. The troops left by special train.
BEATEN BY DRUNKEN INDIAN
In Bismarck, N. D., Saturday night consid-
cradle excitement was caused by an assault
committed by an Indian on Miss Dora Wright
a stenographer employed at the capital. While
on her way home at 8 o'clock in the evening
she was accosted by an Indian, and when she
tried to evade him he struck her on the head
with some blunt instrument and knocked her
down. The scOundrel fed. No motive for the
assault is known, and it is probable he was
drunk. Miss Wright's injuries are painful but
not serious. Two Indians are under arrest, but
they have not been identified.