Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-20
NEW CUSTER STORY
IS TOLD BY SIOUX
Iron White Man Declares
Massacre Was Retribution
for Killing of People.

A little shrunken Indian, who once
lived history, retold it Saturday, and
his story is far different from tbs
version every school child knows.
He is Iron White Man, old and
shriveled who 81 years ago rode with
the Sioux warriors as they wiped out
Gen. Custer and his men in the Black
Hills.
But Iron White Man does not con-
slider it massacre. To him it was an
act of retribution for the killing of his
people by white soldiers.
The United States Court of Claims
will be left to judge whether he is tell
ing the truth or the history books are
right and Gen. Custer was the victim of
an unprovoked Indian attack.
The old Indians story was told dur
ing the taking of deposition in the
Office of Maj. Ralph H. Case, Capt. c. G.
Calhoun and Rice Hooe, attorneys, and
will be presented to the court in a suit
by the Sioux for approximately $780,
100000, which they claim in payment
for lands taken from them following
the Custer battle.
Speaking through an interpreter, Iron
White Horse, who is now 81, told of
events leading up to the wiping out of
Clusters army. In the deep gutturals
| of his native tongue and with the vivid
flow of metaphor and analogy which
marks the speech of his people he pic
tured the struggle and the fading of the
Indian from the Western plains.
This is his story: His tribe was
camped on the Little Big Horn 20 miles
| within the limits of their hunting
grounds. One day he heard of an old
| man and a boy being slain by white
/, soldiers. The next day the soldiers APP
peared while many of the women and
| children were bathing in creek. With
| out reason or excuse the white men
/ fired on them, and those who we're not
Killed ran, screaming, to the camp.
Other women were some distance away
digging Indian turnips. These, too, fed
The young men were gathered to-
| gether, a council of war was held and
war party mounted and set out. Iron
White Man, although only II years old,
was a member of that band, which met
and annihilated the soldiers of Gen.
| Custer, June IS, 1876.
The war party returned to camp
| laden with scalps. The next day they
heard that the man with the fur coat
| tGen. Miles, was marching against
them. Breaking camp, they travelled
west into the Rocky Mountains, turn
ing south after another day.
| They were far to the South when
Gen. Miles overlook them. In the words
of the old Indian, the leaves had turned
yellow and the plums were ripe The
bands scattered but at Slim Butte,
| he declared, the soldiers caught one
| party, killed women and children and
| took several men prisoners.
That was the end of Iron White
Mans account of the fighting. Explain
ing the actions of Custer, he likened
| him to moth which circles around a
candle and finally dashes into the flame
! and is destroyed.
| Since then, the old man said, his life
has been one of continued hardship.
He does not expect to live until the
claim is settled. but he hopes his chill
dren and grandchildren will profit by 1t.
| Iron White Man made the trip from
| the Pine Ridge Reservation in South
| Dakota in company with Henry Stand
| ing Bear, George Little Wound and
Emil Afraid of Hawk.
| Capt. r. T. Bonnin of this city, who
is part Sioux. is looking after them
until they return to their homes, which
will be within three or four GAYS.
Since 1925 the Government has been
auditing their claim. at cost of $780,
600, and it is expected that the audit
will be completed by July l. After that
date the court will set date for the
hearing.
| The disputed land is approximately
| 100000 acres in extent and Is rich
In gold and other minerals.