The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-07-19

ed upon the men 10 drive out the
Metal Breasts, as the police were
called. Half.craxed ghost dancers
saw in the attempt TO take the
chief an affront 10 their religion.
All called loudly upon sitting Bull
not TO submit.
He finally In 4 loud voice said
he was not going. Immediately
one OF his body guard threw up his
rifle and shot Bull Head In the leg.
He went down on his back. turn
ing as he fell and shooting upwards
at sitting Bull. who was twisting
in the arms Of his csptors. The
bullet struck the chief In the back
on the left side. AZ he reeled and
staggered from the impact Of the
lead. Red Tomahawk shot him
from behind. Both shots were close
together: either would have been
fatal. sitting Bull. instantly killed,
dropped like a stone.
Death Strikes
These shots precipitated q gen
eral melee. The firing was hard
and rapid. II was all together. the
smoke and dust blotted out every
thing from sight, and the confusion
OF that hand-to-hand fight was ter
rible. Men were shooting and club
bling each other, scuffling and
stabblng there in the grey dawn.
When II was over, around sitting
Bulls body lay seven members Of
his faithful bodyguard. OF the po'
lice. four were dead and two NOR.
tally wounded including Bull Head
Red Tomahawk succeeded 10 the
command and sent messengers tn
the troops which were neraby on
Oak Creek.
After order was restored. the
dead policemen md the chief were
loaded like cord wood on q mill
tary truck. sitting Bull at the bot
tom, and transported TO Fort Yates.
The seven followers of the dead
leader were dragged into a cabin
and left there. Later they were
buried in common grave by =
Rev. r. L. Riggs and some Chris
tlan Indians. The police casualties
were buried with a large following
and appropriate church service In
the Catholic cemetery at Fort
Yates, where a marble shaft marks
their resting place.
Runners Multiply
sitting Bull was not a Christian
and he was buried in one corner
NJ the post cemetery al the fort.
There was no ceremony from the
whites, and the Indians were sfrsid
10 give their own service.
There are many stories that his
body was sold IN souvenir hunters
hut this IL not true. The post head
Al that time claims that the box
in which he was buried WA flied
with quick lime. but that seems
doubtful. There In vague report
that some years ago some inter-
ested parties dug in ths grave and
found the skeleton intact.
They may have found Il intact.
but they did not leave II 30. In
Fort Yates we heard that story
in = vague sort OF way. and quiet
ly tracing II back. We found the
man who had done the digging.
At first reticent and almost hostile.
we finally thawed him out To the
extent Of showing as one Of sitting
Bulls leg bones, but he would not
permit US 70 take a picture Of IL.
Find His Grave
When Fort Yates wss sbsn-
donsd ~ a military post, al thu
soldiers graves vsrs removed,
leaving sitting Bulls lonely grave
night In the center ~ large field
on the outskirts Of the town. Even
after We were told whsrs u was.
gs had some trouble finding u.
All around II the weeds are waist
high and no road or pathway leads
70 Il. The Indians are afraid Of
the place and few touring whites
even know he "a buried there.
After SONS beating around
through the tall weeds. We came
upon the lonely and unmarked
grave Of the great warrior. Tiers
Ia a large slab Of cement over II
now and a small EARN Of stones
al one end. but nowhere IL there
3 name or inscription Sitting Bull
rests there with nothing 70 tell the
world who he is Nothing 10 sug-
gest that we Americans. who pride
ourselves on our spoFtsmanship
and respect for sincere and brave
foe, look hack on the the friIff old
Indian with the respect he de-
servss
(HORE LATZR)