The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-03-23
est. Louis Post. Dispatch

est. Louis -Dispatch.)
Who killed General George a. Gus
ter in the battle of the Little Big Horn,
June %. 1876? The belief firmly pre-
walls among the old warriors of the
southern Cheyenne and Arapahoe
tribes in Oklahoma that Custer was
slain by Yellow Nose, a Ute Indian
now living on his allotment on the
North Canadian river. near the town
OF Gearv. Okla. The Indians have be-
ltcVed this for thirty-fve years. Vel
low Nose who is not a boaster. merely
says that he killed a man. an officer,
VINO other Indians said, was Custer.
prior to the battle.
This man. whose tribesmen SO re-
Solutely declare he took Clusters life,
is now about 65 years old and we'll
preserved. save that he has been blind
for many years from a blow across
the forehead in the Little Big Horn
fight. which eventually destroyed his
eyesight. His body is Scared with
many wounds received in battle. He
will. open his shirt and point to a
hardened spot on his chest where a
Kennels men gave battle in Powder
River Canyon. Yellow Nose was
pcering over an embankment. not
suspecting that danger was neal at
hand, when he was shot from am
busll.
When yellow Nose was four years
old he was captured from his people
by the northern %Chcyenncs. one of
whose women he married. He was a
scout under General Lawton at Fort
Robinson and later was given similar
plains country he met the French
Cheyenne scout. Edward Guerrier, and
their friendship brought Yellow Nose
to Oklahoma in the early seventies.
There was a constant passing to and
fro of the northern and southern In
dians in those days.
Yellow Nose tells II circumstantial
story which old warriors in Oklahoma
support with their own testimony AS
evidence that he was the man that
killed Custer. A number Of southern
CheNennes from Oklahoma were visit
ing the northern C%heyennes at the
time of the battle, and took part in
the engagement. They brought num-
erous relics from the battleticlds to
Oklahoma. In the neighborhood of
Cantonment. Okla. may still be found
guns taken from the dead troopers of
the Seventh Cavalry. For a number
of d George Bent. a mixed blood
Cheyenne. who lives at Colony, Okla.
u SuSlSt > pOSket COUiUuSS, given
TO Bent by Bull Hand. a southern
CHEYENNE. Bent sold the compass in
1873 to George Reynolds. Of the In
dian trading firm of Lee & Reynolds.
then at Camp Supply, Okla. AS the
story runs among Oklahoma Indians.
Custer n his men were first decoy.
ed to the locality broken by ravines
by Long Sioux and a companion. Long
Sioux lives neal Cantonment.
When the grass began grecning on
the plains in the spring of 1876, Yell
low Nose started with his wife to visit
her relatives in the north. Throughout
the Sioux and northern Cheyenne
country there was great unrest among
the Indians, and it was apparent that
War was at hand. Yellow Nose ling.
ed until it was unsafe for him to at
tempt the journey home. as small
II of Indians were in as great dan
ger of losing their lives as were white
men, il caught travelling through the
country. About the middle of June
war parties began bringing in reports
of the presence Of troops in the
Tongue River country. and Yellow
Nose went several times with scouting
parties to observe Tho soldiers. Fin
ally the Indians gave battle on the
Rosebud. and then retired In the di-
%rection of the Little Big Horn, Yellow
nose moving Win them.
a report spread among the Indians
that troops were advancing with Sl1os-
shonc scouts. and. inasmuch as Gem
cral Crook had retired to the SOUTH
ward. the Indians expected the adj
vance from that direction. To their
utter surprise tho troops came from
the east under the command Of Gus
ter. There was much bitterness
against Custer among the Indians be-
cause of his alleged massacre of the
Black Kettle village Of southern Chey-
territory. now Oklahoma.
The villages of the different tribes
stretched for several miles along the
west side of the valley of the Little Big
Horn. yellow Nose went from village
to village on the night of June "a to
see the dancing. strict orders hat
been given by the war chiefs forbid
ding the firing of guns in camp. as the
near approach of troops was to be
made known by two mounted war
riors. who were to ride at full speed
and fire two shots as they passed each
village.
The battle was on Sunday. a warm.
bright day. Farthest down the river
was the camp Of the northern Chey-
ennes. where stood the lodge of the
great war chief. Crazy Horse. About
IiVpII SiuAS HUI t III &NOGe oIlOA
other Indians were in the river bath
ing. when the firing of guns was heard
up the river. Reno and his mon had
crossed the Little Rig Horn and were
charging the upper villages. only to
be beaten back in confusion and I'M
der such circumstances as came near
dishonoring Reno.
yellow Nose does not speak nor un-
derstand the English language. What
he said in recounting his experiences
was translated by his friend, Edward
Guerrier. the old scout. Here he
plunged into the detail Of his nara
tive. Yellow Nose was confident that
the Sioux would have destroyed Reno
had they not charged 80 quickly and
so eagerly in defense of their women
and children. who thereby were given
time to scramble onto ponies or flee
OF foot and escape westward. Had
the Sioux held back and let Reno
come further down the river they
could have surrounded him and cut
him Oh from the hills in which he aft
erward found refuge.
Yellow Nose and his companions
were delayed in rallying to the alarm.
owing to the absence Of their ponies.
which had been driven away to Craze.
BY the time they got their mounts
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