Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-05-02
HANDSOME ELK STILL FREE
The Indian Who Shot the Police
Will Not Surrender.
He Has lots OF Ammunition and II
tho Best shot on the Lower
Bru,e 80 sympathy Is
With Him.

Chamberlain, S. D., April 22.-Two re-
liable Indians who arrived here from
the Lower Brule reservation report that
Handsome Elk, the Sioux who on Mon
day, the 18th inst. shot and wounded
two Indian policemen, one Of them per-
haps fatally, is still at liberty and de-
fes the authorities to arrest him. He
has two rifles in his possession. and
says he has plenty of ammunition and
proposes to defend himself.
Full particulars of the difficulty and
the cause leading up TO ii are also given
by the Indian who arrived here. 1t
seems that Handsome Elk. who ives
only a short distance from the southern
border OF the reservation. has been ac-
customed to do his trading at a store
kept by a white man at a point about
three quarters Of a mile from the reser-
walton line, n has spoken a good
word for the store to Indian friends who
live in his vicinity. For any Indian to
leave the reservation without a pass is
in violation of orders issued by the In
dian agent a year or two ago. and in
addition to this a post trader who pays
a government license to conduct a gen
eral store at the agency is alleged to
nave iidit complaint 10 AtllHS Agent
Stone against these Indians, and Hand
some Elk In particular. for leaving the
reservation without passes to do their
trading at stores other than that at the
agency. Boy Elk and Rear Shield. In
dian policemen, were sent TO inform
Handsome Elk that his action was a
violation of agency regulations and that
the practice must cease. Boy Elk and
Handsome ELK haN-1 naEyar ho,n fpia,J
ly, the latter alleging that the former
has on numerous occasions used his
official position for the purpose Of an
noying him and causing him trouble.
Owing 10 Boy Elk's h abituaI oficious-
ness Handsome Elk was doubtless con-
siderably nettled when accosted by him,
and replied that the rules aud regula-
tons as understood by him granted In
dams the right to purchase goods where
they pleased So long as it was their own
money they were spending. During the
argument Boy Elk. SO other reliable and
disinterested Indians assert, drew his
~SiN-ShcJt"r a~d made a threatening
demonstration toward Handsome ELK.
The latter Immediately stepped to a
nearby building. seized his rife and
opened fire on the two policemen. who
during the conversation had remained
seated on their ponies. one of the bull
lets passed thrcug Boy Elk's thigh and
struck his saddle. while the other passed
through the lower left side of Bear
Shield. inficting a dangerous wound.
it being feared that the intestineS may
have been punCtured. Bear Shield rode
to the agency and reported the occur
renee, and the wounded men were taken
to the hospital at Lower Brule agency,
where they now are. The sentiment of
the Indians on the reservation is large
ly in Handsome Elk's favor, even In
dams who are not friendly toward him
being Of the opinion that he was fully
justified in what he did. While his ac-
ton was an infraction of the law, the
indians do not hesitate to express opin-
O n favorable to him. although they
would not under any ordinary CirCum-
stances permit their personal feelings
10 induce them to oppose his arrest and
punishment. 1t would he only under
great p~roVoCatiCn that the sympathiz-
FRS would resort 10 such extreme maa-
sures TO protect their friend. Handsome |
has bad opportunities TO escape
rom the reservation, hut has seemingly
Preferred 10 remain quietly at home.
1fs<Asssz s.tS-n s"c~-S.-s ~~.~~.ssN, ~~Ns >--..-A \
coolest, O dangerous and bravest
Indians N the reservation. and IL driven
a fight will give up his life before
yielding an inch or submitting to the
slightest humiliation. As a rifle shot
there are few Indians on the Sioux res
ervation who are his equals. Years &
game was plentiful he was one Of
the most successful hunters among his
people. In 1884 Handsome Elk shot
and killed his fathcr-in-law. and 1t was
about a year and half before he was APP
The Indian police fear him.
and II was only by strategy that he
was finally captured. He was acquit-
ted after a lengthy and sensational
trial.