Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1890-11-24
TO RIVAL CUSTER'S FATE
Fiendish Plot of the Desperate
Ghost Dancers.
AN AMBUSH FOR THE SOLDIERS

AN An BUSH FOR TIE SOLDIERS.
How Gen. Drooke's Command Was TO
Have Been Entrapped and Massacred.
Little Wounds Defanoe-ue Says His
Braves WIN Dance as Long as They Like.
PINE RIDGE AGENCY, S. d., Nov. "a
The first knowledge that the ghost dancers
had commenced plotting to entrap the
soldiers has just been brought to Indian
Agent Boyer by William ID. McGaa for
merly an Indian scout and now a wealthy
ranchman living in the vicinity OF Buffalo
Gap. McGaa was travelling overland on
horseback and alone. He enjoys a wide
friendship among the Indians generally,
and Saturday night staid at one Of the
lodges about midway between this point
and Buffalo Gap. He had placed very
little dependence in the reported scare,
and therefore felt no fear in lying down
and going to sleep in a tepee full of In
dians. little curiosity, however,
prompted him to feign sleep and keep his
ears open during the early part Of the
night.
Desperate Plot of the Redskins.
The result was that he secured informa-
tion as startling as it was valuable, and
that removes every vestige OF doubt as to
the bloodthirsty villainy which has taken
possession of the ghost dancers. After he
had been in bed some li4tle time one of
the redskins bent over him to discover
whether he was asleep. To all appear
ances he was. He heard them get up and
begin whispered consultation. For the
first time in his life, McGaa says, he al
most doubted his own ears. The Indians
with whom he had lain down to sleep
with a feeling of the utmost security were
deliberately plotting to lead Gen. Brooke
and his soldiers into an ambush and shoot
them down.
To Rival the Custer Massacre.
Their plan was to continue the ghost
dance till the troops tried to stop it. The
place selected to carry out their murderous
design was sixteen miles and half north
Of here, and more advantageous locality
for SO devilish a deed probably does not
exist ah5where else on the face Of the en-
tire continent. 1t is where the White
Horse creek empties into the Wounded
Knee, and is in something of an amphi-
leading to the spot is by a road that fol-
lows along the bank of White Horse creek.
Upon each side Of this road and creek are
dense clumps of trees, so many as almost
to form a wall on each side OF the ap-
proach. The plot was to have a ghost
dance in the center of this amphitheatre
and have the woods on each side Of the
road full Of Indians.
When the military came up to stop the
dance, they would be easily shot down by
the Indians in ambush. BY lining the
road with their Winchesters for the dis
tance OF mile, and letting the troops get
well into the amphitheatre, they were cal
eulating that they could wipe out every
soldier that came, and their calculation
was perfect one.
Serious Trouble Certain.
The agent here has notified all friendly
Indians on the reservation to come into
the agency, and now upward of 300 lodges
are in camp. Indians from Rosebud
agency to the number of 800, 200 Of whom
are warriors are now on their way to Join
the ghost dancers at Pine Ridge. These
dancers are divided into three camps, the
nearest one to the agency being distant
fifteen miles.
That trouble of a serious nature will
take place within the next few hours is
now almost certain. The troops will be
reinforced today by three companies of in
fantIy from Omaha and one troop Of cav
airy from Fort Mckinney. The ghost
dancing Indians will then be invited to
come in and lay down their arms, and il
they refuse active hostilities will most GER
tainly commence.
Little Wounds Defiance.
The belligerent Indians are headed bv
Little Wound, who has his camp on Medi- |
cine Root creek, some eighteen miles from |
here. Agent Boyer yesterday received the |
following letter from him:
Understand the soldiers are coming on there's
ervation. What are they coming forf We have /
done nothing Our dance is a religious dance and /
we are going to dance until spring. If we find |
then that Christ does not appear we will stop |
dancing, but in the meantime, troops or no troops
we shall start our dance on this creek in the /
have also understood thatI am not to be rec
ognized as chief any longer. All have to say to
you is that neither you nor the white people Il
made me chief The Indians made me chief, and i
BY them will be so recognized as long as live |
! have also been told you intend 70 stop our ra-
tions and annuities. Well, for my part, don't |
care. The little rations we get do not amount to Il
anything
Dr. Boyer, il such is the case please send me
word SO that me and my people will be saved the
trouble Of going TO the agency. We do not intend
to stop dancing. LITTLE WOUND
Indians Skulking In War Paint