San Saba County news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1874-19??, 1892-04-08
SITTING BULLS DEATH.
STORY OF THE LAST HOURS OF
THE Willy OLD CHIEF.
Orders to Bring Him In Alive II Possible,
But, at All Events to Bring Him
n-shot Through this
Head in the Fight.


in-shot Through this
Head in the Fight.
In a recent issue of a New York
newspaper there appeared an article
headed Sitting Bulls Death " which
purports 10 be an interview with one
Conrad Disstler have interviewed
Lieutenant Slocum. of the Eighth cav
airy who was present at the time
Sitting Bull was killed writes cor
respondent OF the Cincinnati Enquirer
ana he makes the following statement
in regard to the affair
This man Disstler claims to have
been a member of + troop At that
time was in command of T troop.
and there was no such man in the
troop and never has been. as far as |
can recolleet 1t is possible. though.
that he may have acquired a different
name since leaving the service. Men
of the character that this man evil
IDENTIFY is sometimes find it convenient
and at times necessary to conceal
their identity.
Sitting Ball. from his village on
Grand River. had sent defiance TO
Agent Mel aughlin at Fort Yates and
as token of his hostility to the
whites he had broken his peace pipe
and had sent the SD uttered stem to
his agent. He had gathered about
HIN some $50 fanatical Indians all
imbued with the mania OF ghost dane
ing. aud had 6Xed the date OF depart
IRE with his band for the Bad Lands
near Pine Ridge This we learned
through. scouts sent from Fort Yates.
For two months we had been watch
ing him, and when it was found out
for certainty what his intentions
were forty-four of the In ian police
we're sent out by Agent lacLaughlin.
1T was no childs play for this
handful of men. They went out with
orders to bring in the noted chief
alive if possible. but at all events to
bring him in; and no body of men
ever carried out more hazardous or
ders in a moro loyal manner.
They left the agency just after
dark OF December L. expecting t.
make the capture at daylight Two
troops OF the Eighth cavalry. and
e. LETT at midnight TO be at Sitting
Bulls village also at daylight to sup
port the police and prevent recap
ture
AT daybreak of the 10th we were
approaching the bluff overlooking
Sitting Bulls village our horses in a
swinging gaIlop. Suddenly over the
brow of the hill an Indian appeared,
horseback, without arms and fright
ened nearly to death. We finally got
out of him that the Indian police had
all been killed. and that tho valley
and roads in our front were full of
hostiles. We subsequently found this
TO be exaggerated.
'Resuming our gallop we reached
the crest of the bluff, and, looking
down. saw Sitting Bulls village IN
der US. The police were occupying
Sitting Bulls house. their ammunition
nearly gone, but still keeping up the
fight
Quickly surveying the ground. F
troop advanced. dismounted. toward
Sitting Bulls house, while G troop
mounted moved up the valley to head
off retreat in that direction Then
we were about fifty rods from thu
house. The police filed out formei
line. were dressed 10 the left and the
first sergeant saluied me- ! mention
A.. g.. - .- boa- ocoI 4loso 49,, 49,
The first sergeant was IN command
both the first and second lieutenant
having been killed IN the fight
Several dead we're lying around
The first body that l recognized was
that of Sitting Bull. He was lying on
his back. with a bullet through his
head and one through his left breast
The manner of his death was as fol-
lows:
The police entered his village Just
at dawn. going to Sitting Bulls house.
They awoke him and told him to get
up and come with them; that they
were going to take him to the agency.
and that if no resistance was offered
he would not be harmed Sitting Bull
dressed and was led outside. The
first lieutenant on one side ana the
second lieutenant on the other then
started to lead him toward a pony they
had already saddled for him. At this
moment Sitting Bull begaz to yell AID
the Indians swarIued out of their
houses and tepees each with his gun
in his hand. outnumbering the police
nearly nine to one.
Fire was opened at seventy-five
yards distance. and both lieutenants
fell at the fire. Bull Head. as he
dropped. fired at Sitting Bull with his
revolver, shooting him through the
head Red Tomahawh. who was him
self expos~i to a murderous fire.
turned. ar Nth his Winchester, shot
Sitting Bull through the breast The
police were them obliged to seek
shelter in the house"