The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1904-04-30
The Powder
Wa 50 n
copyright, 1903. by c. B. Lewis.l

on the Kansas .rOntler, taxing avOng
| his wife and two children, he knew
| the risks he ran. He was known as
determined, obstinate man, and one
| without fear Perhaps il he had never
| been drawn into argument over the
matter he would not have made q
move but when his neighbors heard
that he was thinking OF Il change, and
one after another sought to dissuade
him, he sold his farm in Missouri and
joined an emigrant train.
| Ii was q clear case Of pigheaded-
ness, his going at all, and his taking up
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 1t. 1t wasn't fortnight
before a war party of Indians appear
| ed and attacked. 1t is a 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 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 week went past
that he 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 a great protection to the
frontier. If a raid was contemplated
and it was discovered that THE Shad-
ow," as the red men called him, was
aware Of 1t the affair was abandoned.
Old Harper's deeds Of boldness were
counted by the score, but perhaps the
bodest was entering 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 ad.
vantage. One night he got among a
herd OF ponies and cut the throats OF
forty eight Of them. During the two
years that he ran loose. as II 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 grand coup. He had trapped for
furs while wreaking vengeance, and
one day he appeared at 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 off 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 Il hundred In
dams at once, but did not give par
ticulars. He joined body of emf
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 war party numbering
200 bucks. They had heard OF the emil
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 rs the Indians came within range
he opened 1re on them. At that time
but few red men had rifles. The old
man not only stood the party of for
two hours. but killed four and wounded
nix. Then they rushed him, which was
u
signal the party dashed forward on
their ponies. and In two minutes the
Did man was dead. Every one gather.
ed close In TO see what plumber the
wagon contained, and they were tear,
ing the cover or when tremendous
explosion occurred. According to ths
indians II shook the earth for miles
around. or the war party sixty were
killed outright, ten crippled for life and
thir'J burned and otherwise injured
Over seventy ponies were also killed.
Ii was the heaviest blow ever suffer
ed by the Sioux tribe. and Il resulted
n a treaty with them that WAS obsery-
III on their side for the next Ave years
with the utmost fidelity. The body OF
The old man disappeared in the explo
ZION, and the Indians figured Il out that
his medicine" had preserved him to
lake still further revenge II was years
Before they would give up that he was
lead. Up TO the time OF Clusters death
there were still among the followers OF
Sitting Bull about twenty warriors
who were present AT the explosion and
several OF them were blind of an eye
Or had suffered In their limbs. sitting
Bull himself was not there, but he was
carrying a plece OF wood from the
shattered wagon rs charm against
any further tragedies OF the sort He
lost ihis In his battle with Custer. and
from that time on he was plunged In
81 ~ 4.