Connecticut western news., 1895-03-07
SCOUT SHAVE HEAD.
AN INDIAN DUEL AT THE STANDING ROCK AGENCY.

It Grew Out of a Quarrel over . Quarter
 of Beef-Crooked Neck Made Bluff and
 Was Called Down-Riaes at Thirty Yards
 and Fight to a Finish.
 "A duel which witnessed in 1876 at Standing Rock agency, Dakota" said an old scout, "between Scout Shave Head and Chief Crooked Neck of the Hunkpapa Sioux was performance that would have called for applause from the most critical audience that ever wit messed Spanish bull fight. Shave Head, it will be remembered, was one of the Indian police who was killed while at- tempting the arrest of Sitting Bull in the fall of 1890. In 1876 was inter- preter and chief of scouts at Fort Yates, near Standing Rock agency, where l had 80 Sioux Indian scouts under my command, who were selected from the friendly bands and Quartered at the military post with their families. The military authorities issued rations only to the scouts, while their families drew from the Indian agent. The beef was slaughtered on the east bank of the river, the Indians crossing in boats
 "I usually accompanied the scouts when they went for their beef. About l50 Texas steers were killed every two weeks. These were parceled out to the several bands, beginning with the lar ger, who would xeceive 12 or 15 head as their share, thenext 10 or 12, and so on to the smaller bands, who would get two or three, according to their mum Der. Lastly, single families, not mem- bers of bands, were given beef by them selves, one steer to four families, or a quarter to each. The scouts, half breeds and squaw men were among this num- Der. The trouble which terminated in the duel between Shave Head and Crooked Neck began over the issue of beef.
 Shave Head, Crooked Neck, Charley Pappan, half breed, and the Widow McCarty, squaw who had been mar ried to white man, were given quar- ter each in the last beef issued Shavu Head, Pappan and the widow immedi- ately began skinning the beef, when Crooked Neck approached the scout. and placing his hand on his shoulder pushed him violently aside, saying: You be- long to the soldiers You have no right here Go to the fort for your beef
 "I stood not more than 50 feet away. Shave Head cast one look of defiance at his assailant and then came to me and said, pointing at Crooked Neck: That man has driven me away from my beef. If I was not under your command, I would know what to do, but now await your orders. If you leave me freo to act, he is not man enough to keep me away from my beef.
 "I answered that since the agent had given him quarter of that beef it was to take 1t.
 "'Then, said he, tell that man to keep away from me- answered that Crooked Neck did not belong to my company, and I had no authority over him.
 "'Very we'll, said the scout. I shall take my beef, and rejoining the others he again offered to assist in dressing the beef, only to be again thrust away by Crooked Neck. This time he gave utter ance to that savage growl which, once heard, can never be forgotten, and climbing out of the slaughter pen on the north side, and taking his rife from his wife, he turned to the left, coming out on that side of the corral facing the river. Crooked Neck, seizing his rife, went out of the corral on the south side, and turning to the right the two com batants met face to face on the west side of the corral. Between them was the agency wagon, which was backed up to the fence to receive the beef. The first shot was fired by Chief Crooked Neck over the rear end of the wagon. The driver, supposing that he was the object of attack, frantically whipped up his mules, leaving clear field between the two enraged warriors, who were not more than ten yards apart Talk about an Indian war dancel Here was execut- ed dance that surpassed anything of the kind I ever saw. Shave Head was the more agile of the two, jumping from side to side, rearing high in the air and again bending low down to the ground, all the time keeping his eye fixed on his foe and his gun ready for use The corral had been surro1nd- ed by not less than 1, 900 Indians, men, women and children, but when the fir ing began they had surged to one side, leaving the space in the rear of each combatant clear.
 "The second shot was again fired by Crooked Neck, but he again missed his mark, and during the instant required by him to throw another cartridge into his piece Shave Head, who was still as a statue, took aim and fired. The ball struck Crooked Neck in the hip, which crippled him so that he had but one leg to dance on. As soon as Shave Head fired he resumed his dancing, keeping it up until his antagonist fired again, when he repeated his former tactics, pausing in his dance while he took aim and fired This time he brought Crooked Neck down with bullet through his breast He fell forward on his face, his gun un- der him. His friends pressed forward, holding up their hands and calling upon the scout to desist. He had killed his man.
 But Shave Head was determined to make it sure thing. First pointing his gun toward the crowd to warn them back, he advanced to the prostrate In- dian, and holding the muzzle of his gun within two feet of his victim fired three shots into his head. He then resumed