The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1906-03-16
He FOUGHT INDIANS HERE
HON. GEORGE e. PRITcHETT
TELLS OF EXPERIENCE.
WAS FoRrY.FlVE YEARS AGO

Hunters Invariably Encounterea Saw
age Redskins up the Elkhorn VAL
ley-How the Leader Of the Band Of
Braves Fell in the Fight.
George Il. Pritchett, the millionaire
banker and attorney of Omaha whose
father reared Grover Cleveland and
whose daughter recently became
known through her marriage to Con
gressamn Kennedy, because of the eX-
communication that followed against
those of the Catholic church who at.
tended the service, almost lost his
life on the plains where Norfolk now
stands, forty.ive years ago and came
back this week to renew acquaintance
with the eventful spot and to chat a
day or so with friends of the white
man type who have long since taken
the place of reds who nearly scalped
him and who. in the battle, were beat
en- with death
In the early days Mr. Kennedy, to-
gether with a couple of fricnds--for
it was never safe to hunt alone in this
territory-used to drive up into this
corner of the territory from Omaha
about twice a year to hunt. The val
ley was fairly teeming with antelope,
elk, prairie chickens, quail and other
game. 1t was also overrun with a
very dangerous band of Indians who
looted all travellers whom they could
find and killed indScriminately.
In order to protect the hunting par
ty 1t was always necessary that there
be shift of guards during the night
to keep watch against Indians. The
last watch was the most perilous.
One night Mr. Kennedy's party
camped where Norfolk now stands
and the last watch sighted a slight
motion in the distance. little later
he noted a line of ponies riding in a
long circle against the night sky and
then wheeling back, each time get
ting a little closer to the camp. At
length the Indians came near enough
to shout to and the watch called out
to them to halt
Head Indian Drops.
When they realized that they had
been discovered, the Indians dashed
in a bunch toward the hunters tent.
A flash of flame poured forth from the
rife of the guard and in his saddle the
leader of the red men sank down,
limp and with a fatal bullet through
his trunk
Frightened at the one death, the
other Indians scattered and disap.
peared. This was somewhat unusual
as in such cases it was wont for them
to stampede the camp and engage the
whites in a pitched battle but it was
evident that the reds in this train
feared there were too skilful marks.
men among the party of which Mr.
Pritchett was a member.
In those days the Pawnees and the
Winnebagoes. the one from the south
and others from near Sioux City, ere.
ated the greatest disturbance, while
the Sioux from the Bonesteel country
seldom came down this far.
For many years after that Mr.
Pritchett enjoyed coming up the val
ley to hunt. During Cleveland's ad
torney of Nebraska, and he says he
has done a lot of other things that he
never could have done if those Indians
had reached his tent. Hunters who
did not know the danger went out and
never came back, their bones often
being found later.
Mr.. Pritchett is sOn-in-law of Mil
lionaire Hanscom, who donated to
Omaha one of it's best known parks
and who now lives at the st. Regis
hotel, New York Mr.. Pritchetts fa
ther, a Presbyterian minister, was
given the care of Grover Cleveland
when that child's father also Pres
byterian minister, died. Grover was
three years old at that time.
Mr.. Pritchett was a guest of DR.. A
Bear while here a few days ago.
4