Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1911-03-09
HOY SITTING BULL saw HIS FIRST
LOCOMOTIVE TOLDBY An:
ENGINEER
w. Reading Known Old Time 6ismarcker Literary
trbuton to the Locomotive Engineers Monthly Journal

I am unable to say. He was exhibited
across the pond" as we'll as over s
very large portion of our own country
When he came down from Canada in
81 he never wanted any more trouble
with the whites, but the restless old
wretch was ready at almost any tim
| thereafter to create an uprising and
fight the whites.
In 1890, nine years after his return
he was stirring up trouble good and
proper at the "Standing Rock" agency
The Sioux about the agency became
SO imbued with the messiah Craze
that Major Mclaughlin, the agent in
charge, and the loyalty disposed chiefs
could not bring influence enough to
bear to stop the fanaticisn. Sitting
Bull, who had proclaimed himself
High Priest" was thus in direct op-
position to his agent. These fanatics
were composed almost entirely of Sit
ting Bulls followers. over whom he al
ways exerted a bad influence.
He promised them the restoration
of their dead ancestors and their old
Indian life, together with the removal
Of the whites from the old Sioux hunt
ing grounds. He told them that the
white mans gun would not throw a
bullet with force enough to do harm.
The Indians whom ne converted to
his views gave up all industrial pur-
suits; quit their homes and erected
tepees near his home.
It was desired to arrest Sitting Bull
and get him away from his followers,
but how to bring the thing about with
out causing trouble was a puzzle to
those in authority. 1t was finally set
tied, however, that it must be done
and the Indian police were detailed to
do the business.
Sitting Bull had become suspicious
of the intentions to arrest him and
had quit coming to the agency for his
rations, sending some member Of his
family instead.
1t was as late as December 1891, be-
fore matters came to climax and
then things were hurried somewhat by
a report that Sitting Bull and his
ghost dancers" were preparing to
leave the reservation.
The Indian policemen were notified
to proceed quietly to the home of
Sitting Bull on the morning of De-
cember Is, and make the arrest; it
being arranged that squad of U. S.
cavalry was to be held in easy sup
porting distance.
At early dawn an Indian courier
came back to the u. S. soldiers and
reported that all the Indian policemen
had been killed. The soldiers, in
their dash for the Indian camp, met
another one of the police who said
that Sitting Bulls people had the po.
lice penned up in the old chiefs home
and that they were out of ammunition.
AS the cavalry dashed into the Indian
camp the followers of Sitting Bull fed
to the hills.
The troops found evidence of a most !
desperate struggle. Within a radius |
Of so yards there lay the bodies Of
eight dead Indians. In the house four |
dead and three badly wounded police
nen were found.
Investigation showed that the In
1ian police entered the home of Sit. |
ing Bull about $50 a. M, and arrest |
ed him, he consuming considerable |
line in getting dressed. He accepted |
mis- arrest quietly and the affair would |
not have resulted disastrously had not |
'Crowfoot," the son of Sitting Bull, |
to upbraid his father for
so quietly to the will of |
The police. This made Sitting Bull OBJ
stinate and, after considerable par
aging, the police took him from the
house and found themselves in the
midst of the whole crowd of "ghost |
1ancers" who were frenzied with rage.
The police tried to reason with the
crowd, at the same time gradually
orcing them back, thus charging the
circle. Sitting Bull kept calling to his
followers to rescue him from the pc.
ice and said that if two of the prin.
;ipal Indian police were killed the
est would run away. Upon this call
;wo of Sitting Bulls chiefs broke in.
% the crowd and shot the two police
men who had hold of Sitting Bull and,
Is they fell. one of them wheeled
around and unloaded his gun into Sit.
ing Bulls side, alr' three falling to.
,ether.
A great many stories have been cir
;ulated regarding the death of Sitting
Bull, but the one herein stated is prob
IDLY the most authentic.