Show 1 t r G I f f Lv 1 I DEADWOOD DICKS 0 OWN STORY Of Dusters Custer s Last Fight With the Sioux Indians Igo How w the Whites Whitesand Were ere Outnumbered Six to One and 24 f 4 Every Last One Olle of Them 6 4 yes r Killed Killed and and Refuting the F. Recent Yarns That a 0 Redskin Scout Escaped 1 4 Celebrating his S' S birthday Richard a r W. W Clark alias i Deadwood Dick of Indian Indian- i fighting fame 7 t.- t. r i steps out from o T his first airplane ride some rIde S some 1 fa t change since the G- G days of the Pony s Express I t r r t n r r f l r rr fi f r f a By Nell Ray CI Clarke rON DONT DON'T T let anybody tell teU you that a ari ri single soul left that battle between J Custer and the Sioux Indians alive lalive At f least no white man did Every Everyone one was wasI I killed The only living thing that stumbled stumbled i bled away was Comanche the horse belonging belonging belonging be- be longing to Captain Keogh It was wounded seven times and the Indians had left it for dead Ousters Casters scout the halfbreed Cro Croy named Darned Curley claimed that he pulled i. i SioUx blanket about his shoulders and lode rode a away way He Hc said the Indians didn't notice him because he wasn't white He hid in the bed of a stream for two days so he said He lied What he did was run away as soon as he saw what was coming and so far as I know he is still running yet Deadwood Dick the sole survivor of the immortal Custer scouts snorted in derision A sore spot had been touched The year old hero of hundreds of thrilling stories in real life recently flew fiew down to Washington from his native Black Hills to invite President Coolidge to spend another summer in that pIcturesque picturesque pic plc- region Dicks Dick's career has been much like that of Buffalo Bill DUl Both were scouts in tae t Indian campaIgns campaigns campaigns cam cam- buffalo hunters hunter and riders on the Pony Express De Deadwood Dick prospector prospector prospector pros pros- and adventurer extraordinary is spending the latter portion of his life amid the scenes of his earlier and more thrilling years last man to see see Custer who lived l to tell the tale was an Italian trumpeter and he thought Custer had the Indians Indiana on the run rW Deadwood Dick said Two miles back of the place where the fighting began General Custer told him to carr carry word to Captain Benteen in charge of one of the divisions to hurry up and bring up the packs The Italian spoke very poor English Captain Cooke Custers Custer's Custer's Custers Custers Custer's Cus- Cus ter's adjutant said to him Wait Walt a min mIn- ute Ill I'll write your message So he tore torea a leaf from a notebook and wrote the order and said Here take that to Ben- Ben Benteen teen That was before Custer went into the engagement with the Indians so that soldier got back with the thc message But Buthe Buthe Buthe he was fired on by the Sioux and his horse was badly wounded Yes Ive I've heard what that Indian said about Custers Custer's killing kUUng himself when he was left the last of this troop Theres There's not a word of truth in It He probably died among the first It Is only when some one touches a a. hl hidden den chord of loyalty or pride in the bravo brave men with whom he served in the early carly days that Deadwood Dick who was christened Richard W. W Clark shows a flare of his fine old spirit He sits and andI I smokes with the placidity of old age But when he Is moved to words he often otten emphasizes them with gestures You want me to tell you what I know about that fight Well when you ask that you call up memories memories memories-memories memories I Ica Icar cant ca car car- talk about You understand He lIe drew v ply s ply on hia pipe pe No o h hot rt t j Just jt t about the fighting or the ways the Indians killed the white men Memories of peo peo- pIe There are some who dont don't realize that your friend can be dearer to you than your own family Well Memories of ot your pal falling by yoUr your side and asking asking asking ask ask- ing for a drink of water and you cant can't sto stop to give it to hIm Those memories II I II I was over the at the tITe time ol or Custers Custer's battle herding horses with two At that time many ot of tho the old scouts had left the service because be because because be- be cause the Government had cut the pay But sonic some of them couldn't stand being away sway and acid a d they went back But all aU of I tl 1 l I IY t r J T I J Y rJ J t r t it rAd r t 1 p pk k us living In that country had our fighting for sev several ral years before and after Ousters Ouster's Custers Custer's Custers Custer's Cus- Cus ter's stand Everybody had bad to be a fighter in those days It was the quickest man manon manon manon on the trigger that was all No I haven't heard many Indians give their version of the fight But many of those I used to fight in the old days have taken my hand They are my friends They dont don't talk The Indian is closer- closer mouthed than the white man man For a along along along long time they expected to be punished for the part they took In that fight ev even n though they had be been n promised they wouldn't be They didn't t think ink the white whiteman whiteman man an meant to keep the promise e. e I did sit down with Hollow Horn ONCE v vand and Stinking Bear I said to them when we were alone Well boys how was it They looked all aU around before they answered to see that no one else was there and then they said Ride and shoot like hell I And that was all there was to It They were in the fight but they didn't know any of the details of the battle No they dont don't talk much about the fighting Yes I am the last of ot CUsters CUster's scouts living At least I dont don't know of any other Deadwood Dick In person more so than thanin in his pictures resembles the pictures of General Custer He smiled led when the re resemblance resemblance resemblance re- re semblance was mentioned Theres other others others oth oth- er ers who think so too he said General Custers Custer's widow thinks I look Jook like Uke him That's the hard part about going to lo New York She lives there It will be hard to see Bess and talk over the old times Memories again I Deadwood Dicks Dick's iron-gray iron hair haIr it it la is lanot not snowy white for much of it still re retaIns retains retains re- re Its dark coloring coloring is is long and Jun a dant His eyebrows beetle over keen blue- blue gray eyes that have never known glasses The same keen eyes which watched far over the hills and plains for the menacIng menacing menacing men men- acing Indians are still better than the eyes of many younger men Those who traveled with him from the Black Hills by airplane say that he picked out ob objects objects objects ob- ob along the route long before the youngsters of the party could see them themar ar 01 the horizon And he knew some Interesting Interesting Interesting Inter Inter- esting bit of history about each landmark His mustache is long and flowing the style which was popular In the days when Custer was a very dashing cavalry officer om- om in the United States Army He Ls Is not in the least deaf and his cheeks are rosy He lIe Is keenly enjoying hii sel on Ills his first trip to Washington WashIngton indeed indeed his first trip east cast of the Mississippi i i 34 y Y G sir r o. o y ti S A x L c h nT He clings to the picturesque clothes of the West of Custers Custer's day the same type of ot garb he wore when he was one of Ousters Casters scouts the scouts the laced boots into which his trousers are tucked broad broad- brimmed soft hat bat the soft wool woolen n khaki shirt and a short woolen leather-and-woolen Jerkin He has a Jerkin embroidered in beads for special functions embroidered functIons embroidered by b a squaw he says with a naughty twinkle The trigger finger Is gone from Deadwood Dead- Dead wood Dicks Dick's right hand but his clasp is vigorous and hearty And he wears his six-shooter six as if it he might need It It as he did in the old days Deadwood or Dick as his friends call him went West in the days das when it took him two months to go on horseback from St. St Paul to Rapid City Per For a while he was one of the riders of th the famous Pony Express a service inaugurated in 1860 1360 to carry mall mail between St. St Joseph Mo and San Francisco overland in eight days It was carried in r relays las la's the stations for forthe forthe forthe the exchange of horses along the line beinG toeing miles But But- about twenty five apart 4 f r 0 11 General George A. A Custer the most renowned Indian fighter of his day under whom Deadwood Dick served as scout A falo Bill BUl and Deadwood Dick in those days covered seventy five miles mUes a day on horseback through infested Indian sted country country country coun coun- try over trails traUs almost unbelievably dangerous dangerous dan dan- gerO enduring the severest of hard hard- ships Then he Joined the scouts and for awhile a a- awhile awhile while rode with General ister C-ister and the famous Seventh Cavalry The rush to South Dakota after atter the discovery of gold goldin in the Black Hills in 1875 stirred the restless restless rest rest- less fever in his blood and mere n na made his home borne He still lives gives in a log tog cabin on the claim he originally staked out at that time He Heays ays avs a s there Is even en today more adventure In ten miles mie of aBlack a a- aBlack aBlack Black Hills foot trail tran than in many miles mUe of flying in an airplane over o cultivated country He knew that country In the wildest and most picturesque stage of its history lIe He HeIs lIeIs lieIs Is one of the few remaining figures of ot a alife alife life Ufe that has almost passed The wildest bra bravest vest of all of the American Indians were attempting in the seventies to hold their country against the encroachments of the white man The annihilation o of r Ii I r h l f r r rL L ta e 7 n 1 1 l r t wr i 4 r The thrilling thrilling- exploits of this tong long scout 7 of the Black Hills were the foundation for many of the tho dime novel dime novel stories of the old West Custers Custer's five companies was merely the high spot of a series of fights which had continued over a period of years The gold rush to the Sioux Reservation In the Black 1 Hills was just another of the many infringements of the white man on the land rights promised to the Indians which wI went on unchecked White men shot thousands the buffaloes the main meat supply of the Indians and left them to rot on the plains The Sioux who were the most powerful powerful powerful power power- ful tribe on the American Continent led by the famous Sitting Bull BuIl refused to accept a a. new treaty with the Government Oo providing for their removal remo to another reservation They moved ed up to a strong position In the hills of Southern Montana where from time to time all the malcontents malcontents malcon malcon- tents and restless braves of other tribes gathered No No- white man suspected their numbers They came from all aU the tribes tribe of the Sioux Nation Nation Miane- Miane San Arc Brule Yank Yank- Santee and the friendly ana i UnIt United States Statts Government Oo notified not noti- TIlE TIr J- J fled fied them that unless they moved mored to the new reservation set aside for tor them they would be considered enemies of the Government Sitting Bull refused to stir So the regulars with the aid of the scouts scour and Indian guides guide moved mored against them In the spring of ot 1876 Meanwhile the Indians had bad been equipping equipping equipping equip equip- ping themselves with the newest type ol of rifles and had been storing ammunition and were in reality better prepared for battle batUe than the troops of the United States This of course coune the American Custers Custer's entire force was wiped out by the Indians according to Deadwood Dick and General Cus Custer r was probably one of the first to die soldiers did not know for o messages were transmitted only by riders in wild and unsettled Montana in those days The plan pIan of the campaign was WM for General Gibbon to move upon the Sioux encampment from the west General Crook from the south and General Terry from the east Under General Terry was General George A. A Custer in command of the Seventh Cavalry strong made up of some of the flower of American American Ameri Amen can manhood who had followed th the dashing general after the close of the Civil War Custer according to Terrys Terry's plan pIan of campaign was to ride up the Rosebud River until he reached ed the trail of the Indians which had been previously discovered discovered dis dis- covered ered by scouts and learn in what di direction direction di- di the trail trall led If It It led to t te e valley of the Little Big Horn River Custer Ouster was to proceed south to be in a position to operate co-operate with General Gibbons Gibbon column General Ouster Custer came over the WHEN H divide and his scouts reported a a. camp of Sioux in the valley fifteen miles mile beyond instead of turning south he immediately divided his little band into three parts and without giving them any orders for a s reunion at any place or time Ume sent two sections in different directions to engage Sioux should they find them He followed one division for a few miles le as he had bad outlined in h his plan pIan and then turned away to the right withe Jt it let letting the other leaders know where he was going COInS His little band of men met the main body of the Indians and were annihilated That much is history But why he did what he did remains a mystery The other two parts part of his command were attacked on the bluffs of the Little Big Horn and lost about fifty per cent of their number Custers Custer's body was Wa found where he had fallen in battle The Indians had stripped all the bodies of their clothes to wear the next morning with a a. view to enticing the divisions under Major Reno and Captain Captain Cap Cap- tain Benteen who did not know of Casters Caster's Custer's Custers Custers Custer's Cus Cus- ter's fate from their comparatively secure the hills Chief position on Long Hair as the Indians called Custer had not been scalped as had many of the other victims Nor was Wa his body mutilated Chief Gall GU said he had not been scalped because they respected his rank and his bravery Some people seem to think that General General General Gen Gen- eral Custer might have saved his men menU if U he had bad been less Jess daring and nd reckless dont don't they Deadwood Dick was waa asked He Immediately evinced his indignation at the suggestion It is easy eaY to say that in the light of what we know today No Noone Noone Noone one in General Custers Custer's place could have hare saved his men he said Because of the frame of mind of the Indians at that time any body of men outnumbered six sixto sixto x to one as Custers Custer's were would ha have 0 been exterminated ted Most of us scouts scour were devoted to General Custer Deadwood Dick Diet added When It came to a a- matter of duty It was Wa strict discipline with him but at any other time he was just one of the boys He Ho pulled off oa hb h coat In 11 a ball game a as and a 2 there was no rank for him In his ids shirt sleeves Nor for any of the other of officers either he be concluded as M he hustled out of the hotel He lIe was on his way to New York A Washington dignitary sent his car to carry Deadwood Dick to the station He Be climbed cUmbee into the front seat scat with the chauffeur where he could get plen plenty y of fresh air nir and he rode gayly away amid warnings from his friends Now be be- care be-care careful care care- ful Dick We are turning you OU loose in New York alone Dont Don't let a blonde catch you youl I aC to Ov Pi bUe Ledoer f |