St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-07-03
The First Publication Of the
Indian Version CT the
Shooting.
Story Of the Wounded Buck
and Of the Boy Wit
ness.
Sturgeon Man. Tells the
Subsequent Events at the
Agency.
No Real Danger Existed, AMI
1t Is q Question OF Ac-
cident.

The federal grand jury now in session
will investigate the trouble at Leech
Lake reservation that arose through tn
shooting of Oh-she-De-ay-gance. The
stories heretofore published as to the
shooting and subsequent trouble among
the Indians have come from the authori-
ties Of the government, including that
given out by DR.. Walker, the overseer
and resident physician. who did the
shooting. The GLOBE has secured the
STA ementS of the wounded man and his
friends, which are given below. The
following is that of the wounded Indian:
We have heard so much that is I'M
true regarding the recent trouble at
Leech Lake taat l have decided to tell
how it occurred. 1t was my intention
to say nothing until l was called upon
10 do SO In court, but so much prejudice,
from what l hear, exists towards the
Leech Lake Indians on account OF the
erroneous reports that have come from
the Leech Lake reservation, that | will
tell you i'll the presence of Mun-ey-we-
nin-nee what occurred, and he will
vouch for my statements. Guy-bay-
vance asked me to go after valise at
bis house. which is on the south side
of the ageny, on the road to Brainerd.
We were at Pine Point, so l borrowed
pony and went after the Yalise as re-
quested. On my way back, and when
l had reached point where the road
runs along the shore of Leech lake, |
saw DR.. Walker and Mart Brunchaud
standing together. The latter, who is
the government blacksmith and mixed
blood Indian, caught hold of my horses
bride rein. and the doctor asked me for
IL, II
across my shoulder. l handed it to him.
and he pulled it so violently from my
hands that l fell off my horse. After
he had secured possession of the valise
he sat down a few feet from where
stood and commenced to open it.
| said to the blacksmith to tell the
doctor not to open the valiSe, bat the
former said it would make no difference
what [ said, it would be opened any
how. | then spoke to the doctor my
self, and SAID in Chippewa: Don't
open that SACK" at the same time APP
preached him. He jumped up and
moved a few steps from me, pulled re-
volver from his hip pocket and pointed
it at me. L said: Put your revol-
yer away; you must not do
that" He said something in En-
glish about shooting, and l said
"Shoot if you wish" The revolver
went Off and l lost consciousness. Whem
recovered, little boy, who, it seems,
saw the doctor shoot me, was standing
by my side crying. He said that as soon {
as the doctor shot me the latter and the
blacksmith both ran away.
L sent the boy for assistance, and
arose from where l was lying on the
beach and walked to tree and waited.
under its shade until assistance came,
,fFh oVric I xRyOli r.Ah
to the agency. and when | arrived there
the Indian police had surrounded the
doctors house. There was also a big
crowd of Indians present. One of
them named Oh-sow-ay-keslbig told
me to go into the house so that
the doctor could dress my wound.
When l got into the house the doctor
dressed my wound, and he asked me
through William Bonga, who acted as
interpreter, to use my influence among
my friends to prevent them from doing
him any injury. He said my wound
was not serious one, and that would
recover and he would pay me for my
injuries. The following day he offered
to settle with me for 5000, but l refused
to do anything. During the day, imme-
diately after l was shot, one of my
brothers arrived from across the lake.
He had his rifle, and threatened to shoot
the doctor, but | sent word to him by
one of the persons that was i'll the room
to release his gun. Mum Way-we-dung
got possession of the gun.
After my brother gave up his gun he
was allowed to come into the house and
see ME. The doctor remained upstairs
all the time, but he would come down
whenever anybody sent for him. My
brother, who was drunk at the time,
ID fI1 IL
ton to do to you as you have done TO
my brother, but he has requested me
hot 10 do anything, and for his sake
will do nothing" From that time there
was no intention of doing the doctor any
injury.
When the doctor shot me he was
standing perfectly still, and he did
not stumble or fall, as [ hear he has
stated. There were 10 StumpS or I'M
even ground which could have caused
him to stumble or fall, for we we've Oh
the shore of the lake. which was sandy
and very 4evel. There was no excite
ment or threats made after the first
day. had no weapon when the doctor
shot me, nor had L threatened him,
either by words or actions. l did nOtt-
ing that warranted him in shooting me,
and, although he had first stated l had a
revolver, | was unarmed. was per
fectly sober when this occurred, and
had not drunk drop of whisky. The
blacksmith knows all about this trouble,
and he could corroborate what l have
said, but he was not brought here by
the marshal.
sturgeon Mans Statement.
was at the agency when the govern
ment blacksmith arrived there and said
Oh-she- be-ay-gance had been shot by
the overseer, Doctor Walker. L inquired
if the wound was fatal, and was told
that the bullet had entered the right
cheek. In the meantime quite crowd
of Indians had gathered around the
doctors Office, and they were consider
ably excited. and | noticed that at least
| half of them were drunk. The wounded
man was present, and the crowd was
| clamoring for the doctor to extract the
bullet. Quite number made threats
against the doctor, but they were either
| drunk or were the relatives of the
| wounded man. Glen Fairbanks, the
post trader, arrived soon after the
crowd had gathered around the
| building, and took the wounded
man inside of the doctors house. When
| the former came out l went in with
| Bonga. Shortly after l got into the
house heard considerable disturbance
| outside, and, upon inquiring, L learned
| that the brother of the wounded man
was trying to force an entrance into the
house, and that he had his rifle with
| him. When Oh-She-be-ay-gance heard
! that his brother was outside making
threats. he sent word to the police to let
| him come into the house, and also to his
brother that he was not dangerously
wounded and would recover, and TO re-
lease his gun. l said to the messenger,
| udg-e-wuib: Tell this
| young mans brother that he should
| grant his brothers request"
| When Oh-she-be -ay-gance's brother
| had released the gun he was allowed to
come into the house. l sent word to
the doctor, who was up stairs, and re-
| quested him to come down into the
room where we wee sitting. When he
came down said to him i'll substance,
| as follows: ..MY friend. | feel called