The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1905-12-28
GHOST SHIRTS FAILED.
SIOUX BRAVES SUFFERED BE-
CAUSE OF FAITH I'M THEM.

Ueatn OF sitting bull-Reoskins
Forced to the Belief That They
Were bad Medicine"
The Indians confidence in the in
vulnerability of their ghost shirts
was sealed at the time that Capt. Ed
mond G. Fechet made his dash to
the rescue of the police who were be-
sieged after the arrest and the kill
ing of Sitting Bull.
The medicine men, to be sure, had
told the braves that their shirts
were good medicine" and Sitting
Bull himself had added the weight
of his word, but there were certain
Sioux who had been trained in
Government schools and who had
dropped some of their superstition,
but none of their hatred of the whites,
who told their brethren that such
things were folly and. that it was
much better to trust to strategy and
to cover than to expose themselves
openly to the fire of Long Tom" and
carbine.
This advice of the students was
received in the spirit in which a
Christian would take the announce
ment that he had been worshipping
a false God all his life, and with as
little belief. One warrior, however,
determined to put the matter to the
test at the first opportunity, and so
it was after Fechet and his men had
driven the ghost dancers away from
Sitting Bulls hut that a brave rode
suddenly into the open from a clump
of trees less than eighty yards from
the troopers and fired into their
ranks.
Instantly volley was let loose,
but Indian rider and pony escaped un.
scathed The daring one made the
morning ring with his war whoop and
with the challenge to the troops to
throw away more ammunition, a
challenge that was no sooner made
than taken, and another volley rang
through the valley. 1t was answered
by second war whoop and by two
shots in quick succession from the
red rider, who now had every reason
in the world. from the Indian point
of view, to have confidence in the
soothsaying of the medicine man.
The savages turned and headed his
Hony for the woods, into which he
| disappeared with a yell, to reappeaI
and to tempt fate once more at a
distance of about 700 yards, where he
successfully withstood another dis
charge from every rifle and carbine
that could be brought to bear on
/ him.
What better proof did the Sioux
need than this warrior deed and its
outcome that the prophets of their
nation were insrired and that the bull
lets of the palefaces were powerless
to harm them when they were cloth
ed in their shirts of magic.
Two weeks later there was a fear
full awakening from the dream of i'm
munity from death Scores of the
band that had taken 70 heart the
killing of Sitting Bull, fell under the
fire of the carbines of the TROOPERS
of the eth cavalry, the ghost shirts
were perforated as if they were panel
and the medicine man was forever
discredited.
| 1t has been said that the indians
of the Government schools who hat
gone back to their tribe had for
saken largely their superstition. 81
thew had. but they had lost none O
their savagery. Many of them hated
the whites as bitterly after four year.
of education and civilizing influence.
as had any of their savage ancestor.
before them. Graduates of the white
schools went on the warpath. ant
thew went in paint and feathers.
| Prior to the actual outbreak O
hosti,ities, but at a time when thu
Government was much disturbed ov
er the fanaticism of tho ghost Graz,
and the Messiah idea which had TAX
1 en- possession of the reds, it became
known through "suuaw men" and 9th
ers that the Indians were kent in
formed in some way of every Govern
ment move and of every order tina
affected the change in the station.
of troops that might be needed in the
! field in case the Sioux committed
covert acts.
/ 1t did not take long to discover
| the source of the information thai
reached the camps of the FESTIVE
braves. Supposedly peaceful Indian.
who hung around the frontier towns
secured possession of the daily pa
pers and sent them by runners t.
the tepees of the Sioux where the
Slow who had been TAUGHT to reat
at Government exrense turned theil
knowledge to account and translated
| the news paragraphs to the chief