Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-03-12
A Description Of tho killing OF This
Famous Indian
Chief.
THE INDIAN POLICE DID IT. IT
Is SAID.
Tho Narrator Gives His Name as
Disstlcr, But His Identity IL
Not Established.
by telegraph TO the Srws
sIrriNa nULL's DEATH.
a Description by ono who Claims TO
Bo Welt Informed.

In q recent issue OF "a NOW YORK news.
PAPER there appeared an article headed
"Sitting Bull'a DEATH" which pur-
ports 10 be an interview with one Con.
rad Dlsttler. have interviewed
Lieutenant Slocum OF the Eighth Cav
airy, who was present at the time SIT.
ting Bull was i.illed, and lie makes tie
following statement In regard TO tho
affair.
"rhis man Disstler dlAims 10 have
been II member Of Il troop. At that time
was In command Of II troop, and
there was no ouch man In the troop,
and never has been, M inT as cat
r.colloct. 1t is possible, though, that
he may have acquired different name
since leaving thefervice. Men OF the
character that this man evidently "
sometimes llnd IL convenient ard, at
times, Necessary 10 conceal their 1den'
tity.
"Slttiug Bun, from his village on
Grand river had sent doiinuto 10
Agent Mclaughlin NJ Fort Yates, and
as a tokenOfhi hostility 10 the whiieshe
had broken his pcaeo pipe and hnd sent
the shattered stem To his agent. lie had
gathered about him some $50 iauaticAl
Indians, all imbued with thu mania ~
ghOst dancing, nnd had fixed the date
OF his Departure with bis band for the
Bad LANDS near Pine Ridge. This
We learned from scouts sent vut from
Fort Yates. For two months we had
been watching him, aud when Il was
found out Tor certainty what HE in
ttnilonr were, forty -four OF the Indian
police were sent out by Agent Nc.
Laughlin.
at was no chili's play for hi, hand.
iul OF men. rncy wen, ont VITA aricrs
70 bring IA the noted cnicf, alive Il pos.
sihic, but Mt all events To bring hln iui
aud no body o. men ever carried out
more hazardous orders In q more loyal
mannuT.
"vhey left the agency jus. after dati,
NJ December iith, expecting 20 mako
tho capture ut daylight Two ir1oIHrf
the Eighth cavalry, + ami G, let at
midnight 10 bent Sitting Bulbs village
also At daylight 70 support tLe police
anu prevent = rucapture.
cat dnyhrrak OF the 18Th we were
approaching the bluff overlooking
Sitting Bull'a village, our hprses IL "a
Swinging gallOp. Suddenly over the
brow Of the hill an Indian appeared,
bareback, without arms, anu nearly
frightened 10 death. We finally got
cut Of him that the Indian police had
all been killed nud that the valley aud
roads IN our front were full Of hoslilos.
We subsequently, found this TO be ex.
aggeratcd.
"il.suming our galop we reached
the crest ~ the bluff, and looking
down saw Sitting Buli'- village under
US. The police were occupying Sit
ling BulpH house, their ammunition
nearly gour, but still keeping up the
fght.
"Quickly surveying the ground, +
Troop nj vangod, dism0uuted, toward
Sitting Bulls house, while q Troop,
mounted moved up the valley 10 head
of q retreat In that direction. Then
We were about MY yads from the
house. Tho police filed out, formed
line, were dressed TO the left, and the
first sergeant salutei me. mention
this to show how cool these men were.
The iiret sergeant was In command,
10th the nrst and tho second lieutenant
having been killed IN the Eight.
"HsveTAl dead were lying around.
The tlrst body recognized was that
OF Situng Bull. lie was lying on his
back, with bullet through hia head
aud one through his len breast. The
manner Of his death was rs follows;
"rhe police entered bis village just
at dawn, going to Sitting BULBS houss.
They aW oko him aud told him 10 get
up and come with them; that they
were going 10 take him 10 the agency.
and, that N no resistance was
..f SOL l..N -.
Ting Bull dressed and wac led outside.
The INIT lieutenant ON ono side aud
the second lieutenant on the other,
they started 10 lead him toward pony
they mad ready spddlei for him. At
this moment Sitting Bull began to
yell and the Indians swamed out Of
their houses aud tepecs, each with his
gun In his hand, Outnumbering the
police nearly nine 10 one.
"Flro was opened Mt seventy-ilve
yards distance and 10th Lieutenant
fell Mt the first fire. Bull Heat, a. lac
dropped, fired at Sitting Bull with his
revolver, shooting him through the
head. Rcd romahawk, who was hlm-
self exposed to n muTiorOus iifu, turned,
anu with his Winchester shot Sitting
hull through the breast: The police
were then obliged TO seek shelter Ia
the house.
"Ihe Indian police Mt Standing
Rock Ill deserve at the hands Of the
public press the slur cast upon them by
your contemporary. Any one who sd-
mires a faithful performance Of duty, y
strict obeiience OF orders and courage.
Gus bearing against awful odds, must
respect these men who know no duty
Of blood or kInship superior to that
which they considered that they owed
to the government. Aud tho little
monument on Grand river, erected by
the agent and those two ifoOfa Of the
Eighth Cavalry, marks lhe spot where
L - Mn 49,. ~ LL-n..Ll