Portrait of Mass Murder. Welby Thomas Cox, Jr.
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a warrior of undoubted pluck and acknowledged prowess.
Another of the young men, named Charles, was cut in two places under the shoulder blade; the flesh was raised with pincers, and thongs tied around the flesh and muscles thus raised. The thongs reached down below the knees and were tied to buffalo skulls. With these heavy weights dangling at the ends of the thongs, the young man was required to dance around the circle, to the sound of the drum and chants of the bystanders, until the skulls became detached by tearing out the flesh. They continued the performance until one of the skulls broke loose, but the other remained. The mother of the young man then rushed into the ring, leading a pony, and tied one end of the lariat which was around the pony's neck to the skull, which was still fastened to the young Indian. The latter then followed the pony round the ring, until nearly exhausted he fell on his face, and the skull was thereby torn out of the flesh.
The sufferer's voice grew husky from joining in the chant; he groveled on the ground in violent contortions for a few minutes, and was then removed to the outside of the lodge.
A third man had the lariat of the pony hitched to the raised muscles of his back, and was dragged in this way several times round the ring; but the force not being sufficient to tear loose from the flesh, the pony was backed up, and a slack being thus taken on the lariat, the pony was urged swiftly forward, and the sudden jerk tore the lariat out of the flesh."
Our informant having seen enough of these horrid performances to satisfy his curiosity, left with his companions, "without waiting to see the dance through." The dance, with its bloody orgies, lasted three whole days. This Sun Dance is not as common as formerly, and as the Indians settle on reservations, it is wholly done away with. The origin of the custom is uncertain.
JULESBURG.
Grannie B.:
“my experience on de plains dates from september, 1867. de government ordered me ter report ter fort sedgweck, a post on de south side av de platte river, tree ton an' seventy-seven miles west av omaha. dis post lies four miles south av julesburg, den de end av de union pacific railroad. dare were foive t'ousan' people dare, an' it wus said ter be de most class city in de warrld. thieves an' escaped convicts came 'ere ter gamble an' lead brutal lives, as they 'ad done in eastern cities, 'til driven away for fear av punishment; an' often three or four wud be shot down at noight in drunken rows wi' their companions in vice an' crime. a mammoth tent wus erected for a dance-house an' gamblin' purposes. it wus called "the kin' av de 'ills," an' wus filled up wi' 'andsum mirrors, pianos, an' furniture, an' wus de scene av al' kinds av wickedness. it rented for six ton dollars a day!"
Translation:
(“My experience on the plains dates from September, 1867. The government ordered me to report to Fort Sedgwick, a post on the south side of the Platte River, three hundred and seventy-seven miles west of Omaha. This post lies four miles south of Julesburg, then the end of the Union Pacific Railroad. There were five thousand people there, and it was
said to be the most wicked city in the world. Thieves and escaped convicts came here to gamble and lead bad lives, as they had done in Eastern cities, until driven away for fear of punishment; and often three or four would be shot down at night in drunken rows with their companions in vice and crime.
A mammoth tent was erected for a dance-house and gambling purposes. It was called "The King of the Hills," and was filled up with handsome mirrors, pianos, and furniture, and was the scene of all kinds of wickedness. It rented for six hundred dollars a day!)
Grannie B. continuing:
" 'ere 'undreds av tren, engaged as freighters, teamsters, an' "bull-whackers,"--as they were called, an' who were in de employ av wells, fargo & co. in freightin' goods in lorge wagons ter idaho, montana, salt lake, an' california,--wud congregate at noight an' gamble an' carouse, spendin' al' their tree months' earnings, only ter go back, earn more, an' spend it again in dis foolish an' class manner. one day oi came over ter de city, an' while drivin' from de express office, 'eard pistol-shots, an' soon saw de tren, weemen, an' laddies runnin' in every direcshun. oi got oyt av de way, fearin' danger, an' listened, till oi 'ad 'eard at laest score shorts, an' den al' wus still. oi went roun' ter ascertain de cause, an' soon foun' me self among a shower av savages av excited persons. oi learned dat a brutal young paddy 'ad robbed a stoney broke negro fella av tonne an' t'airty dollars yer man 'ad earned at de railroad stashun, an' 'ad laid it by ter go ter 'is 'um in baltimore. the fella denied it, an' said ‘he'd shoot anyone who tried ter arrest him.’ a peelers officer followed 'imself into a saloon, whaen de thief at once turned an' fired at de officer, woundin' 'imself in 'is roi elbow, so yer man cud not reach 'is pistols in 'is belt. but sum mucker 'anded him wan, an' wi' it yer man knocked de villain down, behind a cooker. de fella den begged for 'is life, sayin' yer man wud gie up de nicker an' a thousan' dollars for 'is life. but it wus too late. de officer shot him in de forehead, an' whaen oi entered, yer man wus welterin' in a pool av blud. al' said, "served 'imself roi!" dis is a law av western life. if two tren git into a dispute, an' wan puts 'is 'an' ter 'is davy crockett, as if to draw a weapon, de other is sure ter shoot 'is enemy, as de law is, "_a life for a life_."
Translation:
("Here hundreds of men, engaged as freighters, teamsters, and "bull-whackers,"--as they were called, and who were in the employ of Wells, Fargo & Co. in freighting goods in large wagons to Idaho, Montana, Salt Lake, and California,--would congregate at night and gamble and carouse, spending all their three months' earnings, only to go back, earn more, and spend it again in this foolish and wicked manner.
One day I came over to the city, and while driving from the express office, heard pistol-shots, and soon saw the men, women, and children running in every direction. I got out of the way, fearing danger, and listened, till I had heard at least twenty shots, and then all was still. I went round to ascertain the cause, and soon found myself among a crowd of excited persons. I learned that a bad young man had robbed a poor negro boy of one hundred and thirty dollars he had earned at the railroad station, and had laid it by to go to his home in Baltimore. The fellow denied it, and said ‘he'd shoot anyone who tried to arrest him.’ A police officer followed him into a saloon, when the thief at once turned and fired at the officer, wounding him in his right elbow, so he could not reach his pistols in his belt. But some friend handed him one, and with it he knocked the villain down, behind a stove. The fellow then begged for his life, saying he would give up the money and a thousand dollars for his life. But it was too late. The officer shot him in the forehead, and when I entered, he was weltering in a pool of blood. All said, "Served him right!" This is a law of Western life. If two men get into a dispute, and one puts his hand to his pocket, as if to draw a weapon, the other is sure to shoot his enemy, as the law is,"_a life for a life_."
The Author:
JULESBURG took its name from a small place just below Sedgwick, where a Frenchman named Jules built a ranch and raised cattle a long time before the railroad was built. Here, passengers to Denver would get their meals, and the horses were changed on the stage route to Denver and to Salt Lake. Some Indians it is said killed the old man Jules, and his ranch having been taken possession of by the Indians, was shelled by cannon from Fort Sedgwick, and burned down. Mr. Greeley must remember this station, which he and Mr. Colfax and Gov. Bross, of Illinois, passed on their overland trip to California some ten years ago, and where they dined upon the universal fare,--corn-bread, coffee, and bacon.
The city of Julesburg, as it was called in 1867, was visited by a party of editors from Chicago, Cleveland, etc. They came in one of Pullman's palace cars to see the contractor of the Union Pacific Railroad lay the track, as many as four miles each day. Being anxious to write home to their papers all the wonderful things they saw and heard, they came across a strange, wild-looking man named "Sam Stanton," dressed in a buckskin suit, with a broad-brimmed hat. Sam was a returned California miner, of long experience on the plains. Him they invited to come into the beautiful car, to tell them some stories of pioneer life; and, in order to incite him, or _excite_ his imagination to do so, they invited him to drink some wine. As it happened, Sam had never before tasted any stimulants but