Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-20
KILLED FROM AMBUSH
Hostile Sioux Badly Stirred Up Over
the Murder of a Chief.
KILLING DONE BY WHITE MEN
General Miles Good Work Almost Rem
dered Useless By 1t.
A GHOST DANCER CLUBBED To DEATH
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE prspArcH.t

| SPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPATcH.I
| PINE RIDGE AGENCY, VIA RUSH
WILLIE, NEB., Jan. 19.-When treacherous
whites in the Bear Butte country murdered
Few Tails last week and wounded his
squaw, they committed an outrage that has
come near running General Miles plans
and stampeding the Indians. Few Tails
was a relative of Young Man Afraid-of-His-
Horses. Young-Man-Afraid went to the
Crow country when he saw how things
were going on the reservation last summer,
| and it was only upon the urgent pleas from
| the military that he returned with the band.
The chief came the other day with q
strong escort of cavalry. He had not been
| here 36 hours before he withdrew the hos
tiles from the warpath and brought them
submissively under the guns of the military.
While he was performing this work, white
men ambushed six members of his band,
who were on their way to Pine Ridge from
the Bear Butte country. The party con-
sisted of six men, two squaws, twelve ponies
and two wagons. They carried with them a
pass from General Brooke and assurances
from Captain Taylor that they were peace
able. Not a member of the little band was
painted and they carried no ammunition or
guns.
Killed by Ambushed Whites.
Early on the morning of the 11th they
started on their journey southward.. Before
breaking up camp they carefully banked
their fires. They had gone but a short dis
tance when they were fred upon from am
bush by party of whites. Few Tails fell
dead. His squaw was shot in the leg and
breast. The squaw managed to crawl to the
bushes, where she hid for day before setting
out on her painful tramp to Pine Ridge, 100
miles away.
The rest of the Indians abandoned the
other wagon and fled, and she supposed that
they. too. were slain. On the day of the
murder two young men named Culbertson
called at the camp of Colonel Merriam and
admitted that they had killed an
Indian. but said the band had been
caught stealing horses. Colonel Merriam, in
his report to General Miles, says this story
IS untrue, and requests that the Governor of
South Dakota be advised of the outrage, so
that the murderers may he punished.
Lieutenant Marshal characterizes the kill
ing as cold-blooded murder. When the
wounded squaw crawled into camp yester-
day she was almost dead.
The Hostiles Badly Excited.
The Indians at the hospital quickly spread
the report that relative of Young Man.
Afraid-oi- His-Horses had been killed by
the whites. Almost instantly there was com
motion in the hostile camp. Scouts reported
the situation to General Miles, who immedi-
ately sent runners after Young -Man-Afraid.
When that chief appeared at headquarters
and learned of the murder, he scowled, and
for moments refused to be pacifed. Mean
time the hostiles were saddling their horses
on the sides of the buttes and herding their
cattle. Three shots were fired in the hostile
village during the afternoon.
1t took all the diplomacy at the command
of General Miles and his staff to win back
the good will of the chief. Finally Young
Man-Afraid walked away apparently satis-
fed that the army at least was not respon-
sble for the assassination, but the
fright of the hostiles was intensified
to such an extent that the military
became alarmed. The situation has now
become so complicated that the quarter
master has ordered 20 days additional
rations, and troops that were expected to
come to the agency for grand review have
been ordered to remain in camp. This order
for rations is as heavy as any that has been
issued since war began.
Big Road Remains Loyal
Few Tails was not only relative of
Young ng-Man-Afraid-of-H His Horses. but
brother of Big Road, one of the most pow
erful sub-chiefs at Pine Ridge. Big Road
said to-day that cowboys had slaughtered
tie little band, and that the squaw of Few
Tails was the only survivor. Another
squaw who was killed was Big Roads sis
ter. Despite his grief, Big Road said to-day
that his heart was still good.
Several guns were surrendered by the
hostiles to-day. Many of the weapons were
good Winchesters, while others were old
rim-fre rifles with records that go back to
the time when White Clay creek was so
muddy that wind wo1ld not make ripple
on its surface. Two-Strike, Crow Dog and
Young -Man-Afrald led detachment of 1S
nostiles who gave up 15 rifles Less than
200 weapons OF all kinds have thus far been
surrendered.
Last night Colonel Shafter, commanding
the First Infantry, ordered a squad of SOL
diers to raid gamblers who had their layouts
in two log cabins. Over 100 men were
caught. The men who ran the games were
given 20 minutes to get off the reservation.
The soldiers who were caught in the dens
were Gagged in the guard house.
Ghost Dancer C1ubbed to Death.
There was big uproar in the hostile camp
last night, the particulars OF which are not
vet. definitely know. 1t was reported that
one Of the daredevil Brules attempted to
start ghost dance, and refusing to stop the
demonstration, was clubed to death by Two
Strike. The report Of this killing has been
transmitted to headquarters, but up to noon
scouts had been unable to verify the re-
port.
Friendly Indians declare that Two Strike
killed man. 1t is positively known, how
ever, that there was a warlike demonstra-
ton in the big village. One of Captain
Taylor's Sioux scouts was in the camp q, when
he was set upon by Brule, who tried to
shoot him with revolver. The young fire.
brand was knocked down and his weapon
taken away. 1t is now in possession of
Captain Taylor. The hostiles still walk
among the soldiers with ghost shirts and
trousers beneath their blankets.
Old Torn Belly has inspected Captain
Dougherty's Notifications on the northern
buttes and pronounces them a weak defense
for soldiers. He started to inspect the earth
works on the eastern hill, when the old
vagrant and mischief-maker was abruptly
turned away by sentinel. Agent Pierce is
issuing rations for 80 Brules of Yellow
Robes band, who are to be taken back to
Rosebud. Special Agent Cooper to-day left
for Black River Falls, Wis, against the
,r;ebou of ha ilitorv ofi o;ols