The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-24
Story Of the Exciting Duel With
Two Indians at Tc:.gus
River.
Would bio Fighting, but Would
Not be Hanged According
to Law.
How Young Mule and Ifcnd Chief Met
Their Dcatlt--T0id for tho First
Time.

AEog INV - ATE
from Pine Ridge. Owing to the fact that
no newspaper correspondents were on the
ground when tho event occurred. the full
particulars Of tho remarkable incident
.,aye never before been published.
rho writer he's been Mt klne
Ridge during the present Indian dis
turbance, and here met Speciaa Agent James
A. Cooper, of the Indian department, who
was in charge Of Tongue River agency when
tho thrilling occurrence took place. Mr..
Cooper has never given the story to anyone,
being n very modest gentleman, and not
given to Boosting Of his W deeds. but
after repeated requests on the part OF the
writer, he finally gave the following detail q
OF the incident:
On the evening of September 8, 1880,
Hugh Boyle, n young man from Cham
paign. ILL.,. who was visiting an uncle IN the
vicinity of Tongue river agency, was met
on the road to his unc!e's dwelling by two
Cheyenne Indians, Head Chief and Young
Mule, and foully murdered by them with
out any provocation whatever. Because OF
his failure to appear at his u%ncle's home it
was believed that some accident had be-
fallen him, and a diligent search was at
,nce instituted. Tuesday, September
., the young mans dead body
was found by an Indian chief named
American Horse. who at once mott
fed SPECIAL Agent Cooper. Mir. Cooper,
accompanied by Maj. Carroll, of the First
United States Cavalry. and n number of In
dams. guidedby American Horse, proceeded
10 the spot where the body was discovered.
The place where it WAS found WAS in q
.'break'' near the top of a mountain. Tit
body had been carefully secreted. and would
never have been discovered by q casual
,passer-by. The body was taken to the
agency and given a proper burial. Boyie's
relatives were notified and two OF his
brothers afterward arrived and removed 1T
to their eastern home:
While examining the footprints leading
to the spot where the body had been Sc
ereted, American Horse, after a brief exam
sination, withdrew to II side without say
ing a word. Upon being pressed by MI.
. Se0pi nil to fi tne n yoo op,n'1 mem as .. and In left s0a the
tracks, American Horse finally said he
gave the names of Young Mule
and Head Chief as the guilty
parties. The evening Of the day the body
and made known to them that the two
murderers must be brought to justice, and,
pf course, desired that the arrests should
be made by the Indians, rs only by such
action could the anger Of the white people
living in hat section of the country be
mentioned, were in a highly excited condi-
ton, as this was the second murder of
white persons that had been charged to the
Cheyennes within a few months. The po-
lice and friendly Indians, to the number Of
about twenty-five, Immediately commenced
a search. Previous to their departure the
special agent had issued orders to all Ill
dams belonging on the reservation to come
into the agency, and all had obeyed the
order with the exception of the two muir
dsrcrs. This fact settled all doubt as to
Who the guilty persons were.
search, the police returned bringing tidings
that no trace of the fugitives could be
found, Saturday, Sept. IL, ration day, after
the rations had been issued to the assem-
bled Indians, all of them were called to the
agents Office, where it was made known to
the two murderess. as the whites
were becoming engaged at the de-
lay and were making all sorts of threats
against the Indians. The leading chief.
Two Moon, stepped forward when the
agent had ceased speaking, and stated that
pared to satisfy the law, from their stand
point. Their proposition was that tho
agent take thirty ponies as payment for the
death of young Boyle. They intended, Of
course, that the ponies should be accepted
and sent to the murdered boys relatives as
compensation for the death of the young
man.
The offer was promptly rejected, and they
were given to understand that the white
mans law could not be satisfied in that
manner. Seeing hat the agent WAS de-
termined not to aecede to their proposition,
would be accepted, the father of Head
Chief strobe up to the agent, and, with
eyes glitteripR yiciousiy. said:
II had hoped that the matter could be
settled with the ponies. | see you are de.
termined not to accept them. Ny sons
the ponies for you to select the ground, al
he wants to come in and die in your pres
ence, and show you how a Cheyenne car
fight and die..'
The agent then again addressed Two
Moon. and asked him if it was not possible
to secure them without resorting to suci
terrible measures, aud if he or any of hi
people knew where the two murderers were
Two Moor replied:
"We do not know where they are, but i
the ponies are not accepted, we can &c
them very soon, as they are somewhere nea
the gency but have positively said the
will not be taken alive"
The agent asked tho Indians TO bring i
the murderers themselves, and thus hav
the matter settled without b~loodshed, Blu
after repeated propositions to settle tn
matter psaceably, al! OF which were reject
ed, the agent said:
Bring on your men,"
Immediately the Indians dispersed, som
OF them going after the criminals and tn
balance driving tn ponies off the ground j
front of the agency buildings that had bee
selected for the approaching duel. Nc
over half an hour later. according to con
tract, the two murderer appeared in sigh
They were dressed in full war array, wa,
bonnets on. ponies handsomely decorated
and fully armed and prepared for battl.
News of the expected fight mad been re
ceiyed at the nearest military post. HI
Major Carroll, in command, sent LieutsTi
ants Robinson and Pritchard, wit
about fifty troopers of the First ca,
airy, in the direction of the agcnc'
Agent Cooper and the police were standin
in front of the agency buildings, guns j
hand, when the two murderers appeared o
the crest CT a hill northeast of the agenc,
and thef firing Mt once commenced.
While dasling dow the hill toward I'll
little group waiting to receive them. Hea
Young Mules pony was killed. TIL two Ii
dams, one of them dismounted, then r.
trea:e! to a higher range of hills, about 8
yards from the government party. III
firing continued from that point TO- SON
time, and many shots were exchange
Shortly after, Head Chief crossed from til
range to another chain of hills overlookil
the agency. On reaching the top he e
conntered a portion of the troops sent dov
bv Maj. Carroll. The meeting was une