Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-12-17
HERO OF THE RED POLICE
Fire Bear Slew Most Popular Medicine
Man tho Crow Indians Ever Had.

Man the Crow Indians Ever Had.
Unlike the Royal Northwest Mount
| ed police and our own Texas Rangers,
the Indian police have few to sing
their praises. They make no reports
aside from the few grunts of explana-
tion that are furnished the agent. That
individuals transcript is in the form
Of report to the government-and
who reads government reports these
days when there is so much more at
tractive literature beckoning from ev-
cry news stand? Deeds Of heroism
have passed unnoticed because they
have happened on Indian reservations.
which are like stretches Of backwater,
close to the surging tides Of civiliza-
tion and yet removed from all their
influences.
The courage Of the Indian police IL
not always purely physical. It takes
moral stamina to stand with the white
men In enforcing rules that are un-
popular with the policeman's own peo-
pie. On the Crow Indian reservation,
In Montana, the second in command Of
the native police is a huge old fellow
named Fire Bear, who slew the most
popular medicine man the Crows ever
had, at time when the tribe seemed
ready to follow their idol on the war
path. The medicine man was a young
brave named Chesche-pah, which
means, literally translated, Wrap. up
His -Horse's-Tail." Indians. when going
on the warpath, always wrap their po-
MES tails in some gayly colored CLOTH
and the medicine men who bestowed
the old name on the future prophet of
the Crows probably saw some brave
wrapping the tail of his war pony, and
the infant was christened without fur
ther waiting. The name became short
ened by the white people to Wraps
Up p-His-Tail, and 1t Is by that title the
leader Of the Crow uprising Is known
today
Wraps Up His Tail, when q young
man, led band Of Crows into the Pie
gan country on the trail of bunch of
horses which 1t was said the Piegans
had stolen. The Crows surprised a
camp Of Piegans, ran off as many
horses as they could find, and killed
two squaws. The Crow agent imme-
diately put the offenders in jail
Wraps Up Install sent out word to
the Crows that he was a great medi-
cine man, and that 1t was an insult to
the Crow people to imprison so mighty
a man.
A delegation Of Crows waited on the
agent and demanded the release of the
prisoners, and instead of standing
pat" the agent weakened, and Wraps
Up His-Tail went to Cloud Peak, the
largest Of the Big Horn mountains and
there he had great visions. He sent
word to the Crows that II they would
follow him they would become a free
people, as in the days Of their fore
fathers, and that the buffalo would
come back and everybody would be
happy.
The Crows had always been well
disposed toward the white people, but
the warlike young medicine man made
Of the tribe. His stock rose when a
series Of his prophecies came true. His
braves had begun to grow hungry but
he said: Tomorrow you shall have
plenty to eat II you come to me-" They
followed him toward the agency, and
about o'clock in the morning they
met a freighter with an OK team. A
thunderstorm had come up-something
unusual in Montana at that time of
the day--and lightning struck the
team, running along the chain and kill
ing the eight oxen and giving the In
dians all the meat they wanted. Then
Wraps Up Install prophesied that
the agent would be killed or injured,
and that officials team ran away
throwing him out Of the wagon and
nearly crippling him for life.
The tribe became so restive, owing to
the big medicine" that was being
practiced by Wraps -Up-His Tail, that
the government was appealed to, and
soldiers were sent to the agency. They
brought two Hotchkiss guns, and when
the other Indians told Wraps Up His
Tail about the guns that would shoot
today and kill tomorrow, he said he
| would let them shoot once or twice and
then they would be destroyed. At tar
get practice, which was being carried
on to awe the Indians, one Of the
Hotchkiss guns blew to pieces, and i'm
mediately 1t was noised about the res
ervation that another Of the medicin'
mans prophecies had come true.
Wraps Up Install from his noun
tain stronghold, prophesied a great
storm which would destroy the SOL
diers. Immediately there arose terrific
windstorm, accompanied by torrents of
rain, and half the tents Of the soldiers
and the tepees Of the Crows were blown
over Wraps Up His-Tail then sent
out word that he did not fear the SOL
diers, because he had a powder he
could toss into the air which would
blind them so that their shots could
not kill. He had a cavalry sword which
he had dyed red, and with this he said
he could decapitate all the soldiers at
one blow.
The commanding officer was reluc-
tant to shed any blood, but he realized
that something must be done or the
Crows would follow their medicine
man in open revolt. He sent word TO
Wraps Up-His Tail to come in and
| surrender, and the young prophet sent
| back word that he would come to the
| agency on a certain morning, when ne
| would kill all the soldiers and free his
people. On the appointed morning the
medicine man rode to the agency
where the soldiers were lined up. The
Crows were grouped along the river
the entire tribe being assembled TO see
the outcome. Most Of the Indian po-
lice had taken off their uniforms and
had Joined the prophets sympathizers'
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