The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-06-05
BRAVE But BAD REDSKINS
"reminiscences of Old Indian Fighter
Now a Washington Policeman.
Narrow Escape of Gen. Miles From
Lame Deer's Treachery-Inck
dents of Campaigns.

=
ening an outbreak in Montana, are the most
cruel ana relentless as well as the bravest
and most reckless of al the Indian tribes. q"
so says Policeman John A Foster, of the
Fifth precinct, who is an old Indian fighter.
with fine record.
Mr.. Foster served in the regular army and
other branches OF the Government serv-
Ice ia InGiau Territory, Montana, Texas,
New Mexico ana other Western States and
Territories for the greater part OF his fife,
ana has letters from ms superior officers
complmenting him for his bravery ana jact
IL the hos lie country during some of the
most severe Inaian campaigns. He is well
acquainted with the Cheyennes ana their
uurderous methods.
Il knew ola Crazy Horse, head chef of
the Cheycanes, he SAID TO "A Times re-
porter, and the was as desperate fighter
d. ever lived. The braves of that tribe
are the mos; perfect, physically, of all the
redmen in the West. They have good
features, are muscular. well-furmed ath-
leUes, AID have no equal horseinen. l
have S,ea their horses running along ap-
parenOly a herd OF ponies without riGels
but on every animal there was Cheyenne,
with his head under the pony's neck.
When on the warpath the Cheyenu, 20
naked, wearing only Il hreechcloth, having
Their lodies painted in the most fantastic
manner They almost invariably torture
Their prisoners TO death and shout clese-
fully as their victims are dying in agony
During the camTaign in July, 1874,
while my regiment, the Fifth Infantry, was
pursuing the Cheyennes through that por-
ton of Indian Territory which is now
Oklahoma, we came TO a place On the
freight road where a citizen freichter had
been captuTedwuh his team by there,lSkins,
tied TO the wheel of the wagon and burned
to death. All that remained of the POOR
fellow were few ChaTTed bones, pieces
OF burnt cloth and a grease spot The
fTegEter's only Utfense was that he fought
for hiS life when the Indians attacked
HIM, and probably tumblcd TWO or three
OF them before he was captured
The CIeyennts are also trcaCheroIS
crew. l was with Gen Miles when lie
was colonel of the Fifth Infantry "a; the
Lame Deer fight, at the headwa ;,,rs OF
the Tongue River A Cheyenne chief, the
the troops, and as Col Miles and the truups
approached HIM he quickly raised his
rifle. aimed II at the colonel and blazed
away. The great Indian fighter swayed
his lOdy To one side and the bullet which
had been intended for his heart struck a
trooper behind him, killing HIM Instantly
/ relieve that was about the closest =! ave
Gen. Miles ever had Lame Deer's .rea n
cry cost him his life,
Before ne could shoot again the bows rid
died him. This only illustrates one phase
Of rhe Cheyenne's character. In 1874 a
band Of these Indians captured the Ger
main family Of einigrants, The men were
put TO death aud the women taken away
and Kept in a slavery that was worse than
death g"
Policeman Foster was a member Of the
guard OF regulars from the Firm Inf lntry
which had Charg aof the oval OF Sev MY
five Cheyennes, Kiswas and ApacheSto tier
prison no M in the old Spanish Font Marion,
Fla, as punish nent for theIroutrages. Two
Incidents on the trip illustrates the dss-
perata nature Of the red men who are now
threatening hn sorts of excuses in Mon
tala and Indian Territory. One of the
Cheyenne braves, who occupied seat near
the end Of the car. stabbed himself re-
peatedly with a knife he had conceal,
about his person in an attempt to commit
suicide. When several soldiers attempted
to diSarm him, although shaCkled the In
dian sprang upon them and slashed them
severely with the weapon
A short while after this occurrence GRAY
Beard, one OF the head chiefs uf the Chey-
cnneS. attempts to eScane from the train
while it was passing through Tennessee.
outstanding the fact that he was
handcUffed, he sprang through the car
window Y bile the train was gOiGE At full
speed and started TO run away. When the
cars were stopped party of II gularS start
ed in pursuit. but Gray Beard would have
escaped had not sergt Hogan. of the Fifth
Infantry. pulled up his gun and shot the
chief dead as he was bounding along with
the speed Of a deer.
Tic Cheyenne never scalp a colored sol
Gier. but cat out his tongue, sometimes he
fore hc j. dead, and preserve it as a trophy
of their valor.