Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-11-25

BY this time half the men in the lob
by had gathered about the desk. What
was that about women? No women
were needed. 1t WAS no place for them
here. They should be at their firesidcs.
taking care of the children and tho
household, while husbands and fathers
hurried down to help the cause of
Brentwood. Here was the seat Of
war. here the heart of the battle, here
/ must the fight be won or lost again.
And the unions had summoned all who
could possibly come. even from the far
Black Hills, to haste by special train
and join their brethren on the. battle
line. For over so miles the Big Horn
paralleled the southern verge Of the big
Sioux reservation. Just across the Da-
kota boundary it lay, and half the west
/ bound freight the road carried beyond
the Red Water was for tile agents or
the traders at Rosebud, at Pine Ridge,
Sheridan and certain other points of
distribution and supply. Around those
/, guarded lines, winter and summer,
there ever lowered dozens of dissolute
| whites, seeking to prey on the red man.
/ Pirates Of the plains were these fell
lows. reckless and outlawed. and more
than one hideous outbreak of the Sioux
had been traced to their nefarious
deeds. Whisky was their stock in
trade and many an untutored savage
F, in exchange for bottle had parted
with robes. rifle and pony as well as
his senses. Conflict was frequent.
Troops We're few. There had been bad
blood between the Indians and certain
settlers along the ChaduZa all summer.
In September two herders were found
scalped aud mutilated just one week
after Spotted Elk and Iron Voice, two
young braves Of the Brule tribe, had
been slain in drunken row with
party Of prairie tramps not ten miles
from Rosebud. The agent said he
could restrain and control the Sioux
provided the governor would take
charge of the settlers, but settlers have
votes, Indians have not, and the gov
ernor would do nothing to intimidate
the sovereigns of the soil. The MUIR
derers Of the Indians, though well
known, were still unwhipped of jus
tice and Dragging about the frontier
saloons of their cowardly deed. The
commanding officer of the little cavalry
| post not far from the Rosebud agency
wired that the Indians were dancing
night after night and holding big pow
vows. There was trouble ahead for
somebody. The dispatch reached Wash
ington the day the Pinkertons and train
loads of outside workmen were dump
ed into the ditch, the very day, more
over, that brought the appeal for
troops to protect property and open
the roads. The answer to the frontier
fort was telegram ordering the post,
with its women and children. to be left
with suitable guard" while the COM
handing officer. with sll available mer
Che had only three troops OF casi ~,
averaging IS effective each), to march
at once to Banner Butte, the western
terminus Of the Yankton road, and
there take the train for Omaha. This
left the fort to be held by the post
quartermaster and some % men, when
runners came, with troubled eyes, to
say the Sioux would Jump before the
setting Of the sun.
Much Of this had been told in the To-
cal papers, but SO engrossed was every
body in the strike that little attention
| was paid to it. Like a thunderclap
| from a clear sky, therefore, fell the
next announcement from the lips Of
Boniface as he turned, with almost
ashen face, upon the silent throng
MY heaven" he said, "the Sioux have
swooped on Rosebud Station and scalp
ed every soul in the place! There wss
no train to bring the troops fa,m Rob-
inson."
How about that other train-the
special with the mem" gasped burly
engineer.
Cut off somewhere back of Rosebud
Only few Of them have guns, and
they're praying for help. The rifles
are ordered there as fast as cars can
take 'em. The strikes off"
(To Be Continued.)