Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-09-23

Glimpses of Rain in the Face, the
Famous Sioux Chief.

GIimpses of Rain in the Face, the
Famous Sioux Chief.
Last Of the great Sioux chiefs who
fought the United States troops in the,
middle seventies, the late Rain-in-the-
Face, who is said to have personally
killed General Custer, was in charac-
ter and disposition the cruel, relentless,
unforgiving Indian which tradition
paints, says the New York Herald.
Though in his later years he wore the
uniform Of the Indian police, he never
lost his hatred of the white man.
Born in 1843 pure blood Sioux,
Rain-in-the-Face lived the active life Of
the redskins Of his age, but 1t was not
until he was thirty years old that his
criminal capacities came directly to the
attention of the army authorities. An
army surgeon and trader attached to
an expedition Of General d. s. Stanley
were murdered on the banks of the
Red river in 1873. After eighteen
months evidence came to light that
Rain-in-the-F Face, then drawing gov
eminent rations at Standing Rock res
ervation, was the murderer. He was
arrested by Colonel Tom Custer on
orders from General George A. Custer,
his brother.
For day he maintained stolidly that
he was innocent. Then he confessed
that he was the slayer. General Custer
reported the case to Washington. In
the meantime the Indian was kept
chained in miserable hut into which
the winters rain and snow penetrated
without hindrance. His crime had been
brutal one. but in the prison he was
treated like dog. 1t was this incident
that made him most bitter toward his
white brother" and inspired him in
his future rebellions.
A fellow prisoner of Rain-in-the- Face
procured file, and, filing off their
chains, they escaped. Rain-in-the- Face
the next spring Joined Sitting Bulls
band Of hostiles, openly declaring that
he would "cut the heart out of Tom
Custer and eat it." Months of desul-
tory warfare led up to the battle Of
the Little Big Horn on June 20, 1875,
when General Clusters command was
annihilated.
That Rain-in-the-Face distinguished
himself in this fight by his reckless
bravery seems certain. 1t has been
said that he led the final charge on the
little knoll above the mountain stream
where Custer and the Seventh cavalry
still fought desperately. He is said
to have directed the braves to kill the
horses Of the troopers and that when
only a handful of Clusters men were
left, his brother dead and his men out
of ammunition Rain-in-the-Face picked
off the survivors from distance.
But this picturesque climax Of long
cherished revenge has been doubted.
1t has been fatty denied that he killed
General Custer, but the widow of the
general has said she had authority for
the statement that he cut the heart
out Of the body Of Colonel Custer.
Rain-in-the-Face never said he killed
the general, and if he had done so he
was not the kind of man to boast of the
exploit.
In an interview long years after he
declared that in the smoke of the bat
tie it was impossible to see his foes
from distance and that he did not
know the Custer brothers were dead
until they were found after the battle.
Rain-in-the-Face, who was wounded in
two places during the battle, fed with
the other chiefs to Canada. They re-
turned to the United States and sur
rendered to General Miles in 1880 and
1881, Rain-in-the-Face being the last
to yield. He has spent most of the
time since on the reservation, peaceful
from compulsion, but unreconciled.