Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1893-03-16
A REMARKABLE MAN
Bill Fielder. the Notcd Fron,icrSman.
Is Killed by the Rcd>kin
Police.
Some of the Experiences Related OF
His Lon" Eventtul Life With
the SouX.
a Romantic Existence That Would
Ou!lOth Tales Told in II Dime
Novel.

Last Thursday night. at Cheyenne
agency. the noted froniirr>man. scout
and suuawmnn. Hill Fielder. was killed.
The circumstances of his death are near
ly as follows: In the distribution of pony
money. his >quaw GOT several hundred
dollars for alleged losses of ponies suS-
tanned in the troubles several years ago.
4 part of this money Fielder took from
his wife, aud >pcn, il in caronsing, and
returning for more was refused. when he
struck her. frarluring her skull. Tue In
dian police were sent TO effect his capture.
hut h" drove them away. They rcturucd
Thursday night. when Bill attacked
them with an axe. wlicu they prcful,,cd
linn with five or >N hnIlcl>, dcat, result
ing Il, once.
This rud> the career Of about one of the
most remarkable lron,irrSman of the age.
aud one whose history reads like Il ROM
ancc, aud il properly written would ill
volume The FREE Press ran across
Ben Hoover. of Fairiamk. saturday. and
learned .ha, he has known Fielder in,i-
matcly for some twenty wears. aud was
familiar with his history. Being asked
for u brief sketch of his career Mir. lloov-
.,r replied: "Fiedrr according 10 his own
account. was born in Missouri some fifty
odd years ago. When Il small hoy lie ran
away from home aud soon fell in Will, a
French ,rappcr who was starting mp the
Missouri river. In their wanIicring> they
finally came tn old Red Clnnd'> camp.
where. the lrappcr abandoned him. This
must have been some forty years ago. and
in this region Of the west. Fielder grew
to manhood with lied Clouds tribe. aud
finally being ad"p,ch into the nation.
married the chiefs sister. by whom he
had one daughter. who is huw married.
believe. to II lafhrccd named l;cnoi>,.
This girl l:iil had educated in GOOD shape
in ST. Paul.
"Bill'S Indian name Was Waiiauhulla.
meaning "'rhe Boat" His people never
discovered him unli! 1876 "a, which time
he acted AS interpreter in >ulne big coun-
ell held just after the Custer massacre.
lle came to this section around where
Pierre now is in lSj>. and was agent
and military interpreter III Chcy-
enne for a long time. actin. in the latte,
capacity until about five years ago.
About the most eXcitin. adventure
Fielder eyer figured in wa> the rescue OF
Mrs Brown. who was kept in captivity
anon. the Sioux some six wears. ind who
tells of him in her book entitled My
Captivity Among the S:ouX." Jumping
Bear. who WAS married To the woman.
and Fielder. conveyed Intelligence to the
officers ut Fort Suly tina, the Sioux.
some 500 strong, had laid Il plot to maSsa-
ere the garrison. and TO effect ancniranrc
within tbs >,ockade which then enclosed
the post, had agreed to deliver Mrs.
Brown over. The officers being on their
guard. required the Indians to march np
with Mrs. Brown in the lead. and when
she was inside the gate. but before the
rest could enter, they were shut out. thus
preventing II wholesale hutchcry.
''Among some of the other noted occur
ances Fielder figured in was the capture
CT Il hostilc named Whip. who killed Il
Fort Sully soldier at Cheyenne in 1876.
and escaped to the Hills. Fielder was
then deputy United States marshal and
brought his prisoner back. aud kept him
from beirg rctaken by the Indians who
followed them up. He was also the prin-
cipal witness against liobb. Bingham.
Craven, Cox and others, who, it is alleged,
stole the government blind along in 1877.
at Cheyenne, hut got free through some
political deal. He secuted for Gen. Terry
in 1876, when the hostilcs under Sitting
Bull were rounded up after the Custer
massacre, and did the government much
valuable service.
"Fielder has been married twice 10 In
dian women. and has four or five boys
grown. His last wife was Il relative of
Sitting Bull and is the one he beat so
hard just before his death the other day.
Ae had at one time u big ranch OH the
reservation aud was worth a fortune, but
it has since about all gone for drink and
cards. He was known as the most eff
cieht interpreter among the Sioux, hav-
ing their word and sign language down
pat" and as he was braye and ncrvy, was
feared and respec ted by the redskins. lie
could read and write and vas well ycrscd
in politics and other questions of public
Importance, which was singular, on ac-
count of the limited chance he has had.
because he has lived with the Sioux all
his life and had to learn it himself. en-.
tirely. OF late years he has done some
government contracting.
Yes, he has had remarkable life. i
know all about it, as he has told me most
of his history in the past twenty years.
When the police went after him the other
day, they knew they would never take
\ him llive. but would have 10 kill him,
sssA n a Bin had had q; gpn Instead Of thst
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