Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-10-13
IN DIANS FIGHT.
A Band of Redskins Attack United
States Troops.
A Rumor that the Soldiers Were Massa-
crsd-The Troubles at Leech Lake,
Mimi, Culminate in a Bloody
Conflict Near Bear Island.

Gen. Bacon landed on the point short
ly after o'clock. After landing, a
sortie of the bush was made in all
directions. No Indians were seen u7-
til nearly II o'clock. The men were
then ordered to line up in an open
space near the shore of the lake.
Charges were drawn and preparations
for dinner made. The order to make
coffee had been given and the soldiers
were standing in column formation
when the first shot was fired. IL
came from Bog-Ah-Me-Ge-Shlrk :
house. The ball struck Ed. Harris,
ex-marshal of Walker, half-breed.
His arm was broken.
That was the signal. Immediately
the firing became general from all dl-
rections. Three of Bacon's men
dropped and were carried to the rear.
On the instant the first shot was
heard every man in the command
sprang for cover, without waiting for
orders. Like flash the blue column
vanished and not a sign was to be
seen of the men who had stood erect
but an instant before except here and
there a little patch where gray nat
might be made out. Gen. bacon
voice was heard high above every
thing admonshing his men. The gen
eral stood straight up and, supported
bv Mai. Wilkinson. looked right into
the eyes of the red devils. STEADY,
men," he called; keep cool now,
keep cool"
Again there came volley from the
Indians and that was what the troops
had been waiting for. The krag-
Jorgensens opened up just as the
Pillagers made a terrific rush. Half
dozen of them dropped and the rest
fell back, yelling like iends | don't
know how many Indians there were.
but there must have been $50. Lieut..
Morrison with a squad of 20 men
made rush to prevent the recapture
of old Mah-Quod, a very choice scoun-
drel, and Bap Dway We Dung.
The marshals had these men under
arrest and a rescue would certainly
have been effected, but Lieut.. Morri-
son yelled charge" and his squad
scattered the copper-coiOred gang.
BY this time the troops were under
cover. The Indians were firing in a
desultorv way and the order was
given to charge. The soldiers rose.
ducking and dropping like grasshoP'
pers. Suddenly a volley was fired by
the Indians at the steam tug Flora,
which lay off shore. A score of bull
let's tore through the woodwork of
the boat and every man except the
pilot sought cover.
4 volley was then fred at tho tug
Chief. of Duluth. Inspector Tinker
L II
sleeves were torn TO ribbons by an
other ball. The Flora steamed for
the agency under orders from Mar
shall O'Connor. who was en- board, 10
get the 20 men under Lieut.. Hum
phrev. who had been left there. =,
Lieut. Humphrey was white with
rage when the news reached him.
His men at once started for the front.
The fire of the g-Jorgen$enS, 20
miles distant, is distinctly audible
from this point. They banged away
all the afternoon. y man just in tells
me that we lost four killed and nine
wounded, up to date.
Bacon's men have their blood up.
The fighting Third has seen its dead.
Bear island as well as its dangerous
vicinity will be gutted. \ fatal mis-
take was made in failing to send a
Gatling and Hotchkiss gun. They
could have been used with magnifi-
cent effect, especially the Gatlings.
No word has come from the front for
several hours. which fact is considered
somewhat ominOuS. The most Seri-
GUS report is that the troops with
Gen Bacon were maSSacred. the gem
eral himself being said to be among
the dead. Three newspaper cOrre-
sDondents were in the fight and one
report is that they were killed. while
another says they are now prisoners
in the hands of the Indians.
The Pillagers and other neighbor-
ing Indians of the White Earth reser-
vation claim to have many reasons
for their present outbreak, although
the direct trouble with the PiIlagers
comes over attempts to bring in some
of the Indians to the United States
court at Duluth in connection with
liquor selling cases. Their grievances
90 back through many years and
there have been Legislative and other
attempts to settle them, one of the
latest being the Nelson law regarding
the sale of timber on the Indian
lands. However, the Indians claimed
that the method of disposng of this
was both cumbersome and expensive
and that they We're the sufferers.
Washington, Oct. 6.-Secretary
Bliss received telegram last night
from Indian Inspector Tinker, an
nouncing fight with the Pillager
Indians in Minnesota. 1t did not say
how many were killed. Marshal
O'Connor wired Attorney Gen. Griggs
that a general Indian uprising was
imminent. On receipt of these ad-
vices Secretary AIger ordered rein
fcrcements sent to the scene at once
and with Gatnng gun if needed.
Bank Robbed of 100000.
Winnipeg, Man, Oct. 6.-At noon
yesterday 100000 in bank notes was