The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-10
MADDENING THE RED MEN.
THE HIGH-HINDED RoBBERIEs or
THE CROW INDIAN RING.


Make the Friendly Grows eur Foes.
BozEMAN, Montana, June 1.-THE fraudr
that have been perpetfated at the Crow Agency
In this Territory have long been the subject Of
general complaint, and recently earnest but In
eneotual efforts have been made to bring some
of the swindlers TO justice. An acc cunt Of the
proceedings Of two successive Grand Jures will
she the difficulties that honest men have TO
contend with In their efforts TO oounteract the
schemes OF the Montana Indian Rings. who are
engaged In the work Of piunderinR the Indiana,
the Government, and private citizens alike,
leading to grave dangers which shall indicate
In another part OF this letter.
At the last fail term OF the UnitedS States Court,
which was convened on the nrst Monday Of Oc-
tober, 1875, the Grand Jury impanelled was one
OF unusual intelligence, consisting Of mer-
chants, mechanics and farmers. among whom
were to be found some OF the best citizens In
the territory. These determined upon n thor
ouRh investigation OF the affairs OF the Crow
Agency witnesses having been secured who
were prepared to testify to the rascalities prao-
tised there; but they soon found that the Dis
trict Attorney was doing all In his power to In
pcde the Investigation, and especially to shield
Agent Clapp and Nelse story, the latter q con-
tractor who has operated In conjunction with
the pious clerical agent who was select
ell by the Methodist Church to Chrtstiantxe the
Indians, ~ they supposed; to hello plunder
them as the event HIS proved.
The efforts of the Government prosecuting Of
fcer TO shield the accused became so apparent.
anu, indeed, 81 Indecent, That the Grand Jury
MADE formal compliant TO the court and re-
quested that another prosecutor should be APP
pointed to examiue the witnesses who knew
the facts connected With the agency swindles.
Al tins the District Attorney became greatly in
oensed nd demanded the INN diate discharge
OF the jury, saying that he nad no further bust
ness for them, wheieupon the jurors were in-
fAF NfA a hat nal
quired. Indignant at such treatment the MEM
hers of the Grand Jur, Appealed to Attorney
General P1erreDOBt, reciting the facts, and re-
que-tinR the removed Of the District Attorney,
out mat earnest chanipion Of the Baoeock de-
turney mas been reappointed.
OF course tho men CON posing the Crow In
dian Ring we're greatly encouraged oy the snuo-
bing administered TO tie honest Grand Jurors by
Aforementioned Pisfrepont, aud prepared TO
carry out their plundering schemes upon more
extensive scale han ever. 50 bold did they be-
come That In DECEMBER last they openly pro-
posed to Capt. Il. Ball OF the Second Cavalry,
the inspecting ofiicer OF Indian supplies, 10 join
them In their REGULATIONS. an offer which II 10
needless to say was romptiy rejected. The
facts connected with this proposition to bride
the Government Inspector leaked out, and
measures we're AIKEN to trinR the matter to the
attention OF the next following Grand Jury,
which met In Nirgi.il City on the third Monday
Of March. II WAS fully expected that at the
March term OF the court full aud fair In
quiry into the abuses which have prevailed
at The crow Agency would at last be ade. but,
although ample evidence was in readiness. the
people were again doomed to disappointment.
Effective means mad been taken to get friends
OF the King upon this second Grand jury. aud
though tue proofs OF fraud presented for their
confederation were overwhelming, the Jurors,
after a session Of twenty-five days. failed 10 ind
any indictments whatever and requested to be
oischarsed IL required twelve votes to procure
AN Indictment; in the case Of story, II Is sad
the vote stood eleven Tor ind, tment and seven
az inst II.
the Grand Jury proved, among other things.
that On Dec .. 1873 at the Grow Agency. Nelse
Story made the ropositon to Capt. Ball to 20
IN with MIN and dcii AUD The Government aud
cheat the Indians out Of tleir supplies. In Or
ger 1" get the Captain to sssen! and go h.. s
surance Was gwen him that he Rev. Dexter T..
Clapp was tarty 10 the proposed defraudiug
scheme. story told Capt Hall That there was
still $1,000 Of the appropriation TOR the Crow
lndians which lie fStoTy) = anxious to nave
exp nded before the end OF the nscai year lie
wanted G Ut. Ball to NO In with MIN, and they
could make a profitable ,uo m expendlns the
money fur their benefit, II tue Captain would
help to receive such supplies a. we're presented
for his Inspection. Capt. Bal, refused to lend
himself To this rascally business, telling Story
that the agent might not suouit to such trans
actions. . THIS story replied. " Yes. he will
that u all iight with the Agent" 10 draw
Story out. Capt. hall asked MIN, WHAT Will the
transactlon taEe place." story relied that
there were plenty Of buffalo ana they could 1--we
ON buffalo meat, as IL was good enough for
tnem. Having heard enough to fully under
stand the nature Of Story's rascallv propos tion,
Caut. Bali told the RING Contractor that uIs sup
plies would tie most carefully inspected. and
that II ih'y came up 70 the required standard
he would receive tnem. but lat otherwise they
would be rejected.
II was also proved to the Grind Jury that at
the same time. nameiv, Dec. " 1873, previous to
the Inspection Of pork. Mr. Nelson story made
two propositions to I. pit. Ball to defraud the
Government. and Ia cheat the Indians out OF
their supplies. If Capt. Ball would inspect the
pork hnd pass " u tJi pounds to the barre Story
Was to pay him SLOW Tor tue Job. FIT, seven
barrels OF pork were offered. All but seven
barrels were rejected, for the mess pork h d
been packed win the entire heads. shoulders,
backbones. tails, aud trimmings thrown ia. The
contractor story hid them put up tina way at
his DuIcnering establishmeIt. Another propo-
siton was IN relation to fraudulent certificate
In relation 10 the delivery Of -four, ana any one
who Is familiar with Indian agency affairs will
at once see that It would be impossible To carry
out either Of tue proposed frauds without the
completely ana assistance OF tue Agent, the
Rev. Dexter Il. Clspp.
When u. Grand Jury requested to be dis
charged, rep prting that they had no indictments
to present. Judge Blake ask I'd the clerk OF the
jury Tor IN. minutes of tne testimony when
mad been sworn TO, ana after carefully looking
through the evidence bitterly censured that
body for their gross neglect OF duty, saying that
| person who would NOT be convinced 10y the
evidence which had been presented to them
would not believe II one should rise from the
| dead to testify. He SAID that In acme eases
| there might be honest differences OF opinion,
but IN Others u was Impossible To reconcile the
tctiun Of the jury win an honest discharge Of
their puolic trusts. He further said that IL
would tie the duty Of The next Grand jury to
inquire what means, II any, mad been used to
prevent Jurors from performing their duty
lie ore tue jury was discharged tue District
| Attorney whose efforts To shield the Ring had
called 4 ON preceding Grand Jury merited
Duke, addressed the Court anu said that, as
| United States District Attorney he would re-
qd' 81 that the sworn evidence then In the hands
| ul tue Court should he turned over To hlm for
safu keeping ana further use: but judge Blake,
who by luis time mad discovered the character
| Of the man and his associations. informed tue
| Government prusecutOr that rs the Jury had
| failed 20 do their du he would take full pos
session Uf the evidence for the purpose Of pro-
tecting his own honor. Tue jdry Vas then dis
charged.
lhe public AZ the East will readily see how
| boldly the hing ,An conduct their operations
wnen the Government officer appointed 10
y osecute criminals eDdeRvors instead TO save
| them from punishment, and when Ia w-abiding
citizens IN the ulschaTge Of their functions as
| Grand Jurors get snuObed for reporting the
scandalOus ,nduct Of that officer To MS itnme-
| ditte superior, the Attorney General. | viii
remark here, too, tnst all the facts relating TO
| tue frauds committed at the Crow Agency have
| repeatedly been reported to tho proper authOr-
| ties IN Washington, the result beng such S to
leave the Impression on the MINIS OF citizens
here that tue robbery Of the Indians aud the
! Government is carried on VITA the sanction ana
APP owl Of rsons high In Office.
IL Is Of great importance To toe people OF Mon
tant that the system ~ robbery which has been
| carried on at the Crow Agency since the appoint
ment OF tine Rev Dexter l.. Clapn, SHOULD be
stopped Immediately. We are small ropula-
tiOn, but our lives and property are as valuabio
| tu as IA those of people In more thckly settled
| regions. Nhen the building OF the Nurtht III
| Pacific Raj 70 was undertaken, great many
people in different parts of tue country became
II