Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-02-20
WHEN INDIANS CAUSED EXCITEMENT.
Tho Strike Recalls stirring Times to at
Least One Chicago Pioneer.

Awful times! Awful times! Never
had EN- when we were young"
The speaker drew out a spotless
handkerchief in a solemn ann
1--WE didn't, that's Il fact" responded
his seatmate in the Wabash cable.
WED have done it if we could, but
the population didn't allow of it. Chi
cago didn't possess a million mixed
ons in those days, so the Indians bad
to get up all the strikes. Good Lord,
how easy they did it! Bennett, do you
remember that night-no, you weren't
there. though; you'd come to Chicago
after Il w~ngon-load of winter stores.
Well, | never shall forget that night.
There's a solid pound Of reasons for re-
Numbering it,"
The speaker paused as the car did
and u bright-faced girl with q bunch OF
sweet pease In her hand got on.
"You see" he resumed when the car
was rafting on again, "you see, the In
dians had stolen some horses and been
overtaken by the owners, who, of
course, demanded their property. That
made the Indians furious and they
threatened to scalp everybody in the
settlement before morning. Well, we
all hustled down to Williams cabin
he had the biggest one-and pretty
much everybody in the settlement was
there before sunset. Good Lord, what
d hubbub there was! Some of the
women were crying and fainting. with
all the kids joining in the chorus; and
we men were busy barTicading the
doors and windows.
"There was one mar there-a Meth
odist preacher that happened to be Wis.,
ting In the settlement-and he was
wandering around in everybody's way,
calculating: Put your trust in the
Lord, brethren We had everything
in the shape of weapons, for the alarm
had been SO sudden that we'd been
obliged to snatch up whatever was
handy, and clubs and pitchforks out
numbered the rifles. The preacher had
a table fork for his sole weapon. He
said that the Indians believed that q
stab from a table fork was always fatal
to them. / hadn't much spare time
jus. then, but | remember wondering
how many Indians he'd pick before
some of 'em scalped him. 1t got darker
and darker and we all began to listen
for that Indian whoop-remembcr how
it used to sound, Bennett | never
want to hear it again. BY and by the
tast baby stopped crying and we sat
waiting for that whoop.
swell, it came. Every fellow was on
his feet in a trice with his weapon lift
ed. Then we dropped our pitchforks
and made a rush for the fellow waving
his bowie knife over our heads and CALI
ing out with a laugh in his voice, 'Now's
the time for scalps!'
He hadn't been with us when we
shut ourselves in and there were red
giints coming in through those barri-
caded windows instead Of redskins. 1t
was morning and we'd ali been asleep.
How we did il | don't see yet.
Hammond had come homo unex-
pectedly in the night and hadn't of
course heard of the fuss. SO when he
didn't find anybody * his cabin he
came on to Williams, the next place, to
make inquiries. He said he eXcrttd all
his energies To wake us up, but couldn't
do 1t, so then he assaulted om barri-
cades, and after Il tough time of it man
aged 10 get into find us all repos!ng
on our iaUreis and our arms.
I'VE never heard the end OF il, of
course, but we laid 1t on TO the preacher.
If he hadn't neglected his duty he'd
have pricked our consciences with that
fork OF his. and kept us awake to our
dangerous state"
"Of course" assented the solemn
man, something like n smile crossing
his severe visage. Il believe you set
tied il with the Indians next morning"
Yes, sir. We went after those In
dians and licked 'em, and took our
horses. - Chicago Tribune.