The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-11-18
RESTLESS INDIANS.
Fears Of an Uprising at the
Sioux Reservation.
Settlers TerrOrized by InSOlent Redskins
Armed 10 The Teeth.
Lieutenant RObeFtstn'S Report on The Effect
Of the NeY Religious Craze al the
Cheyenne Agency.
Special TO THE MORNING CALI


in this morning, He says the Indians are
coming north, ana are well armed and acting
III All unfriendly manner. 4 number of In
dians are armed with two guns each and
they have plenty of ammunition. They
passed Though town, presumably to stir up
the Indians on the reservations north. Set
tiers are coming in from the south, begging
the citizens to stir up the authorities at
Washington to action. Enough Indians are
travelling about this section to run off all til Z
cattle and kill half the settlers in the coun-
tIy.
a friendly Indian brings warning from
the Sioux Reservation. He says the greatest
danger is here. The Indians propose to at
tack Fort Abraham Lincoln. knowing there
are but fifty sold ers there, and then capture
Mandau, massa re the citiZ ms aud burn the
town. The grea-est alarm prevails among
the people. 1t IS ported the Indian police
at Standing Eo:k Lave torn on their badges
and revolted.
\ TERRoRIZED TOWN.
MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 1.-THE Tribunes
haDdan (N. Dak), special says: Settlers
from every direction come in reporting in
suits received from depredatory bands OF
lIulbHS oIllieu W lUt ltt-il. L lie CltlZtUS OI
Mandan have practically no arms and are
helpless. During the day the entire communi-
ty was terrurlZed. \ settler named Ardrom
comes from ten miles ont Of town and states
that SIX Indians camped near his ranch this
moIning. He told them TO be careful
of fire. They told him TO mind his own
business and on:nously tapped their guns.
The same fellows this afternoon told a
friendly Sioux who lives here that they be-
long to the army OF the Messiah and were
going down to take Fort Lincoln and burn
and pillage Mandan and kill the inhab-
itants. They said the Messiah will
lead the army. and do not expee;
to 20 out until next spring; but
when the Messiah says 90, they will 60,
even If in the depth of winter. These, ANA
all other Indians travelling through the
country, are armed in an extraordinary way
and loaded down with ammunition. Moth
ing but the immediate appearance of troops
VIII prevent an uprising, in the Jgd gmeni
OF old Indian soldiers. A number of women
and Children left tonight for Bismarck and
other points east OF the Missouri.
EXCITEMENT AMONG THE SIOUX.
HURoN{S. d., Nov. 17.-General Ruger,
Commander Of the Department of DakotE,
has arrived from visit to the various posts.
He reports having found most of the In
dians quiet aud no occasion for alarm.
There existed some excitement among the
Sioux at Pine Ridge The late dances"
n
ment There seems to be more uneasiness at
Pine Rid ge than any other of the agencies.
Should the Indians continue to carry on
dances and tie Messiah craze, it may be
necessary for the military to give attention
to Pine Ridge, though hope this will not
be necessary"
GRAVE APPREHENsIONs.
WASHINGTON, Nov. ia telegram from
General Miles was received this morning by
General Schofleld saying there seems to be-
no danger of trouble with the Sioux Indians
al the Rosebud and other agencies. They
begin 10 distrust the promises of their medl-
cine men about the coming OF the Messiah.
CHICAGO, Nov 17.-Geueral Miles, ac-
compunied by Colonel Corbin, returned this
morning from st. Louis, where he yesterday
had consultation with Secretary of War
Proctor concerning tho alleged Indian
trouble IN the Northwest. Colonel Curbn
said to-day there is no doubt If the Indians
were to decide upon an outbreak they could
do much harm. They have an abundance
of rifles and ammunition, plenty of horses
and large supply of meat; but winter is
coming on and the officers hardly think
there is any immediate danger Of an ont
break. Colonel Corbin said the stories of
evacuation Of districts by settlers in North
Dakota are Overdrawn. There may be some
residents who, fearing the redskins, NAV
have left their homes, but the stories Of
wholesale eyacuati1ns al absolutelyiwithout
~
careful estimate of the number affected by
the Messiah craze. and there are In all not
TO exceed 10000 Indians. Of this number
perhaps One-tifth are able-bOdied warriors,
and one-half, or 1900, could bear arms.
Such body, Of course, could do much harm
il their movements were not properly af-
rested, but We have taken measures to inter-
cept any outbreak
General Miles was questioned in person
this evening and said III part: 1T would be
uuwise to say anything at this time. Any
thing | might say would be telegraphed all
over the country and tomorrow it would be
in the Indian camps. / have nothing TO say
now beyond the fact that there is grave ap-
prebensions of trouble with the Indians OF
the plains between the Missouri River and
the mountains. 1t is serious among all the
different Sioux camps-numbering 1900
men = Arapahoes, Cbeyennes, Sboshores
and Conanrhes. "Can you say anything
of your consultation with Secretary Proc
tor2" Certainly not; that is just the mat
ter about which 1t would be most imprudent
to speak"
THE NEW CRAZE.
General Miles has received from the Post
Adjutant at Fort Custer, Mont, the report
of Lieutenant Robertson, who has carefully
investigated the new religious craze at the
Cheyenne Agency. His talks were princi-
pally with Porcupine, the apostle of the
new religion among the CheyenDes, and
pine on his visit to the new Christ at Walker
Lake, Nevada, last year.
THE GATHERING AT WALKER LAKE.
Porcupine told him there were several
hundred Indians at Walker Lake at the
time, including representatives OF the Chey-
ennes, Sioux, ArapahOes. Gr0s Ventres.
Utes, NavajoeS, Sheep-eaters, BaDnocks, and
other tribes he did not know. He (POrcu-
pine first heard of this new Christ at the
Arapahoe Agency in Wyoming. where e
and some other Cheyennes visited last fall =.
An Arapahoe who had been to the South
western country in 1888 told them about it.
Porcupine and others were much interested
and determined to see this new Messiah.
DOCTRINE OF THE MESSIAH.
They went on from point 10 point, travel
Ing sometimes by railroad and sometimes by
ponies or wagons. Porcupine insisted that
the teachings OF the new Christ were In the
interests of peace, good order and industry
on the part of the Indians. Lieutenant
Robertson asked him how it was then that
certain Indian tribes had made this ne W
doctrine reason for negiecting their crops,
ndulging in demoraliziDg dances and even
disorder. Porcupine replied that nearly all
the Indians who had gone TO hear this new
Christ with him bad gone hoping
TO hear him preach some incendiary doc
trine. They were disappointed at hearing
that the new creed required them TO simply
work and behave themselves, and they con-
cluded on their return home not to relate
strictly what had been told them. but to
preach doctrines more agreeable to the In
disns.
FALSE TEACHINGS.
"'rhese men," said Porcupine to the Lieu
tenant, ''are all liars and they are response
Bile for any trouble that OccCr5, and not the
new Messiah" PorcupiEe cited one case in
point, that of a Sioux warrior whom he
heard Of but did not know. This man
preached that the new Christ told them the
belief in his religion gave the Indians a
charmed life against The whites. From this
arose insolence and trouble.
JOHN JOHNSON.
Lieutenant Robertson obtained from
Henry Reed, an Arapahoe interpreter.
and an intelligent half-breed, Information
which, If true, would establish the identity
Of the so-calied new Messiah Reed says he
Is a Pah- Ute Indian named John johnson.