The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-04-22

way would expose him. The, hope of
 success and love for his people decided
 his action. Turning his face to the ris- ing sun he said
 Trouble with the whites must come; it is here It may as well take place
 now as later. am with you. Let us 1 go to the agency, kill the traders and take their goods"
 And they went. Blood flowed freely
 on the northwestern frontier, and on
 every hand could be seen by day the
 smoke from the settlers cabins, and at
 night the flames lit up the horizon.
 Over seven hundred persons, mostly
 women and children, fell under the deadly tomahaWk. For three months
 this continued, when finally6the Indians
 were dispersed and three hundred and
 three of them convicted by frontier
 court-martial and sentenced to death.
 President Lincoln gave considerable at i tention to the papers, and would only Sign the death warrants of thirty sight
 The date set for the execution was Fri
 day, February 26 1868. k On the Monday previous to this date
 the death warrants were read, and | those whose names were called separa- ted from their companions. The read
 ing of this important document did not
 produce the result the officers anticipa- ted, as it was only greeted with grunts. Some of the condemned smoked their pipes calmly, and the information that they were to be hanged did not seem to have depressing effect.
 The few days were spent in singing
 death songs and parting with relatives.
 On Wednesday each of the condemned was permitted to send for two or three relatives or friends. The Indians were fastened in pairs and chained to the floor. Their ages ranged from sixteen to seventy years, although the majori- ty were young men. All but three half breeds were dressed in breech-clout, leggings and blankets A Catholic priest spent the night before the execu- ton with them. Several were baptized during the night, and many more pro fessed the belief that they would be saved
 Early on Friday morning the irons were knocked off the condemned and their arms tied behind with cords, at the elbows and at the wrists. After all had been pinioncd, about nine o'clock they stood in TOW and chanted a death song. Chains and cords had not moved them, but when the rolled-up white caps, made of goods that had formed portion of their plunder from the settlers cabins, were placed on their heads they were free in their ex- pressions of disapproval.
 At ten o'clock began the march to the scaffold. The Indians are described as having gone eagerly and cheerfully, even crowding and jostling each other to get ahead. As they ascended the steps the death song was started, and when they had got upon the platform the noise of their deep, swelling voices was truly hideous.
 The ropes were adjusted about their necks, the white caps pulled down, and at signal followed three slow but dis tinct taps on a drum. The rope holding the scaffold was cut by a man named ! Duly, whose family had been murdered. Thirty-eight bodies dropped The rope around the neck of Battling Runner broke, and he fell to the ground. In a moment a new rope was about his neck, and he dangled with his companions.
 The lifeless bodies were cut down, placed in four army wagons and taken to trench prepared for their reception. They were all deposited in the one grave, thirty feet in length by twelve in 1 width, four feet deep. They were laid in the bottom, in two rows, with their feet together and their heads to the outside They were simply covered 1 with blankets and the earth thrown over them. There they lie to this day.
 The others of the condemned, but not | executed were taken down the Missis- sippi to an island near Davenport, la, l where they were closely confined for a year. They were then taken to reser- and it Is probable that not one | of them lives day.-Chicago Record. |