The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1878-09-07
BOLD AND DARING FRAUDS.
A PiOus Thief Exposed.

NEW YORK. July l5.-The Suns
Fort Thompson special says. Com
missioner Hoyt from Washington is
visiting agencies in this section, To-
day he dropped down on the Crow
Creek agency and Inspector Ham
mond's sealed book was opened. 1t
revealed fraud and robbery unheard
of on the Missouri river. A secret in
vestigation, still incomplete, has de-
veloped a conspiracy between the
agents and traders that even startes
the natives. DIR. Livingston, of the
Crow Greek agency was taken with
out warning and his Office captured
before he had time to remove the evil
dence of his wealth and guilt. i he
mountain of testimony is still pilling
up against the ring and Livingston in
particular, is overwhelming. 1t beats
all for thieving, perjury and forgery.
The details show that they have stol-
en- everything in sight and prostitut-
ed the whole agency machinery to
their private use; feeding and civiliz-
ing the Indians was secondary mat
ter. Affidavits. false vouchers, forged
pay rolls and ring letters laid before
Commissioner Hoyt prove that Liv-
ingston began his robberies in 1870,
when he was first appointed. Since
then he has accumulated fortune.
Besides his large landed interest he is
part owner in three silver mines in
Nevada. Livingston and partners
own two cattle ranches with stock,
rations, etc., regularly supplied from
Crow Creek and Cheyenne agencies.
They conducted hotel aud supplied
it regularly with beef, milk and po-
tatoes from the agency, and forced
the employees to board there, They
used the agency blacksmith shop and
material for private use, and stock
were fed from government cribs.
Livingston sold agency wood to steam
boats, and hay to Black Hills wagon
trains. Crow Creek is a stopping
place on the Fort Pierre route to
Dead wood. Indian annuities and ra-
tons were stolen and sold. Two
steam loads of goods for the Lower
Brule agency were unloaded at Grow
Creek under protest of the steamboat
Captain. who insisted that they be-
longed to the Brules. The Indians
put up large quantities of hay and
wood and were paid in their own ra-
tons and annuities. The ring would
charge tn government for this hay
and wood, get paid for them and
then sell the same to steamboats,,
military posts and bush. whackers,
thus get paid second time. The
crops raised on the agency were sold
and not accounted for, and the trader
would sell the Indians their own po-
tatoes. The traders warehouse was
inside of the stOckade and within ten
feet of the government warehouse.
The former was stocked from the lat
ter. OF course. all stolen property
was reported issued to the Indians.
Whole bands dozen times a year
had their rations not accounted for.
There were rations and annuities
drawn for 800 more Indians than were
on the agency. Money appropriated
BY Congress during Livingstod's al.
ministrstion for the management oil
the agency and ineidentals amounted
to $4,000, Livingston stole all he
could. His employees were all very
ignorant and any excuse for the non
receipt oil wagons was accepted. They
were glad to get rations and clothing.
False vouchers number $50, ranging
from 500 to 81 800. One laborer nam
ed Hooker, whose name was freely
used in fraudulent vouchers, was sc
badly frightened by the ring that he
went into loft and shot himself
through the heart. Instances of per.
Juries are too numerous to mention
Livingston was an Episcopalian APP.
posntment. lie gave fronts and
stained windows to chapels. This il
only skeleton of the worst case
OF plnndering ever made in the Indi
an service out West.