The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-08-02
CAP AIN BAR RTLfTT
TO LEAVE OGDEN

Captain George F. Bartlett. per.
hapS the greatest rifle shot In the
country. who is the western repre-.
sentative of the Peters Cartridge com
pany. has completed a threo DAYS
stay in Ogden in the interest OF the
cartridge company, and will leave this
morning for tour OF the state. Ac-
companying him will be w. n. Ander.
son, Ogden's crack shotgun exhibitor,
who has accepted position with the
cartridge company and will exhibit
tho efficiency OF its ammunition in
company with the ex-United States
scout The pair. each a wonder in
ms particular line, will give exbibl-
tons OF fancy shooting In every town
OF any consequence in Utah. and when
ms tour is completed will probably
TOUR some Of the states together.
captain Bartlett is a magnificent
type of American manhood. well pro.
poruoned. of easy and graceful bear
ing, modest in demeanor, and has
pleasing voice. He walks with a slight
imp, barely noticeable. In telling OF
his experiences. he rarely speaks of
his own deeds. but tells of many
thrilling adventures as though he had
merely been a witness. The battle of
wounded Knee. In which 400 Indians
were killed. has gone into history as
one OF the bloodleSt encounters with
the Reds. 1t derived It's name from
the locality. because the battle took
place in front of Captain Bartlett's
trading store, and the Indians deslg
mated his place as Wounded Knee. the
name by which he was known 10 all
Indians His place WAS located in
South Dakota. eighteen miles from
the Pine Ridge agency, at the time
when the government had endless
trouble with the Sioux
Tells Of Slaughter at Wounded Knee
AT the time of that massacre. and
II was nothing else said Captain
Bartlett TO reporter yes
terday afternoon, Il was acting as
captain OF the Indian police Big Foot
and a band Of his people. hearing of
the coming OF the Indian Messiah,
came down from the northern part Of
Dakota to the Pine Ridge agency to
take part In the ghost dance. which
was then stirring up all the Indians
in the west The ghost dance became
more exciting as II progressed. and
the temper OF the Indians reached
such a stage that the settlers became
alarmed Fearing an outbreak. gov
ernment troops were rushed Into that
country from every direction to Quell
any disturbance or outbreak
About 300 soldiers corraled the
band under Big Foot at my store and
partially disarmed them The Indians.
their families and all their belongings
were huddled together. while the sol
diers kept guard over them, being
lined UP IN the shape of a horseshoe.
with the Indians in the center The
soldiers harbored bitter feeling
against the Indians. because that reg
iment had nearly been annihilated at
the time OF the Custer massacre, and
these soldiers felt no mercy toward
Indians.
During the first night In that camp
some one smuggled a ten-gallon Eeg
Of whisky into the soldiers camp
They consumed the greater part of Il
during the following day II was on
the morning of December 90, 1890. as
the soldiers Law on their arms, when
something happened which started
the the slaughter of the Indians. A
Young buck, orazed from the effects
OF the ghost dance, suddenly arose In
the midst of 500 Indians, discharged
a rifle and al the same time threw
handful OF earth into the air. Then
some one bundered. and 400 Indians
and forty soldiers paid with their
lives the penalty of that awful mis-
take. Without waiting to learn the
reason or cause of that strange action
on the part of one Indian. and without
oven knowing the source or cause of
the commotiou, the signal to fire was
given the soldiers. In another mo-
nent the Maxim and Hotchkiss rapid
f1re guns and 300 rifles had turned
their witherlng fire upon that mass OF
Indians. From the elevated point on
a hill had full view of the entire
field
THE rattle Of the rifles and the
guns had startled all of us on the hill,
though We had no idea Of the cause
or origin, and viewed the massacre
almost at our feet, without even
chance to learn what 1t all meant The
Indians buddled together In that
space before my store were dazed at
the sudden firing and Killing of their
companions A few of the Drawer ones
who had guns began to fight back.
Their guns were silenced within
few minutes. The soldiers poured
bullets in upon the Reds and moved
them down.
Covered Their Faces and Waited.
The Indians, seeing that they were
doomed met their fate with that
stoicism characteristic Of the race
Men. women and children huddled TO-
gether. drew their blankets over their
heads and faces and calmly awaited
the death-dealing bullets from the
guns of the soldiers who had been
sent TO protect them from harm.
In the excitement and confusion
the soldiers kept up an incessant fir-
ing, many of their bullets crossing the
horseshoe formation and hitting sol
diers on the opposite side. The sol
dlers did not know that these bullets
were fred by their comrades on the
other side and became only the more
enraged at the Indians, whom they
believed were responsible Tor those
deadly missiles. and kept up their
deadly work with increased vlgor and
tenaCity At last, about 100 Indians.
all that were left OF the tribe made
a bold break for the opening In the
horseshoe and fed for their lives.
They had not gone far when the
Hotchkiss was trained on them and
moved several of them down as they
sped from ;h6 danger; the soldiers
cnptinucd GrinO ~ tho recpdiDp forms