Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1878-05-07
THE WORST CASE OF ALL
Is the Seizure Of Sias00 Worth Of Private
Property h Crow Creek.

The Trading Store and stock OFF. E. llM.l.
sou Taken Out Of His Hands and
Placed Under Military Guard.
In all the operations of Gen. Hammond
in the upper country there is probably no
more fagrant case Of injustice to an honest
man than the seizure of the goods and build
ings of E. E. Hudson, Indian trader at
Grow Creek agency. 1t could not possibly
be charged against him that he was defraud-
ing the government, because he had no
business I, transactions with the government.
1t could not be charged that he was defraud-
ing the Indians, because he was among them
simply in the capacity of merchant and
they could buy from or sell to him, or not,
as they saw fit. But Mr.. Hudson was
friend Of the agent-he might have been in
the way Of other men who want to establish
trading stores at Crow Creek-he was oh.
noxious to Hammond. This is the only
deduction to be drawn from the case. Look
ing at the subject in the light of all the in
formation obtainable, it seems to us that
Hammond thought he saw an opportunity
to not only drive Mr.. Hudson out of the
Indian country but t, ruin him financially
by the contiscation of his property. For a
number of years Mr.. Hudson was manager
of the trading business of Maj. Dewitt, at
Grow Greek, with, We believe, part interest.
Last summer he bought the business and
goods and continued, up to the let of JAN
uary, to trade under the license of FL.
Dewitt & Co. On the lat of January this
license expired. Mr.. Hudson made due
application for license in his own name
and received information that his applica-
ton had been received at Washington and
that decision was pending. With his ap-
plication he filed a bond in the sum of $1O,-
600. Pending action on his application he
applied for and received written permission
from the agent to continue in business as
trader at Grow Creek agency. This was the
situation of affairs on the 22d day of March,
when the agency was seized by the military.
There is law prohibiting persons from
trading on Indian reservations without
licensed permission from the government.
Hudson's presence might, therefore, be con-
strued into technical violation of this law,
although it was know at Washington that
he was there by permission of competent au-
thority, and that decision on his license ap-
plication was the thing he was waiting for.
Upon the chances Of being sustained in
the forfeiture of Mr. Hudson's goods, the
seizure was made and up to this time he has
had no access to property which is his by
the clearest title ever possessed by man.
United States bayonets stand between him
and his worldly possessions, and all this in
the name of REFORM" word which is be-
ginning to smell more rank than corruption
itself in the nostrils of honest men. The
property taken consists of
Merchandise, worth. SO, 500
Buildings. ........................ 1000
Hides, 3 600
Total. .........................S Sl3.5OO
1t was peremptorily selzed by military
force and its owner is permitted to visit it
only in the company Of an officer or a SOL
dier. The warehouse containing the hides
was broken open by the military and pos
session secured withou. Mr.. Hudson's knowl-
edge. As these hides are liable to speedy
decay unless cared for, Mr.. Hudson made
application to the military agent for per-
mission to remove them, offering to give sc.
curity for their value, but his application
was refused and this $4,000 worth of prop
erty is in a fair way to become worthless
before the matter is settled.
These are in brief the facts in the case of
Mr.. Hudson. All the circumstances con-
nected with it go to show that it is an exhi-
bition Of petty spite for which there is no
excuse. Mr.. Hudson was upon the reserva-
ton not as an intruder but by right which
the courts will hold to be sufficient under
all the circumstances connected with the
case. He has engaged in no illegal traffic
and has fully complied with the spirit of the
law framed for the government of the In
dian country. 1t may be that there are op-
portunities for gain which induce inform.
ers to take desperate chances for the sake Of
possible profit. 1t may be that there are
not. We have not the opportunity to. day
to look up the legal provisions upon this
point. But it would seem that there il some
hidden cause for proceedings of this nature
some cause beyond mere desire to purge
he service.
's soUR GIRLS.''