The daily gazette., 1878-07-15
Plundering the Indians.
STARTLING EVIDENCE UNEARTH
ED AT CROW CREEK
AGENCY.

THE WORST CASE OF THIEvING, PER
JURY AND FORGERY EVER MADE PUB
Lie IN THE INDIAN sERvICE-rHE
GUILT OF AGENT LIvIN GsToN.
FoRT THOMPSON, July II, via Yank-
ton, ID. r., July li.-Commissioner Hayt
from Washington is visiting the agencies
in this section. To-day he dropped down
on Crow Creek agency, and Inspector
Hammonds sealed book was opened. 1t
revealed fraud and robbery unheard of
on the Missouri river. Last March the
Crow Creek, Lower Brule ,and Cheyeuns
agencies wese all seized by the military.
~ secret investigation into their affairs,
| stlll incomplete, has developed a con-
| splracy between agents and traders That
oven stariles the natives. Dr. Living
ston of Crow creek was taken without
warning, and his office safe captured be-
, fore lie had time to remove the ovidence
of his wealth and guilt
Ihe mountain of testimony still piling
up against the Ring, and Living -ton in
particular, Is simply overwhelming. 1t
beats an an ior III ewing, perjury, and forg-
stolen everything in sight, and prosti-
| tut. u the whole agency machinery to
their private use. Feeding and ciyiliZ-
ing the Indians was a secondary matter.
The aihdavlts, false vouchers, forged pay
rolls, and Ring letters laid before Com
missioner Hayt prove that Livingston
| began his robbery in 1870, when first an.
pointed. Since then he has accumulated
a fortune. Besides his large landed inter
ests he Is part owntr in three silver
mi mes in Nevada.
Livingston and his partls own two cat
Tie ranches, with stock, rations, SC, reg
uiarly supplied from the Crow creek and
cheyenne agencies They were botn
seized by the Government lhey CON
Quoted hotel supplied regularly with
Deei mix, and potatoes from the agency,
anu forced employees to board there
lacy used the agency blacksmith shop
ana materials for private gains. All
the'r private stock were fed at the Gov
erhinent cribs. Livingston sold agency
Woou 10 me STEAMBOATS, and hay to the
Biack HIS wagon train. Crow creek is
the stopping place on the Fort Pierre
, route TO Dealwood. indian annuities
} ana ratlohs were stolen and sold Two
StsalnD boat loads of Indian goods for the
Lower B'ule agency were unloaded nj
Grow creek under the protest of the
steamboat Captain, who insisted thai
they belonged to the Brules. The In
dams put up large quantities of hay and
"oou, anu were paid in their own rations
anu annulties. The Ring would charpe
tue government for this hay and wood
get pad for them and then sell the same
10 steam boats, military posts and bush
Nv -, hoiSb anu theh get PAID second time
ne crops raised on the agency wer,
sold and the proceeds not accounted for
Inc trader would sell the Indian his owl
potatoes. The traders warehouse wa,
Inside OF the stockade and ten feet from
II government warehouse.
IS Inc iormtr was stocked from the lat
p ter. Ofcourse, all the stolen propert,
1 was reported issued to the Indians. Who'll
bands dozen times year had their IA
nons cut off for alleged otlel ces, and tin
d rations not accounted for. There wer.
ratlens and annuities drawn for 800 NOR
Indians than were on the agency.
The money appropriated by Congress
Ie during Livingston's administration 70
the management of the agency, and EN-
ployment and incidentals, amounted t.
Sl7O,O0O Livingston stole all he could
His employees are all very ignorant mel
and any excuse for non-receipt of wage
y was accepted. They were glad to get ra
tions and clothing. The false voucher
already number 150 ranging from $50 t.
= 81 800. One laborer, whose name i
1, Hooker was freely used in fraudulen
~ u vouchers, and was SO badly frightene
- by the Rings that he went into loft an
n. shot himself through the heart. The IL
or stances OF perjuries are too numerous t
er mention. Livingston was an Episcopa
I'd liam appointment. He gave fonts an
stained windows to the chapels.
n This Is only skelton of the worst cas-
s9 81 OF plundering ever made public in til
81 Indian service out West.