The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-11
WHY TWO STRIKE WAS NAMED.
Not a EasebaIlist-He Killed q Nan in
the Epernyss Camp.

Not EasebaIiiss-He Killed Man in
the Enemy's Camp
Pine Ridge Letter in Omaha Bee
In .sP. s." 10 letter that | received
the other day from an old friend Is this
query:
..To what baseball club does Two Strike
beiong?"
Two Strike Is now playing outer field in
the Bad Lands club. Only quarter moon
ago he held the position of umpire,
but he made decision In favor Of
General Brooke, of the Pine Ridge
team, which so enraged the manage
him ten ponies and dubbed him into
ment ofthe Bad Lands outnt that they fined
his present position. Two Strikes aD-
pearance, viii take the trouble to add, is
q great compliment TO his profession and
particularly his record He has three
nncers that have been broken and are all
gnarled up, one OF his eyes has the appear
ance of having been knocked all ont OF
plumb sometime or other by a very hot
fwister. and he Is lame in one leg, where
base runner of the government blues
spiked him with bayonet during the sea
son Of 1876.
But the old man didn't get his name on
account of his baseball record. His
naming was the result of a very interest
ing custom of his race. Before an Indian
can become a chief he must have taken
the scalp of ct least one white man, and
even then he isn't considered much of a
chief until he has taken second one.
Having taken two scalps, his next ambi-
to the credit of his record 1t Is some
thing that very few Indians do in these
times. To do so is counted an act Of
especially great bravery. The act consists
of rushing alone, horseback or on foot,
into camp OF white enemies, killing
man and then when he has fallen dead
simply wounding him doesn't count-to
bend over him and strike his body either
with the hand or any weapon. stick, or
even with feather The idea is that it
requires the utmost nerye--to use modern
white mans terrn-to rush in among
a lot of persons all supposed TO be
looking out for the safety of one another
as well as their own. and TO stay there long
enough not only 10 shoot or cut one of
them, but if necessary night others until
the one dies in order that he may bend
over and give the heroic stroke. An
effort TO earn this distinction has, a
noted old Indian here tells me, cost
the lives Of more would-be chiefs than
any other one thing. When, however, this
deed is performed twice, the performer, so
10 speak, is entitled 10 perch on the top
most pinnacle of red-faced fame. Two
Strike is the only Indian in this part OF the
country who has won such honors, and
hence his name.
The same question may suggest itself 10
the reader that it did TO me; namely, how
could an Indian prove. in most instances,
that he had performed the deed. the re-
quirement being that he do il alone. and
in most instances beyond the eye OF his
brother red men. / put the question,
and with the result OF securing a
still further insight into the customs
OF these people. A chief is not
credited with strike until ten moons
after he prociaims himself entitled 10 IT,
In the meantime the members of his band
or tribe set about in the best ways that
their wits can suggest 10 Ind out from
the surviving members OF the group
in whose midst il is claimed the act was
performed, whether or no il really
was performed. II is said that the case
is very rare where the honor is claimed
that lt IS not discovered sooner or
later 10 be deserved. When il has been
discovered that the claim was made with
ouG the decreed basis, the man making IL
Is forever iiSgraced in the eyes Of his race
wherever be may 60, and If . natural death
or death Ia war does not overtake him
soon he is put out Of the way by the hand
OF some Of his tribe.
The same rule holds in the matter of
scalp taking, Ii must not be inferred that
O.,
earns the credit of q strike Is msde chief
The performance OF such deeds simply
com pIetes the routine or established code
which man must show in order TO be
eligible 10 the rank OF chief.
Aside from these credit marks be
must have the power OF winning and hold
ing q following of respectable members.
The standing and strength OF a chief is es-
tImsfed almost, II not entirely BIZ the
number of braves who VIII follow and
stand by him upon all occasions. and who
when he speaks viii be obeyed, even in the
face Of sure death.
Unlike the custom that prevailed in
early days. the face OF the chief IN times of
Mar IS not always at the front. They do
more schenling apart from the council IRE
or circle, snd n times Of war hold them
selves more &loit from their bands, and
depend more upon giving airec-
tons and orders orally through
eourlers than was ever thought Of
Tor a moment II the days when their faith
eTs were the supreme and nnchaIlenged
rUlsrs o. al these vast plains. And 20 this
very fact = traceahle a large share Of the
reason for their rapidly increased weakness
Ia the matter Of sustaining their su-
premacy. And at no previous time in their
history, perhaps, has this fact been
shown with 30 much prominence s.
now. Big Road, Little Wound,
Two Strike, and several other Of the chiefs
who some weeks ago were assuming a
hostile attitude and have since given out
ward appearance Of repentance and a de-
sire 20 &c friendly, are now, with the ex-
cepglon OF the one last named here
Al the agency, bat with only 3 rem
nant Of their following. largely for the
reason, IS We that are on the ground
know, that their eour9erS delivered their
oral opinions and instructions IN a man.
ner which VAS very erroneous, and often
times wilfGily malicious And in tAss
connection l VIII add that undoubtedly
one of the chief causes leading 70 the
present outbreak Is 70 be found in
the fact that since the Custer massacre
there have arrived St warrior axe an IN
usually large number OF young men, who
are restless and AZ times, as / hear il on
every side, fairly frantic for an eportuuity
10 make blood-stained record Tor them
selves, SIS has been hammered into them
ever since they cutgrew their pappoose
bAES.
sefflg fstxfr