Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1893-12-23
WANTED TO SEE HIS souAw.
Judge Plownan Describes Remarkable
Tvip Made BY Crow Dog.

Judge Plownnan Describes Remarkable
Trip Made by Crow Dog.
Omaha Bee, 0: Judge A. J. Plowman
of Deadwood, s. D., was taking dip
In his morning newspaper Mt the Pax.
ton when approached for q talk ON
timely topics. The distinguished Da-
kotau recently ran for district Judge on
the independent ticket aud was elected.
lie has held many responsible public
positions at Deadwood and attained
national renown in 1883. when he de-
Tended Grow Dog for the murder OF
Spotted Tail. Mr.. Plowman. who was
an attorney ut that time, was known
among the Sioux Indians as Little
Whiskers." but after he finished his
famous address to the jury in the Crow
Dog trial the Indians Immediately gave
him the sobriquet OF Little -Man-With-
the. Big-voice."
The memories of Mr. Plowmans
plucky legal fight in which he carried
that celebrated case TO the supreme
court and secured the acquittal OF his
red skinned client, when the hangman's
moose was about to tighten around the
neck of the condemned prisoner, still
lives in the minds of the legal frater-
nifty throughout the west
In speaking of the matter yesterday
Judge Plowmau related an incident OF
the trial which has never before APP
peared in public print.
After Crow Dog had been sentenced
to be hanged" said the eminent jurist,
~ went to Washington TO lay the case
before the supreme court OF the United
States. Instituted habeas corpus pro-
ceedings TO secure his release on the
question OF jurisdiction, While in the
nations capital l was surprised TO re-
ceive a telegram announcing that Crow
Dog had escaped from prison. re-
turned to the reservation after ] had
completed my business at Washington,
and then learned for the hrst .:!re
the cause which prompted the
famous Indian TO escape, 1t seems that
he was walking In the corridor of the
Jail one day when half breed told him
that he would surely pay the penalty OF
his crime and that the supreme court
would not interfere. This caused Crow
Dog some uneasiness He was quick to
act, He watched his opportunity to
escape and did So That stoical Sioux
who had the reputation of being a man
with heart of marble deliberately
struck out on foot over 200 miles OK
country to the reservation. Subse-
! quently he returned and gave himself
mp. with the expectation of going on
the scaffold. In response 10 the ques-
ton why he made the trip and returned
so soon, he replied that he did not want
10 die without seeing his squaw and
pappoose once more. Events proved
that he spent one day at his tepee, bid
ding his family what he regarded as a
last farewell, and then with wave Of
his dusly hand he mounted pony on
his retarn trip TO the Jail from which
he escaped. This clearly demon
strates that Indians have q
| big spot In their hearts for their fam
lilies. notwithstanding surface indica-
tions of indifference TO their squaws,
That is one reason why Indians would
make poor soldiers. They get home-
sick. Crow Dog is now on the reserva-
tion and at last accounts was hale and
hearty. He is hitting the pipe OF peace
and has no desire to wage warfare on
the government lie is a good Indian
now.
"The Sioux nation is fast being di-
vided into small cliques," continued
Judge Plowman. Red Cloud claims
the distinction Of being chief, but he 10
not In reality there is no chief now.
The various cliques have their head
man and this profusion OF lesser chiefs
has inspired jealousies, which act as a
safeguard against any united action
against the authorities. and ] am in
clined to believe that the present state
of affairs has been the result of system
attic scheming on the part Of the gov
ernment. Affairs are very quiet at the
agency now. The Messiah craze has
J ,sa,-aPteteiss ai.a- as.t ..Ad lahsss 80
be no desire for it's revival