Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1910-07-09
THE TRAGIC DEATH
OF SITTING BULL
(Chicago Record-Herald)

ISSdiiS W uluu Iue ldCI IudI hO 10
among the last of a group of men
who led wild charges and forlorn
hopes against the Indians of our
western prairies.
1t was under Fechet's command
that Sitting Bull, the crafty, the as
tute, was sent to the happy hunt
ing grounds. This event has been
described many times and always,
except when the colonel himself has
related it., with much that is pure
fiction. In 1890, the colonel cap
tain then was in command of the |
military post at Fort Yates, North |
Dakota. Nor was his foe a mere
warrior glorying in the primitive
slaughter, rather he was the great
high priest OF his people. The col
onel in his talks and conversations
has made clear the cause of that
famous outbreak by explaining the
character of Sitting Bull and the
ideals that inspired him and his fol-
lowers.
Sitting Bull read the stars and in
terpreted dreams. BY incarnation
he professed to cure disease and to
regulate the weather. He had splen
did visions and in one, doubtless
with the thought of the white man
ranking he beheld the Indian mill
enium at hand. Penance had been
paid for the sins which the Indians
mad committed; the forgiveness OF
the Great Spirit was at hand; the
white men who had been inflicted
upon them as a punishment had
served their purpose and were to dis
appear; once more the fields, the
forests and the streams were to be
the domain Of the Indians. All
these things Sitting Bull promised
his people should happen when the
grass was next green. TIE ghost
dance which had been brought down
from heaven by the gentle WoVokh
on that strange day when the sun
died" was to gain the good will of
the spirits for them. But Wovokh's
| counselings were not to be follow
ed for he was a prohet of peace.
1t happened that upon the day
the sun died" as the superstituious
Indian expressed sun eclipse, Wo-
Vokh-WoVokah of the Piute tribe,
who was very i'll, was taken up into
heaven and presented to his grand
father, God. From Him, he receiv-
ed commands, do not kill' do not
tell lies" do no harm to anyone"
Sitting Bull had a great purpose
in view to accomplish it he en-
ployed the strongest possible means
at hand. He borrowed the ghost
dance of Wovokah, but he left the
peace and good will doctriLe behind.
He supplied his followers with a
specially blest ghost shirt which it
is said the bullets of the white man
could not pierce. He would have
as many white men killed as possible
in preparation for the red men S
millennium. The United States gov
ernment employed men to watch
him. he was purposely kept poor to
lessen his influence and his followers
were dispersed when they became
too enthusiastic. But financial and
other aid came to Sitting Bull thru
a white woman, who, neurotic, and
ecstatic, saw in him a great prophet
She gave him money and great pre-
sents.
Asked by Captain Fechet to leave
the military post, she nevertheless
succeeded in establishing herself
near her hero. When after Sitting
Bulls death his home was searched
for letters from her were discover.
ed. With one of the latest, she
had enclosed pistol. She warned
him that the authorities were aftel
him and implored him to empty the
pistol into his heart rather than be
taken, as she would rather see him
dead than captured.
An interesting phase of the cap
ture of Sitting Bull is the fact that
it was actually made by his own pee
pie, the Indian police in the com.
mand of Captain Fechet. The police
entered Sitting Bulls home very
early in the morning while he was
dressing. At first the old fellow ac
cepted his arrest quietly, but whe1
his son, Crowfoot, began to up
braid him, he refused to go with
the police. By force they then took
him outside the house. There the
frenzied ghost dancers surrounded
the police and their chief and Sitting
Bull called upon his men to rescue
him. Kill Bull Head and Shave
Head at each side of me- he direct
ed. Whereupon two of Sitting Bull.
men Catch-the-Bear and Strike-the
Kettle dashed through the Grove
and fired. Catch-the- Bears sho
struck Bull Head in the right side
and he, wheeling instantly shot Sit
ting Bull, and as Strike-the-Kertlt
at the same time sent a shot through
Shave Heads abdomen all three feI
together. Soon after Captain Fe
chet, with a small force, arrived and
sharp encounter followed in which
a number of men were killed. Dur.