Omaha daily bee., 1906-05-14
FIRST SCALP FOR CUSTER
Beautiful Oil Painting Now Hung in Bee
Building Court,
HISTORIC WESTERN EVENT lMMoRrAlIzEO
IFvinE n. Bacon Catches spirit of
Famous Duel Between BuGaIO
Bill and yellow Hand,
the Cheyenne.

A valuable painting just completed BY
Irving r. Bacon. depicting the famous
duel between Colonel w f. Cody and the
Indian chief, Yellow Hand, in the Sitting
Bull campaign Of 1875. is on exhibition
in The Bee building Mr.. Bacon is a well
known artist Of Detroit who some time
ago was commissioned by Edward Rose
water to do an oil, representing a western
scene in which Colonel Cody figured, to
occupy a panel in The Bee rotunda, just
to the west Of the rear stairway Mr..
Bacon has gone to Munich for a long stay
and the picture ordered has been delayed.
He has sent the painting first referred to,
which is called The First Scalp for Gus
ter" to hang 10 the panel until the other
Is finished. The famous scout will give
several sittings for the latter to the artist
In June
Everyone who has seen The First Scalp
for Custer" has been struck with the grim
and sinister spirit which Il breathes The
treatment Of the sky and clouds and
handling of the hills and lights in the back
ground. coupled with a remarkable vital
| ity in the two figures battling from
their horses. yards apart make the paint
| ing one both to hold the attention and
provoke thought and study. The savasery
| VI TIE ulu luuidi- wars IL uptut huiht ~
the observer. Colonel Cody is in the act
OF killing yellow Hands horse, which is
falling MORALLY wounded. To the right
on the hill the officers OF the Fifth cav
airy are watching the duel and to the left
| a part of 800 Cheyennes are waiting for
the end of the fight. There is the tense
ness of death dealing combat, man to
man, in the work, which is valued by the
! painter at $1,000
Government May Own Picture.
In less than a week after it was COM
pleted, representing more or less constant
! work for two years, Mr.. Bacon was Of
fered a high price for it. He says, how
ever. that IT is his ambition that the gov
! eminent should buy 1t, and he believes
Omaha is the best place to leave It until
1t is disposed Of
Naturally such a picture has a story
worth the telling and It is needless to say
its origin is perfectly authenticated. The
duel occurred July II, 1876. It was wit
messed by General Wesley Merritt. General
Charles King General Carr Lieutenant
| Forbush and others. A full account is con.
tained in Kings Campaigning with
Crook" and in THE Great Salt Lake Trail,
by Cody and 1nman, books which are ir
the public library. After he killed yellow
| mana, COlOnel OO0y Scalpe0 MIN. he was
the only Indian that Buffalo Bill so treated
as he did not believe in scalping. Tn,
duel was fought a day or two after the
scout heard of the massacre of Custer anC
his men and he wanted revenge and tool
1t. Therefore. a real scalp was taken il
the name OF the dead General Custer.
Dramatic Finish to Fight.
AS soon as Yellow Hand was killed b!
the unerring aim of Buffalo Bill, who b!
the way sits on the horse in the pictur,
just like hundreds of thousands have seer
him when smashing glass balls in hi
Wild West show. the Indians tried to Gu
him of. He lost his horse through a stun
BILE. The troops came up just I'm time 4
scare OF the Cheyennes and Cody got ava!
with his scalp. The event was afterward
dramatzed and played by Cody.
The painting is five feet six inches lonI
and four feet six inches high 1t is beau
tifuly set i'm a gold leaf frame and plush
lined shadow box worth $40, furnishe,
with an engraved gold plate briefly describ
ing the event
Altogether it is an acceptable substi
tute, while the picture ordered is beini
done and we'll worth a trip in The Be
building to inspect it.