M..UNEY] DEATH OF SITTING BULL 857 



Indians had been dancing until nearly morning, and the house was con- 

 sequently left unguarded. 



At daybreak on Monday morning, December 15, 1890, the police and 

 volunteers, 4-'5 in number, under command of Lieutenant liull Head, 

 a cool and reliable man. surrounded Sitting Bull's house. He had 

 two log cabins, a few rods apart, and to make sure of their man, eight 

 of the police entered one house and ten went into the other, while the 

 rest remained on guard outside. They found him asleep on the floor 

 in the larger house. He was aroused and told that he was a prisoner 

 and must go to the agency. He made no objection, but said "All right ; 

 I will dress and go with you." He then sent one of his wives to the 

 other house for some clothes he desired to wear, and asked to have his 

 favorite horse saddled for him to ride, which was done by one of the 

 police. On looking about the room two lilies and several knives were 

 found and taken by the police. While dressing, he apparently changed 

 his mind and began abusing the police for disturbing him, to which 

 they made no reply While this was going on inside, his followers, to 

 the number of perhaps 150, were congregating about the house outside 

 and by the time he was dressed an excited crowd of Indians had the 

 police entirely surrounded and were pressing them to the wall. On 

 being brought out, Sitting Bull became greatly excited and refused to 

 go, and called on his followers to rescue him. Lieutenant Lull Head 

 and Sergeant Shave Head were standing on each side of him, with 

 Second Sergeant Eed Tomahawk guarding behind, while the rest of 

 the police were trying to clear the way in front, when one of Sitting 

 Bull's followers, Catch-the-Bear, tired and shot Lieutenant Bull Head 

 in the side. Bull Head at once turned and sent a bullet into the body 

 of Sitting Bull, who was also shot through the head at the same moment 

 by Led Tomahawk. Sergeant Shave Head was shot by another of 

 the crowd, and fell to the ground with Bull Head and Sitting Bull. 

 Catch-the-Bear, who tired the tirst shot, was immediately shot and 

 killed by Alone Man, one of the police, and it became a desperate hand- 

 to-hand tight of less than 43 men against more than a, hundred. The 

 trained police soon drove their assailants into the timber near by, and 

 then returned and carried their dead and wounded into the house and 

 held it for about two hours, until the arrival of the troops under Cap- 

 tain Fechct. about half past seven. The troops had been notified of 

 the perilous situation of the police by Hawk Man, who had volunteered 

 to carry the information from Sitting Lull's camp. He succeeded in 

 getting away, assisted by Bed Tomahawk, although so closely pursued 

 that several bullets passed Through his clothing. In spite of the efforts 

 of the hostiles. the police also held possession of the corral, which Sit- 

 ting Bull had filled with horses in anticipation of his flight. When the 

 cavalry came in sight over a hill, about 1,500 yards distant from the 

 camp, the police atthecorral raised a white flag to show where they were, 

 but the troops, mistaking them for hostiles, fired two shells at them from 



