The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-22
SAVED BY AN INDIAN
Hole-in-the-Day Stands Between the
Rifles and His White Friend.
BLOODY MASSACRE AvERTED
A True Story With Scenes and Plots
Laid In Minnesota When hat
State Was I errorized by
the Relentless sioux.

the otner evening ana IN the course OF
a general conversation the talk drifted
TO the subject of Indians. There were
in the crowd some men of long expe-
rience on the frontier, and their remin-
iscences were all of deep interest. Az
ter there had been a lot OF Montana ex-
periences related, 1t came to julie Hart
ley to take his turn at the talk, and his
story was a good one, and one that will
bear repeating. 1t was different from
all that had come before in that IL did
not have the Montana Indians for its
theme. but it was none the less inter-
csting for that. Mr.. Hartley was for
many years a resident of Minnesota,
and his story was of an incident that
occurred during the time he had lived
near the head of the Mississippi river.
when the Sioux started their ia
nous rebellion" said Mr.. Hartley, "the
Pillager Indians put ON their war paint
in sympathy. They had no cause. but
they wanted to fight and they didn't
look for any excuse. The war fever
was contagious, and they had IL bad
When they had decided to go on the
war path they sent runners to the
Chippewas at the Leech Lake agency
with the news of what they had done,
and In the hope that the Chippewas
would follow their example. There was
big medicine talk at the agency, and
II ended In a decision on the part of the
Chippewas to don their war feathers.
THE agent at Leech Lake was Major
Whitehead. He was a family connec-
ton of mine, and l was a warm friend
of the old man. He was a model agent
and was liked by most of the Indians.
who knew that he was a man of his
word, and who trusted him in every
thing. But IL happened that the young
err braves were in the majority and the
counsels of the more cautious were not
needed. So II came about that as soon
as the Indians decided to fight, they
started out to take prisoners. AS the
agency people were nearest at hand,
they were the first victims. The major
and all of the rest of the whites at the
agency were soon in the hands of the
Indians and were securely bound. The
Indians took the horses at the agency
and one big wagon that belonged to the
government. They all piled into this
that could get in and the rest rode on
horses. The prisoners were forced to
walk behind the wagon I'm the dust and
they had a hard time of IT, especially
the women and children, some of whom
suffered considerably.
when they got started, they took
the trail TO Crow Wing, where they
were to meet some of the other tribes
and have a celebration. They had trav-
eled about so miles in this way and had
made camp at Gall lake, when they
were met by Hole-in- the-Day, their
head chief who had not been present at
the pow-wow at the agency. Hole-in-
the-Day was a warm friend of the
major. and did not like the way that
things looked. So another council was
called and the confab was a hot one.
The old chief was a good one and he
made things lively, but he had not the
strength to change the minds of the In
dams who had now gone so far that
nothing would dissuade them. They
were in for the war, and they proposed
to stick II out They said so, and they
meant to show that they knew what
they were about. so they took another
whack at the medicine talk and, In
spite OF all the old chief could do, they
decided to kill all of the prisoners at
once. The original intention had been
to take them to Crow Wing and have
the killing there, after they had met
the other tribe. But they were angry,
and they wanted to show that they
meant business.
''Hole-in-the-Day was angry. too. but
he could do nothing. He was only one
against many, and he had to let the
show go on. He did a lot of thinking,
however. and he watched the proceed
ings very closely.
I'm the party there was woman
with a little baby. She was the widow
of the agency blacksmith. who had died
not long before. The poor baby had
had a hard time on the long tramp and
was fretfuL While the council was in
progress the baby had started to cry,
and the major had taken II in his arms
and walked up and own I'm front OF the
council fire with the little one. He sue
ceeded i'm soothing the infant. to it's
mothers relief. but the Indians were
indignant at this violation of the dig
nifty OF the occasion. This fastened
their decision To execute their prison
ers and they did not hesitate TO say so.
II did not worry the major at all, and
ne continued 10 take care of the baby
until the Indians took the whites and
placed them in line for the shooting.
Everything was in readiness for the
slaughter and the reds were lined up
with their guns. when Hole-in-thS-Ddy
stepped out and took his stand In front
OF his friend. Major Whitehead. He
stood there and faced his people. never
fiinching as he looked at the line OF
rifles that covered him, along with the
prisoners. All the while this had been
going on, Major Whitehead had been
talking TO the Indians as they We're
never talked to before. He had called
them dogs and towards and all the de-
spicable names that he could lay his
tongue to. He had been as forcible as
II they Were his prisoners and he lad
A regiment at his back. IL made the
Indians angry. all except Hole-tn-the-
Day, who seemed to admire his white
friend all the more. He stood a silent
spectator Of the whole proceeding until,
as have said. he stepped out in front
of the brave old agent.
He stood there for a moment and
then looked up and down the line OF
rifles. He drew himself up 10 his full
height and then said: The bullet that
shoots Jim shoots me- That was more
than they had bargained for and the
braves looked little ashamed OF
themselves. They had another talk
about the matter and they decided 10
carry out their original programme
and 20 take the prisoners 10 Crow
Wing. This they did, but by the time
they reached this place they found that