Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1895-08-17
THE HAMMOCK SCARE.
There Never Was Any Danger ut Jack
sons Hole.

Market Lake, Idaho. Aug. 8.-The col.
lapse of the indian war In the natu-
raj result OF a conditions OF affairs
which at 10 time presented a serious
aspect. From the first the scare has
had not the slightest foundation. Re-
liable Information received from the
front, and from parties who have talked.
with the Bannock Indians, show thai oH
all the people who were 30 badly fright
ened the Indians were probably the
most scared of all.
From the time--July 10-when the set
tiers killed two or three Of The Bannocks
who had been arrested on the charge OF
violating the game laws OF Wyoming,
and were attempting to escape. II IL diff
ficult TO determine whether the Indians
or the settlers were the most frightened.
After the killing Of the Indians by resi-
dents OF the Jackson's Hole region the
settlers naturally expected hat the
Bannocks would attempt to retaliate.J
Consequently the scare resulted and
troops were called for.
Ii il now learned that at that time,
and since. the Indians had not the
slightest idea Of inJuring the whites.
Their viii may have been good. butt
their courage was not OF a character to-
f''b6' h'fah "a n "at ~ thC aCb-
perate whites residing I'm Jackson's
Hole. On the other hand. the Indians
were In mortal terror that more Of them
would be killed by the whites, and for
this reason they studiously avoided
meeting a p~aleface. News that troops
were entering the country did not allay
the fears Of the lBannocks, but on the
other hand increased their terror, as
they believed the troops were coming
for the urp of furnishing them for
some imaginary infraction OF agency or;
government regulations. They believed
they were between two fires, the sol,
diers and settlers, n ook advantage
or the first opportunity to return to
their reservation. The truth OF this as
sertion will be borne out by the fact
that while In Jackson's Hole, and while
returning 10 their reservation through
a sparsely settled region, not q dollars
worth of property belonging to whites
was molested or destroyed. Had the
Bannocks been determined upon retail
ating on the Jackson's Hole whites for
the murder of their brethren. they had
ample opportunity prior to the advent
OF the troops.
There is little doubt that the Indians
are not the only ones who slaughter
large game by wholesale in the Jacks
sons Hole region. One old guide who
knows every inch OF that country and
who is travelling owe 1t constantly,
says he saw In n place the bodies o6
more than twenty elk piled in one heap
that had beer killed by a single tour
list. He saw the party and learned that
this number of elk had been killed solely
for the purpose OF procuring a pair OF
horns that would suit the fancy OF the
tourist. Numerous other instances OF
a similar character have been related
to the writer. Many Of the whites resid-
ing In Jackson's Hole make a living as
guides for eastern hunting parties,
and ii is surmised they wish the Indians
To leave the game alone In order that
there may be more sport for the parties
Of tourists that they constantly pilot
through the country during the hunting
season. If the Indians are permitted
to exterminate the game the Jackson's
Hole people see their occupations dis
appearing.
This was the true source Of the re-
cen difficulty. The whites make no
p%retense OF complying with the state
game laws. and because the Indiana
followed their example they fired upon
and killed some OF them. 1t Is probable
that the agitation growing out of the
recent trouble viii result in the strict
enforcement OF the game laws equally
as To the whites and Indians. fu vru-
meantime the troops sent into the field
are having the finest kin Of a SIMMER
outing.