Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-02-19
Two Millions Worth of Glory.

| The testimony of American Horse
| Spotted Horse and Turning Hawk be-
| fore the Indian Commissioner in Wash
| iDgton is mainly cOnfirmatorv of what
| is already known of the horrible bru
tality Of the Wounded Knee massacre
| but it adds some details illustrative o
the spirit in which the Sioux were
dealt with from the time they began
their protest against starvation until
the time the public sentiment of the
country was shocked by the Wounded
Knee massacre into eXerting itself.
The testimony Of American Horse is
most valuable because he has been one
| OF the supporters of the Harrison ad-
rninistration. Even after the massacre
he used all his influence to prevent the
Indians from avenging it, and 1T is
largely due to his influence that they
were enabled to make up their minds
to coudone the slaughter of their wom-
EN- and children, He was not present
on the Wounded Knee. but he visited
the field, and the fact that his state
ment is result of careful inquiry is
shown by its coincidence in all leading
details with what is already known.
Some new evidence is brought out in
this part of his statement of the Mass
acre.
The men were separated, as has already
been said, from the women, and they were
surrounded BY the soldiers, and then came
next the village Of the Indians, and that was
entirely surrounded by the soldiers also.
When the firing began of course the people
who We're standing Immediately around the
Young man who fired the first shot were
killed right there, and then they turned
their guns, Hotchkiss guns, etc. upon the
women who were in the lodges, standing
there under a flag of truce, and, of course,
as soon as they were fired upon they fed,
the men fleeing in one direction and the
women running in the two different direc-
tions, so that there were three general di-
rections in which they took flight.
There was a woman, with her infant In her
arms, who was killed a. she almost touched
tho flag of truce, and the women and chill
dren, of course were strewn all about the
circular village until they were dispatched.
Right near the flag of truce another was
shot down with her infant. The child, not
knowing that its mother was dead, was sIill
nursing, and that was especially very sad
sight.
The women, as they were fleeing with their
babies on their backs, were killed together,
shot right through. and the women who were
heavy with child were also killed. All the
Indians fled in these three directions. After
most of them had been killed a cry was
made that all those who were not killed or
wounded should come forth and they would
be safe, and little boys who were not wound
ed came out from their places of refuge and
as soon as they came in sight number of
soldiers surrounded them and butchered
them there.
The most important points here re-
late to the killing OF the women and
children. II has been asserted that ii
was impossible IN the heat Of firing to
tell the difference betw cen women and
men. This is wholly disproved by the
fact that the bodies of the women and
children were generally found at a dis
tance from those of the men. In this
connection the explanation of Ameri-
can Horse is valuable. as it fits in with
other facts to make it absolutely GER
tain that the women were followed far
off the field of the actual fight and
shot down. Their bodies were found
as far as three miles from the place
where the men were killed. Atan ex
pense of 50 100000 to the Federal Treas
ury they were deliberately murdered.
A moricau Horse thinks it an especial
ly sad sight to see an infant hanging
to the breast of its dead mother, but it
is more lameutshle still that when
such atrocities have been committed
they should be- passed over as excusa-
BILE: even jusiifiabIe manifestations of
''civilized" severity in dealing with
Saysues ~ IOH5s Re117I}ic