The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-07-21


BeIknap aud orville Grant are claimed TO be their
bosom friends, and II is well known that the
father has great influence with the sdmlnis-
traLion. Bis wife 10 the daughter OF
wealthy Baltimore manufacturer, and
10 Is said that she brought her
husband 500, 900. The boys are shrewd and DASH
ing. One OF them 10 charged with ndine horse
| into saloon back In the States. But that was
before ne had reformed. The iatner Is known as
AL Leighton and the boys as Joe and Jim. Ihey
are no common traders. The father lie the post
trader here at Bulord, and he is the prlnci-
| pal owner OF the establishment ct Fort Lincoln.
so I am tolG. He Is favorlte with some OF the
] officers, and what he loses by selling 10 them at
reduced rates he makes up on the soldiers some
| officers get their liquor free. while the boys in
! blue pay twenty-five cents o drink, II one OF
| Leghton's frienGs tells the truth. paid him
seventy-hve cents for a cheap pocket handkerchief,
such as sold for forty cents in country stores.
At Fort Peck paid his sons 81 for handkerchief
but little better, and elgnty-1ve cents can for
pums which sell in Colorado for thirty-nve cents.
The freight to Denver JUST half what II is 10 Fort
Peck. The Leightons also have the stores al Fort
Beknap, Fort Tourney and Medicine Lodge. which
are between Fort Peck and the British Posses
slons. Some say that Grant shares equally with
them In the pro1ts-they furnishing the money
and he the licenses and intimidation, while others
who are wen informed say that they pay oryie
$500 Il month for each trading post.
THE FRAUDS.
1t Is impossible TO give the exact dates Of the
various frauds, but the following facts can be
proved In q court OF law II the accused wish to
contest them. | have the names or those VINO
will substantiate them under oath III every In
stance. 1t should be understood that all OF Leigh
toms PROVISIONS, &C., have been keps In the gov
eminent warehouses at the fort with the Indian
supplies, and some Kinds OF goods were not even
separated from those OF the government Early
last TALL n train load OF government -four $500 or
1000 sacKs) was taken from lot tnat had been
received in the summer, and was sent up the
river In wagons. These wagons belonged to
Storey, who Is q merchant and contractor In
Bozeman. The teamsters said IL consigned
to Storey. and they drove away with IL. Tdere
were between fifteen and twenty wagon loads.
As soon as this -four was removed from the ware
house Stanley, who, am told, superintended,
ordered IS or 100 fresh sacks to be Piled up IN
front OF the place where the stolen nour had lain.
that its absence might not be noticed by out
siders lie told the men to keep the matter secret
When they began work Matt Anderson, the
agents son, came and locked the door, that
no one could get H. The agent was In the build
ing and he knew I'll about II. In August or Sep
TEMPER eighty-1ve barrels OF sugar came from
storey In Bozeman. IL was taken from the boat
and stored IN the government warehouse. The
full consignment should have been between 200
and 300 barrels, but these eighty-1ve barrels were
all that was ever received. Brands were then
scraped OF FROM enough barrels OF the old stock
ON hand to supply the deficiency and Storey's
brand pnt on with stencil plate which Mr..
stanley had provided.
About Christmas ITO sacks OF corn were sent to
Buord by land. Stanley gave it to leighton,
who hauled 1t away, and IL was used to feed
Leigh lon's stock at that post. The corn has
never been returned TO this day. But this was
not considered strange as the Legations were in
the habit OF keeping their mules and horses On
government corn at the agency and other places.
Some time March fifteen or twenty sacks of
bacon were taken from the government ware
house In one night The Leighton boys sent 1t up
TO their agent at Medicine Lodge in Red River
sleds. They also took l,45o pounds OF sugar and
two sacks OF coffee. About this time some corn
and three bales OF cotton goods were missing,
ana they have not been seen since.
stanley and the Leighton boys have wood yard
Just below MIX River, between Fort Peck and
Vol Point. six seven hundred cords of wood
were chopped for them last winter. They hired
from Ave to eight men and gave them 81 rs q
cord, and for a few weeks fed them on govern
ment provisions. At the agency seven or eight
men are employed. They live on the Indian sup
plies and the Leightons furnish the cook. Tue
sgents' mess is select. 1t Is composed OF w. w.
Anderson, his son Matthew. DR.. Stone, young
Leighton and mis- clerk. Flour, potatoes, sugar,
bacon and pork are taken from the government
warehouse and also used In this mess few days
ago the agent said that 400 sacks OF 1our were TO
90 up the river soon. He has them laid aside.
lie says they were sent 10 him to be stored until
ordered to be sent up the country. This story
might DO could not prove that he has been issu.
ing from this same nour TO tho Indians. hr.
Storey, the Bozeman contractor and alleged re-
celyer OF stolen goods came to his friend, tho
agent, In a carriage last year and had delight
full visit.
A gentleman who is familiar with the workings
of the agency says that 700 cords OF WOOD were cut
at Fort Peck last winter and moved down the river
by Leighton and Stanley's men. Laborers paid out
OF the government funds were engaged In pling
and hauling 1t. What is not sold TO STEAMBOATS,
is turned in to Ill contracts Tor supplying the
agency. My Informant says that the hour and
bacon sent TO Medicine Lodge were consigned 10
o. L. Grant 4 Co. for trading with the hall breeds.
the agency is authorized to have carpenter and
blacksmith; but 1t had none last winter, except
an engineer but 1t had men working at Wolf
Point ana the agent told them the other day that
leighton would pay them. George Cooley was
hired at $50 q month rs herder for that place.
wnen he asked for his pay the agent said he had
no money but would pay him in Indian provisions.
A man who has herded for the agency and knows
oil about the peculiar manner Of doing business,
says tnat the cattle have never been weighed.
There are no scales The weight is guessed at and
the herd averaged and issued on foot.
TIE BLANKETS,
which are annuity goods, did not come last fall,
and the Indians complained bitterly. This spring,
in May, when the weather was Gne, they arrived
in good order, and in Jew days the agent pre-.
pared to issue them. The Indians were indIg-
nant, ana many refused TO touch them. Finally
part Of the issue was accepted. The agency had
every reason to get rid or them, as each blanket
bears the indelible brand OF tho Indian Depart
ment. cannot say that ali or the blankets have
been received. Between forty and fifty bales
were hrounht uD from the boat. In FebruarV or