Bennington banner and reformer. (Bennington, Vt.) 1903-19??, 1903-09-17
The Powder
w . 6 on
TCopyright, 1908 BY c. B, Lewis ]

Wue0 OLD JAKE Harper leIt MlSSOurl
by the overland trail to make a home
on the Kansas frontier, taking along
his wife and two children, he knew
the risks he ran. He was known as
determined, obstinate man, and one
without fear Perhaps If he had never
been drawn into argument over the
matter he would not have made
move, but when his neighbors heard
that he was thinking of a change and
one after another sought to dissuade
him, he sold his farm in Missouri and
Joined an emigrant train.
1t was a clear case of pigheaded-
ness, his going at all, and his taking up
a claim right In the midst of the In
dian country was nothing short Of
criminal recklessness. The frontier
was dangerous enough, but he was
miles beyond it. II wasn't fortnight
before a war party of Indians appear
ed and attacked. 1t is 2 matter of rec
ord that the old man and his wife
killed six warriors The children had
been killed at the first fire. When the
wife received a bullet the husband
managed to break through the band
and mount horse and escape, though
he was twice wounded
As soon as his wounds were healed
he set out to reap vengeance. He wan
dered over plain and prairie, he hid
among the hills, he padded up and
down the rivers. He moved mostly
by night, and not a week went past
that be did not tally at least one. He
killed Wounded Bird, Little Buffalo
and Red Sun-three prominent chiefs.
In one year he killed thirty-four Sioux
warriors. He waylaid them by day
and crept into their villages at night,
and Gray Eagle offered twenty ponies
for his capture dead or alive. In a
way he was great protection to the
frontier. If a raid was contemplated
and II was discovered that THE Shad-
ow," as the red men called him, was
aware OF It the affair was abandoned.
Old Harpers deeds Of holiness were
counted by the score, but perhaps the
boldest was entering a village on the
Republican river one night during
thunderstorm. He made use Of knife
and tomahawk alone and killed five
men and two squaws When the alarm
was finally given he hid behind trees
and wigwams until he had shot down
six more warriors, thus making his
score thirteen. The fact that no In
dian dog would bark at him and thus
give an alarm was greatly to his adj
vantage. One night he got among a
herd of ponies and cut the threats Of
forty eight Of them During the two
years that he ran loose, as 1t were, he
killed nearly 100 Indians, set fire to
and destroyed four villages and caused
the death of about seventy ponies.
This record would have satisfied the
vengeance Of most men, but Harper
felt that things were going too slow.
He had also figured it out that he had
little to live for, and he determined
on a grand coup. He had trapped for
furs while wreaking vengeance, and
one day he appeared at a frontier town
with about $3.50 worth of choice skins.
He also had pony loaded down with
plumber taken from the Indians. All
his goods We're taken of for powder in
kegs and a two horse outfit There were
over 200 pounds Of the powder. Before
driving away Harper stated to a friend
that he was going to kill hundred In
dams at once, but did not give par
ticulars He joined a body of emil
grants and continued with them until
well into the Indian country and then
cut loose. He left the party at night
and drove off at right angles to the
trail, and no one but the Indians ever
saw him again.
A Sioux chief named White Bird was
abroad with a war party numbering
200 bucks They had heard of the emf
grant party and were going to take
the trail ahead of them when they
came upon old Harper. His wagon
stood in grove Of cottonwoods, and
his horses Were grazing. He had dug
a rifle pit under the wagon, and as
soon as the Indians came within range
he opened fire on them. At that time
but few red men had rifles The old
man not only stood the party Off for
two hours, but killed four and wounded
six. Then they rushed him which was
Just what be planned for At given
signal the party dashed forward on
their ponies and in two minutes the
old man was dead, Every one gather
ed close in 10 see what plumber the
wagon contained, and they were tear
ing the cover of when a tremendous
explosion occurred. According to the
Indians it shook the earth for miles
around OF the war party sixty were
killed outright, ten crippled for life and
thirty burned and otherwise injured
Over seventy ponies We're also killed.
1t was the heaviest blow ever suffer
ed by the Sioux tribe, and il resulted
In a treaty with them that was observ-
ed on their side for the next i've years
with the utmost fidelity The body of
the old man disappeared in the explo-
sion, and the Indians figured 1t out that