The Washington herald., 1909-08-13
INDIANS SCARED JUSSERANDS
French Ambassadors Party Figure
in Make-believe Capture.
Amid Bombardment of Rifles. Dis
tinEuiSbed Visitors Are Ambuxhed
Near Billings, Mont, BY Tribe.

/ Ambassador and Nine Jusserand ex-
/ perienced the fright OF their lives re-
Gently while jouneying East from the
Alaska-Yukon-Paclfc Exposition. accord
{ ing TO information received by Mr.. L. w.
Thavis, Eastern representative OF the ex-
/ position.
/ TO be ambushed. surrounded. and cap
! tured amid the clatter Of rifles and the
/ thunder Of horses hoofs. by band of
/ painted Crow Indians. shouting the an
/ cient war cries Of the plains. was an
/ experience which was unnervinE even 70
/ a party OF Americans who thought them
| selves familiar with the Montana dfstricr
\ where II happened some days ago" said
/ Commissioner Thavis. But the effect Of
/ the Indians hospitable surprise exhibition
/ was more marked on the party's guests.
! Ambassador and Nine Jusserand. neither
l Of whom had ever seen an Indian but
who had read tales Of them mostly in
/ connection with scenes of carnage. The
capture occurred on the Grow reservation.
o few miles outside Of Billings. Mont.
Ambassador Jusserand and his wife
were both anxious TO see some real In
dians living in their primitive state. but
neither they nor their Western friends
who planned for their visit 10 the Indian
reservation had any idea they were 10
figure in so realistic a sortie and capture
From accounts. a friend Of the French
Ambassador telegraphed from Billings 20
the reservation 10 have about a score Of
Indians prepare for the occasion by rails
ing couple OF their old-time tepees and
decking themselves out in war paint and
| their fighting clothes. The result was
that some 800 or more Indians gathered
for the affair and raised about seventy
five te7ees.
I'm the party with Ambassador and
Nine JuSserand were q number OF ladies'
and gentlemen from Billings. They trav-
eled hub-high prairie grass in automo-
biles. and when about three miles away
from the camp they noted Indian scouts
on a nearby hill. and were much inter
ested IN the redskins signals when they
saw them approach. The distinguished
party was laughing and chatting about
incidents of Indian life. when suddenly a
long column Of gaudily arrayed Indians
with guns. mounted and at full speed.
dashed into view from over the hill.
THE column swung around in front Of
the approaching automobiles and grad
ually closed in on the party. AS the In
dians began to circle around them and
draw in closer and closer. suddenly. with
out warning. there was a simultaneous
rattle OF firearms, and the Indians gave
their war whoops as they continued 10
circle in closer and closer on the autos.
which had now come TO n full stop.
"The firing continued for several min
Utes. until the members of the party, par
ticularly the women. were thoroughly
scared. They were taken as captives to
the camp and conducted directly to the
tepee Of Chief Plentycoups. There they
were introduced all around to his chiefs
and head men Of the tribe
4 little later the PARTY was served an
Indian lunch in another tepee which
greatly pleased the, distinguished guerts.
who by that time had come TO UNDER
stand that their capture had only been
an incident Of the visit"