Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-24
COURT OF INDIAN oFrESsEs.
A Novel scene In the Halle OF Justice OF the
Lower BrulesA

Lower Braies.
1af TaRrK pleNIFIkD ,usTicfs-A TRIAL fox
sHow-A QUEER WAT OF CONDUCTING BrsI-
NEss-EAcH JUSTICE TAKING A HAND WITHOUT
coNsuLTArIoS-oSR TRIAL TOO MANI.
STAFF Correspondents Of The Evening Star.
FoRr KEoeH, MoSr., August 8. 1891.
Tho Supreme Court Of the United States is a
potent, grave and reverend body. possessing
the esteem of every lsw-abiding citizen and
compelling the respect Of those Who cannot
thus be characterized, but not even that ave-
inspiring array of Judicial features. silk gowns
and Fuller mustache has 90 represeive an
effect on boisterously inclined humanity as
has the eminent il aboriginal trio known
at Lower Brule Agency a. the court
OF Indian offenses. There is no lest In
that statement: il is an incontrovertible
fact The United States Supreme Court
was never one.half so jealous OF it's preroga-
uves, SO careful of its dignity nor so prompt
TO enforce its rulings as are the three Lower
Bruie judges who watch over the morals OF
about u thousand Of their fellow beings in the
southeastern corner OF South Dakota Native
dignity must ALWAYS be more imposing than
the acquired and.civilized article. The general
influence OF this Indian Judiciary is decidedly
surprising. Judge Miller may measure out
Justice at 9th and ID streets for many wears to
come, but he will never secure such perfect
courtroom discipline as is common among the
Missouri river Sioux.
, Ordinarily the presence OF white people at
the session OF an Indian court is discouraged,
out when intimated NV desire 10 attend there
was pleasing unanimity of consent on the part
OF tie Judges, followed almost immediately by
a voluntary oner to postpone proceedings 10
an hour which would be more convenient for
me than the customary time.
HUNTING FOR VICTIM.
1t was after 4 O'Clock pm. when I returned
70 the agency, but instead Of finding the court
In an impatient mood because of my unavoila-
bic hardness there was every appearance of
satisfaction on account of the DELAY. For nearly
an hour there was much agitation around the
agency and numerous policemen were actively
engaged IN hunting through the neighboring
camps; then i uncovered the fact that the
docket was clean and learned that the court
was seeking some ore who would be a suitable
SUBJECT TO experiment upon. After little
more waiting official information arrived to the
effect that victim had been found and the
the agents offce-a plain and in nowise attrac-
tive apartment
A FULL BENCH
The bench was full, by which mean that all
three judges were present Each occupied a
separate and distinct chair and each looked as
though the eyes OF Europe. Asia, Africa and
America were fixed on him alone Let me
sketch them: On the right was Chief Justice
Big Name, one Of the brainest Indians in the
Sioux nation. The old gentleman was both
cieanly and imposing in his appear
the greater portion of his superficial
area, its tails reaching to those portions
OF weii-brushed pair of blue cloth trousers
which encircled his calves. Around his gray
head the chief justice wore a green handker-
chief that was ample in size and brilliant
enough in hue to do duty as a home rule ban
ner ON the 18th day Of any March. His honor's
vlsaSe was clean shayen, or plucLed, as the
case might be, and in a general way he was de-
cldedly prePossessing. At the chief Justices
left hand was Associate Justice John De Sonnet,
who, like the rest OF the trio is strong in
tribal councils, but who, unlike his fel-
lows, has decidedly Gallo cast OF
counsenance. Judge DE Sonnet had much of
the clerical In his makeup. but mustache aud
chin whiskers looked decidedly Frenchy. His
hair was unbrclenly black, his black alpaca
coat was jet-like, his dark trowsers were in ac-
cord with the other articles of attire and so
was startlingly white shirt; that is, startlingy
white for Indian wear. The third member Of
the court-Eagle Star-was on the left OF the
Judicial line. He looked cool in a white coat
until he unbuttoned the garment and showed
that beneath it was a heavy dark vest. Brown
and black str PED ''trousaioons" incased his
undoubtedly brown and black legs. white
shirt, cut high In the neck, and a glaringly red
handkerchief in place of a collar came near
completing Eagle Stars costume. As to the
wearing Of moccasins there WAS no dissenting
opinion.
A couple Of pairs OF feet shuff1ed softly over
the floor; man and a woman sat down on a
bench near the chief justice; half a dozen
pohcemen occupied chairs facing the bench;
every man took off his hat the door was shut;
the court was open.
THE UNWILLING PROSECUTING WITNESS
Judging from appearances the average OBJ
server would have concluded that the woman
referred to was the prisoner, butt soon became
evident that she was the prosecuting witness;
unwilling and shamefaced for some reason, but
nevertheless the prosecuting witness. Not un-
pleasant looking was this woman, who was prob
ably about thirty-five years of age, but there
seemed to be no good and sufficient reason for
law breaking on her account The invariable
dark print dress was her apparent garb, topped
on with the rarely absent red and green shawl
THE DEFENDANT.
Alongside the lady, who was the matrimonial
partner Of gentleman whose godfathers and
godmotbers had dubbed him Slow Gourd. was
the man who had, in company with the woman
described, been escorted into court by the DO
lice. He was the defendant known to his
white acquaintances and to the agency ration
rOus aS 1rdss LOOge- MI. Lodge (whO. by
the way, disclaims even distant relationship
with the Lodges OF Massachusetts without
mentioning the Masonic and other lodges which
abound all over the country was a fine-look-
ing fellow. Cotton shirt and trousers doth of
them surprisingly white, dark vest, blue and
white poika-dotted necktie and beaded mocca-
sins were the main features in his costume; by
no means the sort Of a lodge you would expect
to find in vast wilderness like the lower
Brule reservation.
THE CRIME
It was some time before / could secure any
definite information as to the nature of Mr..
Lodges crime, but the charge finally simmered
down into one which, if upheld by the District
''mashers unreasonable woe. The accusation,
MIR. Lodge having, it was alleged, paid court to
the wife of Slow Gourd. Mr.. Lodge was a mar
ried man and Mrs Gourd a married woman.
Mr.. Lodges advances were therefore without
warrant of law and most reprehensible, proper
material for consideration in the court Of In
dian offenses
tride Of whispering was all that fractured
the silence while VIC waitedfor the court topro-
coed Chief Justice Big Name spoke-address-
ing himself to the woman-and then even the
whispers stopped.
'.oland up, said the chief justice. and as he
said it in the Dakota tongue (the only language
of the COURT the woman arose.
With a solemnity that can never be reached
even by such conscientious and sober-minded
men as Clerk Williams of the Criminal Court or
Clerk Potts of the Police Court the chief Justice
administered the oath, adding to the formula