The Minneapolis journal., 1903-12-08
WHITES CAUSED
INDIAN FIGHT
INDIAN AGENT SUBMITS OFFICIAL
REPORT.
Wyoming Authorities Responsible for
+ Conflict in Which Six Were Killed
and Two Injured.
From the Journal Bureau, Colorado Building.


Washington.
Washington, Dec S.--Indian Com
missioner Jones has received a report
from Special Agent Charles S. NC
Nichols of his office of an 1nvestiga-
ton Of the recent troubles between the
authorities in Wyoming and a number
of Indians from Pine Ridge reserva-
ton. Mr.. McNichols says he cannot
escape the conviction that the whites
We're, responsible for the fight which
resulted in the death of four Indians,
| including a boy II years old, the
Wounding of two other Indians, one
woman, and the death of two whites,
including Sheriff Miller. In this he
sustans the earlier reports of Agent
| Brennan, who went to the scene OF
the fight Immediately after it occurred
| and whose report stated that the
trouble was precipitated by the Wyo-
| ming authorities. Mr.. Nichols report
| says in part:
The conflict between white citizens
Of Wyoming and band OF Sioux IN
| dians from Pine Ridge reservation,
South Dakota, took place on Lightning
creek, in Converse county, Wyoming
/ on Oct. 81, 1908. The" whites were
headed by Sheriff William Miller OF
Newcastle, Weston county, and seven
/ Of the men were from that place,
some thing like 100 miles from the
l
added to the party on the day Of the
conflict, four of whom lived in Con-
verse county and two strangers from
| washington, S. D., on their way to
the Black Hills. The Indians were
| two different parties from the Pine
Ridge reservation that had united a
day or two previous. One was head
ed by an Indian named William
| Brown, who had left the reservation
under pass dated Sept. 80, 1908,
with fifteen Indians--men, women ana
| children. The other was headed by
Charles Smith, an educated mixed
blood alleged to be a graduate OF Car
Isle school. His pass was dated oct.
i 20 and was for thirteen people, In
Guiding men, women and children.
The united band was composed of
sixteen male adult Indians, according
to Indian accounts and information
obtained at the agency, altho the
whites allege that they numbered
from twenty-five to twenty-five
bucks" They had with them fifteen
wagons and several extra ponies
t According to the testimony OF a
majority of the whites, they saw the
, Indian train coming down the hlgh-
way toward them. The Indians claim
5 that they were going into camp for
l the night on the spot. The whites
: allege that they saw in the dismount-
ing Indians a proposition for fight
L and resolved to seek the protection OF
l the creek bank. They rode up the
creek to where the wire fence crossed
it. There they dismounted, leaving
their horses. They then craWled thru
the wire fence and took up a position
l behind the creek bank. They allege
that Sheriff Miller and Mr.. Owen
: mounted the bank. All assert that
! Miller shouted to the Indians three
5 times and Owen twice. One testlneo
:, 1oa1 n
other said the words We're: Surre1l-
der, surrender, surrender" Another
, said the words We're ''Stop." repeated
Indians We're Scattered.
The Indian train was scattered along
UP the road and only four wagons mac
} reached the immediate scene OF the
= conflict. All the Indians killed OF
t wounded were in or belonged to the
8 first four wagons except Black Kettle
t who came forward from further back
in the train. The whites express the
opinion that Black Kettle was the In:
dian who fired the opening shot anc
| this was probably the case, II an IN
dian did fire first. The Indians al
r claim that the first firing came IRON
!, the whites and that the boy Peter
u White Elk fell before there was sho
=, fired by the Indians.
!. !. Certainly from the position OF the
Indians. scattered along the hlghWay
they were not expecting battle anc
only a small part Of their band was
yet in the immediate scene OF the con
a fict when it began. Hence, II the In
dams were expecting and had pre-
1 pared for a. conflict, 1T would seen
verv unlikely that one of their mum
ber would precipitate 1t, when thei
: | party was so scattered. Ihe whites
were III /; compact mass, drawn up II
line behind a natural breastwork
=
for a quarter of a mile, with Womel
and children in the wagons to Wh1cl
they belonged, all along the line. al
reason and common sense Is aga1ns
the theory that the Indians began tn
80 firing.
y school class Cowboys and bartender
If Dredominated in the makeup of tn
white party Several of them wer
/ entire strangers to the original party
Sheriff Miller did not know whethe
they were men Of GOODNESS, judgmen
8 and steady character Their recon
y mendation was that they had guns an
3 were willing to join the party. The
3 had no wives and babies with then
3 They were compact body. They ha
D no wagons or other property wit
q them to lose. They had chosen thei
ground.
8 Indians Retreated.
a The Indians retreated withor
q further molestatiOn from this whit
party. They made a wide detour t
q | the west. Several days after min
q Imales were captured by the Convers
n county authorities at Edgemont, S. Z
81 and taken to the county jail at Dous
4 las, Wyo.., where they were arraigne
u on Nov. IA on charge of murde
s. After hearing the testimony Of tf
81 whites composing the posse they wei
"A released.
q / found the public sentiment
81 Newcastle strongly incensed again
q the Indians, and very much worke
a UP over the death of their sheriff, WI
81 was a popular official. They Col
81 demned Agent Brennan in very stror
81 terms for having wired the commi
a sioner of Indian affairs that he col
81 sidered the Indians were large
81 blameless. I sought out some of IL
81 leading citizens Of the place but four
81 few of them willing to talk coolly
II the affair. Some of the more CO.
81 servative told me that Sheriff Mill
a did not want to go out with the part
Il but there was strong pressu
81 brought to bear and he had to defer
81 his reputation of being brave al
81 fearless man.
M The whole affair is very deplorab
81 but I cannot feel but what SIN;
81 blame should be attached to the I
~ dians. It is probable that had Smi
- =, ty,