Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1890-11-27

The only thing in the way Of serious
and reliable news of Indian trouble that
has yet been brought to Pierre came to-
DAY.
Scotty Phillips and Charlie Waldron
are two ranchmcn well known in Pierre
who own large herds of cattle on upper
Bad river. They bring word of serious
trouble brooding twenty-five miles south
of them on White river and have come in
for advice with the governor and sec
what can be done in the way of securing
assistance in event of an outbreak.
Learning they were in the governors
office, FREE PRESS representative
dropped in and heard the substance of
their narrations to him.
1t might be of interest to state here
! that Mr.. Phillips is as fine specimen of
physical manhood as can be found any
where. He is of foreign birth and since
his residence in this country has been
most of the time on the fronticr-or since
1873. He was in the government employ
and was with the troops connected with
Clusters expedition and was through the
Cheyenne excitement of 1879. He is q
level headed, shrcwd business man and
has the confidence OF everybody with
whom he has done business. He married
an Indian woman in 1879 and has been
among them almost continuously ever
since. He has some 1,70O cattle on his
range, including stock belonging to Gov
crnor Mellcttc, A. d. Marriott OF Pierre,
w. /. Walker of Omaha and others.
Mr.. Waldron also married an Indian
woman-or half brecd-and has been with
Indians nearly all his life. He was
through the New Ulm massacre war per-
| iod and has ever since been on the from
tier. He owns quite number of cuttle
and understands Indian ways thor
oughly.
The governor questioned them closely,
giving as his excuse for exhibiting in
credulity, the fact that he had witnessed
several groundless,Indian scares of late
and as sample Of the way it was going
read telegram Received at II o'clock last
night from Mr.. .Summorsida, at Harold,
stating NUMBER of armed Indians had
camped near there and asking for rifles to
be sent at once!
| But the governor knows Phillips well
and has confidence in him and considers
there is some cause for alarm to stock
men on the upper Bad river.
Phillips and Waldron both insist tina,
not only themselves but all ranchmen ul
there are in imminent danger OF losing
their cattle and possibly more. Already
| hoe I.
Waldron; six or seven that he knows Of:
Scoville, six or seven head. They admi,
that ranchmen usually lose two or three ,
year by Indians stealing them and tha,
they expected u loss each year that way
the ranges are miles in scope and In tht
neighborhood of the Bad Lands it j,
exceedingly rough and All easy matter Il
steal cattle. But it is their manner O
killing cattle more than the number tina
shows points of ugliness in their char
actcr to one who Is familiar with Indial
character. In some places they found ,
carcass with arrows in its body, which il
as much as to say ''an Indian with bat
heart did this and what are you going I,
do about it?"
But Indians who were formerly smil
ing and friendly and would converse, or,
now surly looking, dumb as oysters, an,
carry their belts full of cartridges AM
an excellent Winchester over their shout
der. =.
All the semi civilized, or: good Indians
they claim, have gone into the agencies
which is considered u sure pointer tha.
trouble is at hand and they knnw.it.
THE SEAT or WAR 4
is Short Bulls camp. which is ldcate
south of the White river in the Pih
Ridge: agency. "a few miles from III
mouth of Pass creek. Here they clai1
are 500 lodges containing at least thel
many men besides women and ehildrei|
Short Bulls following are of the ugly
wilder class who have the flrmest sort b
faith in hcnewj Messiah craze. III
Mr.. Waldron says tits wonderful Wills
strong faith they seem to have. in thi
new religion. They are furnished witt
shirts they firmly believe are bullet prob
They have been assured the winter VIII
continue to be open, beautiful weather
as at present, until grass comes agaih
They are located right in the edge of IN
Bad Lands. which they can enter ri.
scarcely a white man can follow. I'll
Bad Lands ut present are unusually fdl
of cattle, several extra thousands. havl4
been turned in there.the past seasonx
ranchmen-but the prophets or medicin
men say the new Christ has ordained "A
for the Indians benefit, This is the rea$
on they donot wait for spring wealth.
as they usually do when contemplate
an outbreak: a4sasi
TIL. SERIOUS FEATURE iasSsE
ofthis situationis that the order has sol