Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-24
Looking Out for Indian Treachery at
Pine Ridge Agency.
SUDDEN DEATH OF AUGUST BELMONT.
Small Fluctuations in the New
York Stock Market.
INDIANS PROFESS GOOD WILL.
But the Whites Are ON the Lookout foi
Trea.herN

Rosebud agency warriors have at last 1Olncu
the ghost dancers of Pine Ridge after a thirty
four hours march over the hills. They are
heavily armed and defiant. Ii is now estimated
that the hostiles are 500 strong. They are led
by No Water Big Road and Little Wound.
They still refuse TO come TO camp. although to-
day is ration day. Some of the ghost dancers
however, are in camp. They have been here
for thirty-six hours. They are for the most
part robed in white cloaks and leggings and
their faces are nearly concealed by their ghostly
looking hoods.
ATTITUDE or THE HoSTILES.
Red Star, one of their widest men, was in
camp last night. He is young fellow, who is
dressed in store clothes, but he wears the eagle
feathers of the Messiah and consequently will
never die. While American Horse. who is
friendly to the whites pleaded with the young
trebrand YESTERDAY. he'd Star cut the conver-
sation short by saying that if the soldiers
wanted to round mp the ghost dancers they will
have TO go ont after them. This Is clearly the
attitude of the hostiles. If the military marches
ont to break mp the religious ceremonies of the
savage, which viii surely be done soon as
relnforcementS come. there will be n running
fight in the Bad LaG0s of Nebraska. similar 10
the Modoc war. which proved so disastrous to
the army. The young bucks on White river
seem determined to break loose from the old
men and give the soldiers chase. There are
of any aggressive move of the troops they would
be gone III a fash on their ponies to JOIN their
people.
EFFORTS OF THE PEACEFUL INDIANs.
The attitude of the friendly Indians now
camped here will probably depend largely on
the success or failure of the hostiles At presen.
they profess great reverence for the United
States government and the most cffusive friend
ship for the second infantry men who guard the
~.
Horse made powerful speech to the Indians
in the council house OF the agency. He stood
In the center of the room and spoke earnestly
and in loud voice to his people. He begged
them not to turn against the whites. who. he
said. were as plentiful as leaves in the forests.
and pointed out to them the folly of believing
in the speedy appearance OF Christ. The noble
old warrior was followed by Swords, the chief
OF police.
THE POSITION OF OLD RED CLOUD.
The attitude of old Red Cloud and his son il
still problematical. Their camp is isolated
from the rest of the Indian village. In an in
teryiew with an interpreter last night young
Red Cloud said that he had danced but once in
ghost dance. He said the Indians were
simply holding a revival after the fashion oi
the whites: tina. they earnestly believed that
Christ would sooE appear, and that his peopl,
knew no reason why the troops should be here
Young Red Cloud, however. Is a good off-hanC
liar and little credence can be given his story
1t is known that he has been one of the big
men of the dance. and he Is also the fellow who
SIX days ago crieG out TO his people TO burn the
agency buildings. He is also accused of steal.
ing a wagon load of beef on the last issue day
SOARING THE INDIANS.
Something of a scare was occasioned when the
water call was sounded last night. The cavalry
has been going to a creek about half a mile
from the post to water the horses. Along this
creek during the last twenty-four hours a vii
lage of ghost dancers tepees has sprung up.
Last evening the black troopers mounted their
horses with carbines loaded and cartridge belts
i'll place. Then under command of a lieuten-
ant, instead of the usual orderly sergeant, they
slowly cantered to the creek. After the horses
had drank their fill the soldiers crossed into the
Indian village. The stampede that followed
was almost instantaneous. Squaws and papooses
ran screaming into the tepees, while the bucks
hastily mounted their ponies and fled TO the
hills. But the troopers had only crossed in or
der to turn and go back to camp. This maneu-
yer excited the village, which was soon repeo-
pied with Indians.
VIEW OF THE COMMANDING OFFICER.
This serves to show what view the command
ing officer takes OF the situation. He feels it is
well to be ready to fight and sent his men out
tonight on a peaceful errand fully prepared
for war. Nearly all the Indians who draw
rations here are now encamped around the
post 1t is a part of the plan of the agent.
Rover. TO refuse to issue beef on Wednesday to
such of the Indians as refuse to give up the
ghost dance. II may be that this will settle the
matter without trouble, and it may bring on a
fight. Special Agent Cooper thinks that any
pretext may be seized upon by the Indians for
forcing the issue.
DANCING sUBsIDING.
The dancing is dying out, but he is not sure
whether it is treachery or obedience that ID
causing the cessation. A number OF Rosebud
Indians are here without passes and their pres
ence bodies no good All are unanimous in
their assertions OF good will. but they are care
fully measuring the strength of the troops the
while. The Little Wound. one of the leaders OF
the ghost dance. has refused to come into The
agency, saying that if the agent wanted to see
him he must call at the Little Wounds tepee.
At present it is a toss-up between peace and
war.
NERVOUS AT THE AGENCY.
At Medicine Root, White River and White
Clay the dancing still goes on and the Indians
are not inclined to come to the agency for any
purpose. Here at the agency the general feel
ing is a nervous one. Nearly every one agrees
that there will be trouble. The Indians as
sembled here probably number 800 or 9OO As
they came in they pitched their tepees
they pleased about the prairie. late
Saturday evening the authorities discovered
that the agency was almost completely sur
rounded by the Indian camp. An were pro-
testing the greatest friendship, but il was soon
learned that many of the squaws and children
belonging to the rebellious braves and few of
the braves themselves were wandering stolidly
about among the crowds of soldiers and half
breeds who lounged in front of the traders
stores and the agency buildings. The Indian
police had worked all the afternoon taking the
names of the people who had come in, but no
one knew exactly who was here and who was
not.
THE INDIANS FORCED TO MOVE.
Neither the soldiers nor the whites liked the
idea OF being surrounded by tepees. Yesterday
morning an order was given for all the Indians
to move off into the low lands upon the banks
OF Wolf creek, that runs off to the southeast.
There was no hesitation. The decrepit old
copper colors stood about and smoked, the
elder boys gathered the ponies together from
the surrounding hills and the squaws tore
down the smoky tepees. Everything was
loaded up and the whole party moved over
into the new camp. A careful inspection of
the camp rubbish as it was being moved
showed only a few Springfield rifles and VIM
chesters, but many Of the old men carried about
their waists belts filed with loaded cartridges
HosrILEs ON THE RESERVATION.
The question that everybody il asking is
whether the ghost dancers will come in TO see
the agent under the order of last Thursday for
all peaceably disposed Indians to report at the
agency. There are 1000 Indians all told on the
reservation. About 500 or 500 Of them have
come In, but Of this number there are not 80