Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1906-02-05
RAIN-IN.IHE.TACE
". Y. Wade, Who Knew Him Well, Takes Much of the
Glamour From This Noted 0eiIain

Indian OF AMY glory he may have ever
had But SD mach has been said and
wrIttea OF tine Indian, Rain-in-1he
Face, which has always been branded
az false by both himself and his
people. that / have come to the con
einsi0n that a few facts about this
notorious Indian. told by one who
has known him for period OF thirty
two years, might be of interest 10
some OF your readers 1t is a fact
that he and all the Indians who were
at the battle Of the Little Big Horn,
deny hhs having cut out the heart OF
brave Custer They all say they did
not know Custer from amy of the
other dead ss. 5sss
During the summer of 1873 4 was
one of the government eInpIoyes who
built the first SET of log buildings at
Standing Rock Indian agenes. Dur
ing that summer the Indians moved
from Grand River agency to Standing
Rock s. 5.5>. - AZ
Each band of Indians had q chief
Cine chiefs name was Iron Horn, who
had two brothers. the youngest
named Rain-in-the-Faoe. He was a
very good looking young fellow and
was always doing something 10 cause
others to notice him During the
summer he stole a white mans wife
Tan Indian WoInan} which brought:
him to our notice more than amy
thing / can think OF now.
During the early summer of 1871
! the Indians had sun dance jsist be
low Standing Rock agency One
Feature which attracted my attention
more than anything else, was series
of fortunes which some Of the young
men underwent TO make brave war
Fsors of themselves. A pole about
| 20 feet long was set In the ground at
an angle. from the top of which a
strong rawhide rope was suspended.
The young yould-be warrior was
1 then taken by an old medicine man,
TWO Sits cut Just below each shoulder
blade, the intervening skin raised.
and strong rawhide thong passed
under and made fast TO each strip of
skin, the young victim was then
raised up and made fast TO the raw
hide rope in such a manner that his
toes could just touch the ground ]
visited the dance about 10 a. N. and
found Rain-in- the-Faee suspended in
mid-air In the above described man
4 ner. He was trying his best TO break
himself loose by touching his toes
Ito the ground and swinging away
i from the pole as far as he could.
Il was told by others that he hung
to the pole until shutdown, when his
3 brother got the medicine man to cul
n him down. This ! was told cost his
friends two horses which were given
Ito the old medicine man to cut him
B down, as he was supposed to teal
himself loose from the thongs. The
+ tortures which he underwent coule
lhaye been borne by only ths
; stautest and nerViest, and as for hi
ii brayery and daring no one Wit
!, knew him had a. doubt. Z: III
L When he came to the agency b
Twas always dressed fn the tru,
r Indian costume, even his riding h0rs
j, was decorated d. with feathers, whicl
/ were attached to its fore-top, man
/ and tai. He always wore fame
!; blanket, beaded leggfngs and mecca
t Isins OF the most gaudy workmanship
I We could always pick him out Of Ct {
u large crowd of young men by hi
& neat clothes and proud carriage.
}. During the summer OF 1874 Rain
lln-the- Face appeared at the agency
4 He wore a taf1or~made yest, made g
yl very fine cloth. From each ear hun
the half case of gold watch II
II also a breast pin made from th
4 inside case of the same watch Il
told a story Of having killed tW
white men, and did not try TO COZ
e-Iceal the matter in any way.
During the early winter Of is1
Charles Reynolds came down fro
le Fort A Lincoln and went TO work
If the trading post, then III charge I
Z. III. S. Parkin. No one san anythtu
o. unusual in this until one day In D'
" cember Of that year. when two con
or panies Of the nth .. s.. cavalry a
Us rived at the agency and went I'M
camp. The day following as la'
id been told BY an eye witness, Thoml
,r Twigg, Capt. Tom Custer and 4 De
ie lgeant came into the trading stor
lie which was diyided into rooms BY
board partition FIVE feet high ~
Of running from the vail 10 the eount
", one room was for the whites and q
other for the ndians. Capt. Gust
d. ana the sergeant went into the roo
where the Indians were. Charl
- ~ Il 4 -, n s.nta