Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1893-02-11
A IMMATURE MASSACRE.
A Band Of Bad Hearted Indians Perpe
trate Cold Blooded Murder
on the Reserve.

Oh tue ncscIVes
Wild rumors OF another outbreak Of
the Pine Ridge agency Indians. and Of a
wholesale massacre Of cattlemen and
ranchers, struck terror to the hearts Of
the citizens of South western Dakota,
last Saturday and Sunday. It was at
first reported that general outbreak
had occurred, that several hundred Of
the reds were on the warpath. and .
conflict anticipated. The first Of this
week, the facts followed the unreliable
rumors, and it was learned that Two
Strikes, An unfriendly Sioux chief, with
q small band of followers, had dsliber-
ately murdered four cowboys, employed
by Stenger & Humphrey, well known
cattle men and government beef con-
tractors. The names Of the victims Of
the massacre were James Bacon, W..
Kelley, Z. NJ. Bennett and KodnSy
Royce. The last two named arc quite
well known in Custer county, and their
bodies were brought to Hsrmosa for
burial. The following concise and com.
plete statement of the bloody affair APP
peared in the Deadwood Times of the
Sth inst:
The scene of the brutal and wllful
murder sthirty miles north Of the agency
and twenty miles from Wounded Knee,
the battle ground Of the war Of 1890, on
the edge of the Bad Lands. The camp
consists of corrais, stables, and dugout
where the cowboys slept 1t was in this
latter place the men were murdered
while sleeping, their bodies being liter
ally riddled with bullets. Several of
them were otherwise mutilated. having
arms broken and their bodies slashed
with knives. The killing was done by
Two Sticks, his two sons. Work and
First Eagle and another Indian, White
Face Horses. 1t was wanton murder,
fendish aud deliberate. The Indians
told another named Grow, that their
hearts were bad, that they had been
dancing in their sweat house when the
Great Spirit told them TO 60 aud exter-
inmate the white men because they had
killed the buffalo and had taken the In
dians' possessions from them. Shortly
AFTER this they swept down on the dug
out and killed the cowboys like rats In
q trap. The cowboys had no show, and
although fighting bravsly were shot
down. After mutilating the bodies the
Indians left, taking with them the bed
clothes. cooking utensils and everything
else of value. including the cowboys
horses, and returned To their homes at
No Waters camp. This murder occur
red Friday night. Saturday afternoon
the bodies Of the murdered men we're
found and the news was brought TO the
agency. Captain Brown ordered the
Indian police to bring in the bodies, and
also the murderers. The police, under !
Sergeant Joe Bush, went to the dugout.
but the cowboys would not allow them
to take the bodies. as they wanted to
bury them. To this the police acquiesced.
Learning that the murdcrers were at No
Waters camp, ttey proceeded there
and ordered Two Sticks and the others
to surrender. They refused. aud fight
ensued, which resulted in the killing "A
first Eagle, Mark and WbiEe Ssysr
Horse and the fatal wounding Of TtTo
Sticks.
Since the killing Of the men, and the
prompt visitation Of justice upon their
slayers, some fears have been entertain
ed that more serio..s trouble would be
prscipltated by the friends Of Two
Sticks. Threats were made that the
agency buildings would be burned and
the white men living there be killed,
but the warliks Indians are few in num-
bers, and the cold weather has cooled
their ardor somewhat. The Indian
police are doing excellent service. and
those Indians commonly termed friend
lies, are in the majority. and behaving
well. Capt. Brown thinks he is master
of the situation, and doesn't seem to fear
further trouble. Fort Meade troops
were instructed to march to the reser- !
vation several days ago, but the order
has since been countermanded.