Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-04-01
BATTLE OF WOUNDED KNEE.


Washington Star: The presence here
OF p. IA. starr the half-breed Sioux
Indian scout OF Pine Ridge agency, re-
calls the Wounded Knee hght, when
occurred about seven years age thss
winter, Mr.. Starr IL In Washington
pressing n claim against the govern
inent He has been connected with
the government service for many years.
In speaking TO the Star 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. was
not looking for anything Of the kind at
ALL"
starr had two bullet holes through
his clothes and II seems a miracle to
him now he declares, that he was not
Killed. He is most Intelligent man,
and speaks clearly and forcibly.
81 was engaged In the capacity or
scout" he added ut was about
O'Clock in the morning. or little af-
ter, when the fight began. ] was en-
gagged in dealing out rations to the
women and children. Some of the
men OF the Seventh cavalry were about
me. Suddenly heard n gun fired, and
instantly the place seemed TO be mass
OF smoke and flame. and the bullets
ratified around like hail. while the shots
sounded like stone In a Kettle being rat
tied up together.
'The thing occurred in little ravlne.
had my gun close to me when the
shooting began, but was so excited.
astonlsbed and scared that ran ana
forgot altogether about II. The Indi-
ans who were around. including men.
women and children. scattered like
chickens when n 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 NIL over
looking the place where the rations
were being dealt out to the Indians. l
was so badly frightened that started
to run away from them, but found that
was running to them. Bullets were
flying all around me, and ! could see
both the Indians and the soldiers who
had been close to me falling to one
side and then to the other. 1t was
ms II had been In a terrible dream.
When | found I was running toward
the soldiers who were doing the shoot
ing, instead of running away from
them. had presence OF mind to know
that It would not do to turn back 50
! ran right In among them. The Cat
ling gun was cracking like pack of
firecrackers all the time. turned and
looked down into the ravine. and
through the clouds OF smoke i could
see people mixed no In all sorts of
shapes, with wagons and horses and
COuiu near tft EItutluS VI tic nOuHdths
when had passed the line of
soldiers shooting l ran Into log cabin
an rolled over and over. | was first
checked 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. / had my coat up around my |
neck when the shooting began at sun
rise. II was all over in that particular |
vicinity In u half hour or so. though |
parties of the Indians were chased I'M |
III sunset Some OF them had got six |
miles away from this place. when 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. l picked UP a little In
dian girl where she had been thrown or
fallen, and the child IL now living In the |
Pine Ridge Agency. She was about sew |
en- months old ut that time. Another
child was picked up. and is now living |
with her Adopted mother In Baltimore.
1.-The whole thing was started by a
crazy Indian named Seeker. He |
brought his gun up to be disarmed like |
the rest of the Indians. when. instead |
Of giving II 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 Of the officer through |
the interpreter.
:" Yes, and hand 1t up quick. too was |
the response.
with that Seeker pointed the muz-
gle 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 |
Seeker. had all given up their arms. |
and I 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 |
We're doing. / saw q number of them |
pulling down the levers of their rifles
and firing In the air"
Some OF the stories Starr tells OF the |
occurrences OF that day do not reflect
TO the credit OF the Seventh United
States cavalry.