Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-03-25
AT WOUNDED KNEE.
STORY OF THE BATTLE TOLD BY 4
HALF BREED SCOUT.

Ane ArouOAe Nauseo oy crazy lnoiau
Who Shot United states Army officer
a Complete Surpri,e to All the Part*s.-
l,anss-waif OF the battlefield.
P. H. Starr. the half-brecd Sios0
Indian scout of Pine Ridge agency,
was in the Wounded Knee fight, which
occurred about seven years ago. Mr.
Starr is in Washington pressing
claim against the government. He
has been connected with the govern
anent service for many years. In
speaking to Il reporter he said:
Il was in the thick Of the Wounded
Knee fight all unconscious!y. l 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 it seems a 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
scout," he added 1T was about 6
O'Clock in the morning or a little
after. when the fight began. | was
engaged in dealing out rations to the
women and children Some of the
men of the It'll Cavalry were about
me. Suddenly l heard a gun fred.
and instantly The place seemed to be Il
mass of smoke and fame, and the hull
lets ratified around like hail, while the
shots sounded like stones in Il kettle
being ratified UP together.
THE thing occurred in a little ra-
vine. l had my gun close to me when
the shooting began, but was so excited,
astonished and scared that | 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 We're up ON a little Hill over
looking the place where the rations
were being dealt out to the Indians.
was SO badly frightened started to
run away from them. but found that
! was running directly to them Bull
lets were flying all around me- and I
could see both the Indians and soldiers
who had been close to me falling to
one side and then to the other 1t was
as if had been in terrible dream
Wnen found I was running toward
the soldiers who were doing.i1anss shoot
ing, instead Of asSs,saisss1f'rorn them, had
lEasssssasaEGSof mind to know that
sat would not do to turn back,
go ran right in among them.
Inc Calling gun was cracking
like pack Of firecrackers all the time.
turned and looked down into the ra-
vine. and through the clouds OF smoke
could see people mixed up in all sorts
or shapes. with wagons and horses
and l could hear the groans of the
wounded
When I had passed the line of SOL
diers shooting | ran into log cabin
and rolled over and over 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. ! had my coat I'D around
my neck when the shooting commenc-
ed. While the shooting began at sun
rise, 1t was all over in that particular
vicinity in a half hour or so. though
parties of Indians We're chased until
sunset. Some OF them had gotten SIX
miles away from tipS 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. l picked up a 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,
and is now living with her adopted
mother in Baltimore.
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, in
stead of giving it up, he stuck it 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.
X,
was the response.
With that Seeker pointed the n,l,Zzlp
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 w
their guns, and l know the shootin,
was not done by them. Some Of th,
soldiers were SO badly frightened
while the thing was going on they did
not realize what they were doing. !
saw a number of them pulling down
the levers OF their rifles and firing in
the air"
Bell of the Blue and the GRAY
Chaplain Tuttle's historic bell hangs
in st. Marks Church, Chicago. and is
one Of the seven wonders Of the civ
Il Tuttle was chaplain at Camp Douyloss