Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-03-03
AT WOUNDED KNEE.
STORY OF THE BATTLE TOLD BY A
HALF-BREED SCOUT.

The Trouble Caused by Crazy Indian
A Complete Surprise to All The Partici-
pants -waif of the Battlefield.
p. H. Starr, the half-breed Sioux
Indian scout of Pine Ridge agency,
was in the Wounded Knee fight, which
occurred about seven years ago. Mr..
Starr is in Washington pressing a
claim against the government. He
has been connected with the govern
ment service for many years. In
speaking to reporter he said:
II was in the thick of the Wounded
Knee fight all unconsciously. was
never more astonished in all my life
than when the shooting began. l was
not looking for anything of the kind at
ALL"
Starr had two bullet holes through
his clothes, and it seems miracle to
him now, he declares, that he was not
killed. He is a most intelligent man,
and speaks clearly and forcibly.
Il was engaged in the capacity OF
o'clock in the morning, or little
after, when the fight began. was
engaged in dealing out rations to the
women and children Some of the
men of the 7th Cavalry were about
me. Suddenly l heard gun fired.
and instantly the place seemed to be
mass of smoke and flame, and the bull
lets ratified around like hail, while the
shots sounded like stones in kettle
being ratified up together.
THE thing occurred in little ra-
vine. | had my gun close to me when
the shooting began, but was so excited,
astonished and scared that l ran and
forgot altogether about it, The Indi-
ans who were around, including men,
women and children scattered like
chickens when hawk is after them.
To add to the awfulness OF the affair,
the smoke was binding and choking.
THE soldiers who were doing the
shooting were up on little hill over
looking the place where the rations
were being dealt out to the Indians. l
was so badly frightened | started to
run away from them. but found that
l was running directly to them Bull
let's were flying all around me, and l
could see both the Indians and soldiers
who had been clocc to me falling to
one side and then to the other. 1t was
as If | had been in a terrible dream.
When / found | was running toward
A. lot ba oh
ing, instead of away from them, | had
presence of mind to know that
it would not do to turn back.
so / ran right in among them.
The Gatling gun was cracking
like a pack of firecrackers all the time.
l turned and looked down unto the ra-
vine, and through the clouds of smoke
could see people mixed up in all sorts
of shapes, with wagons and horses,
and / could hear the groans of the
wounded.
when / had passed the line of SOL
diers shooting l ran into a log cabin
and rolled over and over. l was al
most choked from the gun smoke.
Finally / came to myself, and found that
one bullet had gone through my coat
at the shoulder and another through
the collar l had my coat up around
my neck when the shooting commence
ed. While the shooting began at sun
rise, ii was all over in that particular
vicinity in q half hour or 50, though
parties of Indians were chased until
~f4 Ial ctx,
miles away from the place where they
were overtaken by the soldiers. All
through the day firing could be heard
among the hills.
There were many women and chill
dren / saw. ! picked up little In
dian girl. lying where she had been
thrown or fallen, and the child Is now
living on the Pine Ridge agency. She
was about seven months old at that
time. Another child was picked up,
mother in Baltimore.
"The whole thing was started by a
crazy Indian named Sleeker. He
brought his gun up to be disarmed
like the rest of the Indians, when, in
stead of giving it up, he stuck 1t from
under his blanket and shot the officer
in charge.
"'Do you want me TO give up my
gum he asked the officer through the
interpreter.
"'Yes, and hand it up quick. too
was the response.
with that Sleeker pointed the muzzle
at the officer, fired and killed him.
The soldiers overlooking the place
where this happened began firing. The
ground was frozen, and the bullets
glanced, and many were killed in this
way. The Indians, with the exception
of this man Sleeker, had all given up
their guns, and | know the shooting
was not done by them. Some OF the
soldiers were SO badly frightened
while the thing was going on they did
not realize what they were doing. I
saw a number of them pulling down
80 hoir ri1 Q,,tvx