The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1893-01-14

Battle RetWeen Bucks.

Carleton, Mimi, Special, Jan. 10-The
Vidette says that Wednesday was the
day when the Indians of the Fond du
Lac reservation received their dole of gov
eminent money, and o o our streets
were literally sprinkled with red men too
drunk to have any of the noble" element
left in them. Our citizens then were not
very much surprised to find on Thursday
morning that an appalling aboriginal
tragedy had been enacted at Barker OF
the previous night. At first it was four
Indians killed and a large number
wounded, then the number of killed was
put at three; then two, and there it re-
manned until the facts were known.
Coroner Sukeforth md Sheriff McKinnon
went to Barker on Thursday morning.
Here they were met by some Indians who
took them to the cabin of John Laundry,
a half-breed, well known around here.
The first indication of tragedy they had
was a large pool of blood c%rimsoning the
snow about thirty feet from the cabin.
Inside lay John Laundry himself, on his
poor couch, dead, with the deep pallor
and sunken face and form of q man who
has bled to death. Splashes and pools Of
blood were everywhere, and his wife,
surrounded by some sympathizing friends,
sat on the floor and rocked herself to and
fro in her misery, uttering walls of sor-
row from time to time. Questioned as
to the death Of her husband, she said
that Joe kingbird, a half-breed lad Of
about sixteen, had come to their house
the evening before to get a rifle and am
munition belt. There was some dispute
about the rifle, when Kingbird, taking it
up, shot her husband and then
committed suicide. The indications,
however, do not bear out her
story and according to both coroner ond
way: Kingbird got the rifle and starteu
from the house with it; he was followed
by Laundry, who seized hold of it. In
the struggle for its possession the we upon
was discharged, the ball striking King
bird. Seeing what had happened Laun-
dry ran back to his house, and peeped
cautiously from the window. He WIS
dian boy, with a bullet i: his head, took
deliberate aim at him and fired. The bull
let struck him near the right arm pit, cut
ting open one Of the great arteries of the
body, and Laundry bled to death before
any proper assistance could be brought
to him. The boy was traced to his par.
ents' tepee, his trail being plainly marked
by the same CHASTITY stains that they had
first noticed upon their arrival at the
tepee. They realized for the first time
the almost unparalleled feat the half.
breed boy had accomplished. The bullet
from the rifle struck him about an inch
and a half from the point of the chin and
went upwards, shattering the jaw, cut
ting the tongue to pieces, destroying the
palate and coming out between the eyes
ut the base of the forehead. Enough,
one would say, to kill or disable almost
any man. Yet in spite of that awful
wound, and with the blood streaming
and shot Laundry, then distant from him
about thirty feet. After doing this he
turned, and blindly stumbling. made his
way to his parents tepee, a distance of
half a mile, an example of savage courage
and logged determination which the
spartans would have difficulty in sur ,;a.
there yet, and is expected to recover.
Laundry and Kingbird were, it was said,
both sober when the shooting occurred.