Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-11-07
THE MILLENNIUM CRAZE.
MORE ABOUT THE INDIAN OUT
BREAK.

The Present Exc,tcment Liable To Lead
To Local Troubles Interview WITH,
Capt. Hs.gins Concerning tho Situation
| General News.
| CHICAGO. Oct. 3o.--Capt. Higgins, aid de
camp to Gen. Miles. was seen by reporter
last evening regarding the Indian millcn-
Jun" craze of which Agent Mclaughlin has
made a report to the interior department.
This millennium craze is not new phase
OF the Indian question: said the captain.
| 1.-THE Indians feel their inability to cope
with the white man without supernatural
| assistance and their desire to receive such
has long since developed into the belief
| that IL will come. Sitting Bull is quoted us
saying aid will lie received when the grass
grows aud that the whites will be wiped
from the face of the earth, leaving the red
men once more in possession of the country.
i have known OF this doctrine being
preached for at least ten years. and the
idea is probably older than that. An Indian
known as Sfnohol.a has been preaching :,
millennium for a year in Indian Territory,
and holding secret meetings and conferences
which had their origin in this belief. In
the Crow agency "a local disturbance was
caused about IL year ago by this messiah
excitement aud two or three Indians were
killed."
"Do you anticipate trouble in the spring.
well. it is very hard to say what will
occur. 1t is not at all improba BILE that there
will be local disturbances. and someof them
may be serious. Their ghost dances and
secret conferences are likely to bear fruit,
especially when such "a ,nan as Sitting Bull
is at the head of the disturbance But do
not think a general uprising possible FIT
teen years ago. when there was plenty of
game and the Indians had all the ponies
they needed. this excitement would have
been very dangerous But now there is but
little game. and the warriors would be coIn-
PEELED to start upon their campo ign
without provisions unless they should
start Immediately after an issue of
rations and then their supply would be a
small one. Furthermore. they have not
enough ponies to make Il war practicable.
Then the distance between the various
tribes is very great There Is ut least 400
miles between Sitting Bulls camp and the
seat OF the Crow disturbance. The amount
OF opposition the Indians would have to
overcome is another feature. Formerly
there was no one to oppose them, but the
soldiers arc now there, and there are nu-
merous towns and ranches which could sue
cessfully withstand their attacks. No.
do not anticipate any general trouble. al
though. as l said before. there may be
local outbreaks and considerable blood
She'd
'Will any additional troops be moved
down into that part of the country"
1,n
made. Troops can be transferred very
rapidly by rail, and We have men SO situ-
atcd that they could DC sent to the seat OF
the difficulty in day. The conditions are
very different now from what they were at
the time of the Custer massacre. and no
such disturbance is likely to occur.'
Will Try to Mako Sitting Bull Deslst.
WASHINGTON. Oct. 3O.-T. A. Bland, cor
responding secretary Of the National Indian
Defense association. has rocoived a letter
from Mrs. c. Weldon. of New York, dated
Cannon Ball, Dak., Oct. 8, In which she tells
something OF the peculiar religious OUT
break among the Sioux. Mrs. Weldoh's let
ter is as follows:
ll1 am on the point of going to Sitting Bulls
camp. My object in going IL to, If possible, de-
feat great evil which is spreading with alarm
ing rapid1ty among the Sioux. Sitting Bull
told me about it months ago in strict conf
dence. But now it is upon the lips of every In
dian. 1t is the belief that Messiah is coming
who will destroy the whites, bringingIan the
dead to life, and making the Indians once moro
powerful and rulers of the land. Because the
White people crucifled him formerly, he
Will now help the Indians and be re-
venged on the white people. I remem-
bered OF having read recently of one
Schweinfurth, living somwhere in Illinois, who
professed to be Christ, and who shows the
marks upon his hands and feet where 2.COO
years ago he was crucitied. told Sitting Bull
and warned him not to be misled by such i'm
posters. Lately Dakotas from across the Can.
non Ball came to me and asked my opinion
about this new religion. Matowannah-Taka a
Minnecongo Sioux, they say, is the prophet OF
the Messiah, and all who do not believe in him
he kills. either quite dead OF brings them to
life again i'll two.days. The Indians believe in
him and fear him. am going to meet him aud
defeat him, If possible. have prepared long
speech for the Indians, in which I enter into
every detail Of this subject, and hope to con.
vince them OF their error. To prove to them
that Matowannah-Taka has no power from
God to kill whom he chooses, would meet
him face to face and tell him that did not fear
him. intend to speak most earnestly to the
Sioux. If any one else attempted to attack
Matowannah-Taka as do fear it would 20
hard with them. But the Indians know 1 am
their flieno and speak only for their good.
NESrEDN p0DH oAoHvA,~