The William F. Cody Archive: Documenting the life and times of Buffalo Bill

 

BIG INJUNS WITH BIG APPETITES.

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THREE OF BUFFALO BILL'S WARRIORS ARRIVE FROM EUROPE—COLONEL CODY'S CONTRACT.

Three stalwart braves of the Sioux Indians at Pine Ridge Agency, in Dakota, arrived in the steerage of the Hamburg steamer Augusta Victoria and were cared for by General James R. O'Beirne at the Barge Office yesterday. They came from Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, now in Hanover, Germany. Their names are White Horse-Shunka-Ka-Scar, who is twenty-four years old; Bear Pipe, or Marto-Chenumpa, aged thirty-two years, and White Weasel, whose Indian name is He-Chunka-Sackta. He is twenty-seven years old and, like his companions, is a muscular fellow, with piercing black eyes, sharp features, and black hair hanging below his shoulders. They are to be sent on to the Pine Ridge Agency.

During the voyage they were in charge of Richard Matthews, the crack Western driver of the Black Hills coach in the show. The Indians told General O'Beirne they did not like the steerage. They were sick all the way over, and White Horse caught cold and had a very sore throat when he arrived.

General O'Beirne said Colonel Cody was not fulfilling his contract regarding the care of Indians who were allowed to leave this country in his charge. According to an abstract of Colonel Cody's contract with Indian Commissioner Oberly, which was shown me, Buffalo Bill is under bonds to pay each Indian $25 per month from the time of leaving the Pine Ridge Agency until his return, which must be inside of two years, to supply proper food, clothing, medical attendance and medicine when sick, and to pay all travelling and incidental expenses.

This, it is said, Colonel Cody is not living up to. He sends all his braves home in the steerage and on slow moving immigrant trains. In the case of Otakta (Kills Many), who died in Bellevue Hospital, General O'Beirne sent Colonel Cody three or four cablegrams asking him to pay the expense of removing the dead Indian to Pine Ridge Agency for burial. No reply was received and the government forwarded the remains.

George C. Crager, the ex-scout and Indian interpreter, sent a letter to Secretary of the Interior Rusk at the time. This was placed in the hands of Indian Commissioner T. J. Morgan, who has written to Colonel Cody concerning his obligations to the Indians and this government.

White Horse's sore throat yesterday did not prevent him from going with the other braves to a hotel on Front street, where they dined. This was the menu:—Roast beef, fried pork, fried eggs, fried and mashed potatoes, string beans, three glasses of milk each, three glasses each of ice water, one bowl of coffee each and huckleberry pie and green peas, mixed. This last the warriors seemed to relish exceedingly.

Ex-Indian Scout George Crager entertained them last evening at the Occidental Hotel, at Bowery and Broome street, and to-day General O'Beirne and Father Crafts, the Sioux missionary, will look after them until this afternoon, when they will leave over the Baltimore and Ohio road for Pine Ridge.

Banner image: Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming, U.S.A.; Original Buffalo Bill Museum Collection, P.69.118