The morning news., 1897-01-03

seventies and how the Nebraska newspa-
per secured a meritorious SCOOP
Intimately connected with the Indian up
risngs were Frank Grouard and Capt.
Jack Crawford, the latter being better
known as the "Poet Scout" Both did good
service as scouts with the Seventh caval-
ny, Gen. Custer commanding.
Capt. Crawford acted at this time also
as a correspondent for the Bee, then a
small daily, struggling for existence. Dur
ing Clusters last stand Crawford was with
Col. Benteen, who commanded a part OF
Custer's command at Slim Buttes, and
Grouard was with Col Reno, who COM
manded another detachment of Clusters
forces. After the Custer massacre Reno
despatched Grouard to Deadwood, s. d.
the nearest telegraph station, to notify
the war department of the terrible affair.
AT about the same time Capt Crawford
concluded to ride into Deadwood and des-
patch TO the Bee the particulars of the
light and scoop the entire country. The
majority Of the great papers had corre-
spondents with the troops, but none OF
them dared to ride through the country
filed with hostile Indians nor could they
get any one to do IL for them. Even had
they the courage to do this they could not
have Withstood the hardships of a three
hundred mile ride over a rough country.
Both Crawford and Grouard met at the
stage station at Rock Springs, Wyo., and
each OWNED the others intention of get-
ting off the news Of the massacre first.
Both were supeTbly mounted on thorough-
bred cavalry horses, and both were equally
matched as to physical strength and en-
durance.
1t was tacitly agreed to ride together for
mutual protection. Hour after hour they
rode, sometimes exchanging shots With
Struggling Indians and again resting their
tired horses. on the morning of the last
day of their ride both stopped for short
nap and to rest their horses. Each kept
an eye on the other however, to prevent
him from stealing a march. When they gou
ready to go Grouard broke his, cinch while
saddling his horse, and before he could
repair IL Crawford was rounding out oE
sight In a deep gulch. They had entered
the foothills of the Black Hills. Grouard
galloped after him, AS the cabins Of the
little town Of Spearish loomed into view
Crawford was half a mile ahead. AS he
entered the town his jaded horse was
ready 10 fall Seeing a cowboys broncho
hitcned in front OF a house he leaped from
his horse and upon the cowboys, and was
off just as GrouaTd rode into the town.
The fifteen miles between Spearfish and
Deadwood We're soon covered.
When Grouard rode up to the telegraph
office in Deadwood Crawford had sent halh
OF 1000 word dispatch, and the people IN
Omaha were reading the details of the
slaughter. The Omaha Bee thus secured
the biggest scoop" any paper in the coun-
try ever had up TO that time. In this ride
the two scouts covered 300 miles in thir-
ty-slx hours, with but three changes Of
horses.
During the last Indian campaign at Pine
Ridge, in 1S90-91, Grouard was Gen. Miles
chief of scouts and did good service. He
also acted in the same capacity during the
troubles between the cattlemen and rus
tiers in Johnson county and Wyoming. He
was then with Maj Whiteside's command
at Fort Mckinney. Grouard is of Indian
blood, and his family lives at Pine Ridge
Agency. AT present he is in st. Joseph,
Mo
Capt Jack Crawford Is a resident OF
New Mexico at present He Is in the en-
ploy of the United States government in
the department of justice. He is we'll
known from his lectures and poetical con-
trbutions. He is a picturesque character
and still affects the long hair and habih-
ments of the western plainsman.
--George Ebers has written another long
ha