The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-10-07
Expected Tomorrow.

Fighting Expected Tomorrow.
Minneapolis, Oct THE Journals
Walker. Mimi, special says:
Watchers around the town last night
report this morning that signal lights
were flashed back and forth on the op-
posite shore of the lake last night and
are fearful that large bodies of Indians
from other reservations reached the
Pillager camp during the night. The
situation today is one of nervous antic-
ipation with uncertainty everywhere.
The tug Flora left at 2 o'clock this
morning to bring out Gen. Bacon and
his men; pending their return there will
probably be nothing done. Indications
are that both sides will rest today with
fair prospect of resumption of hostili-
ties again tomorrow unless the Indians
surrender in the meantime, or make
overtures for peace.
Geronimo Interested.
Omaha, Oct. THE 500 red men of the
Indian congress now assembled in
Omaha are much interested in the re-
ports of fighting among the Minnesota
Indians. Some of the braves at the
exposition grounds are considerably ex-
cited over the situation The manner
IN Which the news was circulated anorg
the Indians is a mystery, even to Cap
tain Mercer, who has charge of the
camp.
Early in the morning number of the
chiefs came to Mercer and asked him
about the heap big fight up north
They listened in silence to the state
ment of the captain. There are fifteen
Chippewas in camp. They seemed
greatly interested and talked among
themselves in an excited manner. Their
chief, Owl Face Man was asked by Cap
tain Mercer what he thought of the
tight. He grunted. with mGch energy
and said:
white man much mean, but Injuns
mean, too, cause not treated right. Will
be heap big fight before war over, cause
Indians have heap good guns"
Owl Face Man is not a head chief, but
he is in charge of his men here and
seems intelligent. He said his men first
heard of the fighting from a, half breed
who read of it in the morning papers.
Other Indians on the grounds, espec-
tally those Apaches and Sioux from the
west who know something of the fight
ing qualities and numbers of United
States troops, ridicule the Chippewas
for going to war
Old Geronimo, the famous Apache
chief, who has been a prisoner since be
ing captured by Gen. Crook after his
desperate fight in the south, was an in
terested listener to what Captain Mer-
Ger said. When he found the dghting.
was confined to a small tribe away
north of any territory he knew aught of
he had nothing more to say.
When asked by Captain Mercer if he
would like to fight, the old warriors
eyes flashed but he merely grunted with
disgust.
Gen. Bacon's Record.
Chicago, Oct General John M. Ba-
con, now entrenched in the Indian cOun-
try, is in command of the military de-
partmentS of the lakes and the DakOtas
He was born in Kentucky in 1874 He
was appointed second lieutenant in the
Fourth Kentucky volunteers on Septen-
per "A, 1862. He was colonel and aide
de camp to the commanding general
from January 1, 1871, to February g.
1854 Since the war with Spain began
Solohe! Bacon was promoted to be
prlgadler general of volunteers. His
headquarters are in st. Paul
Lieutenant Colonel Abraham A. Har-
bach. who accompanies the reinforce
ments, was born in Pittsburg Pa in
4S4l. He was appointed sergeant in the
f1rst Iowa regiment from the ranks in
1851. For gallant and meritorious ser
vice at the battle of Gett tysbursr he was
bTeVetted captain, and his subsequent
advancements have been obtained
through sOldierly conduct
Cause of the War.
Chicago, Oct. THE Tribune saws:
Some facts in connection with the
present trouble with the PiIlager Indi-
ans at Leech lake not generally known
are as follows:
A year ago a white man was arrested
for selling liquor to the Indians The
United States marshals arrested Min
JOn-Dah, a Pillager Indian of Bear
island, who some years ago gained con-
siderable nOtOriety by killing Chief
ole-In-the-Day, and is reported to be
bad and insOlent Indian, having killed
seven of his own tribe, in addition to
Chief le-In-the-Day, and is remark
able for business cunning and great in
ffuence with the balance of his tribe
He is a large and powerfully built
Indian of the dark and greasy type. He
still wears the old aboriginal blanket
of his fOrefatherS and was never known
to live in any abode but a tepee or
small tent of birch bark. The United
States marshal arrested him as a wit
ness against the white man for selling
whisky to them and took him to Duluth,
where the trial was held, promising him
transportation from Walker to Duluth
and return, with all expenses. When
the trial was over Min-Jon-Dah, it is
said, had to walk from Duluth to
Walker, a distance of 100 miles, with
out money or food, and arrived at Wal
ker nearly starved to death. He SWOre
before his tribe that he would never
recognize a. warrant or papers of any
kind served by the United States mar
Shals.
When the fall term of court sat at
Duluth Min-JOn-Dah and another buck
of his tribe were wanted at Duluth to
give testimony in another case similar
to that of last fall. The marShalS came
and arrested the two Indians and put
them in jail.
During their incarceration there was
intense excitement among the Indians
and many threats of rescue were freely
INDUCED in by the Indians.
Finally twenty of the bucks during
the night of September 8 made a raid
on the Jail at Walker, Mimi, and re
leased the two prisoners. The two Indi-
ans then made their escape to Bear
island and have been ever since agi-
tating the Indians to rebellion and re-
sistance of the government officials,
and this, coupled with the alleged pine
timber injustices, has resulted in the
present trouble.
Story of a Survivor.
n 7
han. deputy marshal, who was wounded
in Wednesdays fight, arrived here ear
ly today and gives a graphic account
of the action up to the time he started