The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-09-29
An Eyewitness Tells Of the Tragic
Killing Of Young Boyle's
Murderers
Rushing to Their Fate In the Pres
ence Of Parents and
Friends
An appointment to be Shot and How II
Was Kept by Two Cheyenne
Indians.

Guilty. AtS dAoduy OccA O1louy tOlUs ne
following letter from Lieut.. S. C. Robertson,
who was in command of the troops drawn
up to receive the charge Of the two Indians,
gives graphic account of the affair:
about three p. m, hearing the sound of
'boots and saddles suddenly given in
camp, sent hastily for G troops herd and
reported with the other officers to the bat
TALON commander for Instructions. The
latter explained that he had just returned
from the agency, where the father of one
of the young Cheyennes told him that the
fugitives were in the hills near by; that
they had sent in word that they were tired
of hiding and that they intended to attack
the agency and camp without delay and die
in fair fight. They were known to be we'll
armed and the message they had sent was
equivalent to a challenge to the troops to
come out and fight them. The battalion
commander instructed me to take my troop
and make such disposition near the agency
as would ensure protection to the agent and
his employees there. was told that D and
E troops would be held for future DISPOSE
ton.
81 got out of camp as rapidly as possible
and on arriving at the agency posted a
guard around it. The rest of my men
moved up the road along which the two
young braves announced they would arrive,
and disposed them, some mounted and
others on foot, at available points in the
valley. The road thus picketed is the
Tongue river road east of the agency.
Brave Wolf, Cheyenne chief, was with me,
and after my dispositions were made, in re-
ply to my question as to whether the two
their threats. he expressed his firm cOnvic-
tion that they would and that they would
make desperate fight when they appeared.
On looking about me. the scene I be-
held was certainly remarkable. Dur
ing the. e1citement following the
had been assembled by Agent Cooper
from all parts of the reservation and put in
camp about the agency. As my troop took
possession these Indians left their tepees
and in few minutes nearly the whole
Cheyenne tribe was assembled in groups on
stricken silence the tragedy that was about
to take place in the valley below. The
pony herds and squaws occupied the ridges
further back across the Lame Deer. The
two murderers had invited their people to
come out and see how bravely they could
die. and the deliberateness Of their prepare,
ton for the scene to follow had about it all
the flavor of gladiatorial contest pre- ar
ranged with careful regard to all the pro-
fessional details.
1.-The young mems parents were among
the spectators, and, fearing the influence of
the scene upon them and some of the
younger Indians, l took measures to protect
myself from any possible advance from
their direction upon my rear. had not
waited more than q few minutes in my po-
sitlon when the two actors. for whose ap-
pearance every eye had been watching, rode
out from clump of timber across the val
ley about a rifle shot away. Through my
| olocoaa Ooul1 COO that fhav uara we'll
mounted, and in full war costume, one OF
them wearing magnificent war bonnet.
Riding their ponies up steep incline they
reached the top of the ridge north Of the
valley in which we we're, and here circling
their horses and chanting their war songs.
the valley promptly, dismounted my
men and advanced up the ridge
against them. Seeing this they tool
position in the rocks above and gave me a
lively skirmish for few minutes. During
this, re" troop. Lieutenants Pitcher an6
Barber. appeared on the hills had just left
on the south edge of the valley. Seeing it,
position left part Of my men to occupy
the Indians with their fire, dismounted ant
with the rest rode rapidly around the ridge
to the rear, climbed the hill, dismountet
and drove the Indians into the valley to
and with most reckless daring charged thu
line of ''E' troops on the heights. Lieut.
Pitcher tells me that his fire as he advanced
was remarkably rapid, but strange to say h
inflicted no damage beyond wounding thre
horses. He rode entirely through "E's'
body, one of them through his brain.
"The second Indian took refuge in tn
creek bed in the valley, and from his con
cealed position there kept up a fire for if
teen or twenty minutes before he could b
killed. directed some of my men to kee
up a plunging fire upon him from the hills
while with others made circuit and ad
vanced upon him up the coulee. Whel
within few yards of him it was discovers
that he was dead, having undoubtedly bee
killed by ''(3'' troop sharpshooters from tn
hills, ''E'' troop not firing for fear of shoot
ing my men. There was no casualty anon
: the troops.
lowing to the inaccessibility and rapi
y moving of these Indians along the ridge.
" and the concealnent of one of them in tn
cut mentioned, the affair lasted fully a
hour. The bodies of the dead Cheyenne
/ we're taken charge of BY their relative,
the squaws and young girls focking frol
5 their camp to view them, and filling tt
a valley with their songs and lamentatlon
l. Fearing the presence of my troop in thi
. excited crowd might bring about some full
o Their clash, l left a guard of six men at th
t. agency and returned with the rest of N
troop to camp.
;. Throughout this affair the Indian poll,
;. and headmen behaved most admirably. an
IL to them is most probably due the remarks
/ BILE sight of scores of Cheyenne braves
n many of them fierce warriors of other da,
"a Witnessing not unmoved, but without il
reference, the killing by troops OF two I
their tribe.
\ 1.-The young Cheyennes killed were on
j. about IS years of age, but they seemed pc
fectly devoid of fear, and the Rudacity tn,
displayed in this attack upon two troops