The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1892-02-26
Few Tails And Lieut.. casey.;

The ninth annual report ofssthes execu-
tive committee OF the Indian Rights as
soclation contains some interesting in
formation on the arder OF the Indian
Few Tails and Lieutenant Casey. The
following is clipped from the report:
The murder Of Few Tails, which was
peculiarly brutal and atrocious, was
committed with elaboration by white
men, more than one ofwhomh had served,
as we are credibly informed, a term in
the %penltentiary for crime. Few Tails
was a peaceable andinoffensive man. and
as such vas well known in the commun-
lty. Few Tails fell dead at the first fire,
but his wife, although wounded, sue
ceeded in making her escape on horse
back with u nursing child in her arms.
The Indians were pursued by the white
men and repeatedly fired at by them
while endeavoring to effect their escape.
Referring to the trial OF Plenty Horses
for the murder OF Lieutenant Casey, the
same report says:
The murder was undoubtedly a most
cowardly and treacherous act. forPlcnty
Horses had just had an apparently
friendly talk with Lieutenant Casey
after the latter had turned from him
and was riding back to camp. The trial
resulted in the acquital of the accused,
based on the ruling OF the Judge that
the act by which Lieutenant Casey lost
| MS life was committed during Estate OF
war. Under these circumstances the
jury had no choice but to present a ver-
dict OF not guilty. We frankly express
regret that the law permitted no penalty
to be inflicted upon Plenty Horses, both
for his good, and that OF the COM
munity.
In this connection the Chicago Tribune
OF last Saturday has an interesting
Chamberlain special on cattle rustling
in Western South Dakota, which dealt
especially with the history OF the ''Cul-
bertson gang" pretty we'll known i'll this
part OF the country. There were four
brothers, Andrew, Hanson, Nelson and
August jr. all OF whom we're inclined to
do wrong from childhood up. They
entered the Niobrara valley after the
notorious '::Doc Middleton had been
forced out OF that field. While there,
Andrew and Hansen were captured by
the vigilantes and when preparations
we're being made to hang the former,
who was the biggest coward Of the four,
he pleaded piteously for his life, promIs-
ing ifspared to "squeal' on his pards,
which he did duplicating Wcatherwax,
Hoyt, old man Wade, his brothers, kid"
Wade and other suspected thieves. An
drew was then turned over t the au-
thorities who gave him eight years in the
pemtentiary. Hanson the other broth
er was found a few days afterwards
hanging to a tree, with his body riddled
with bullets and his legs eaten off by
coyotes. Weatherwax and old man
Wade, were soon after shot to death and
Hoyt hung. "Kid" Wade, the most
daring OF the band, was taken from the
custody Of the sheriff and hung to a tel
egraph pole. In concluding the Tribune's
correspondent says:
Andrew Culbertson, after serving his
term in the Nebraika P%enitentary, wan
dered west to the Black Hills country,
and the next heard OF him and his BROTH
er August, who had in the meantime
joined him, was last winter during the
closing days OF the Indian trouble at
Pine Ridge age-cy. 1t will still readily
he remembered that an Indian named
Few Tails, who with two or three MEN,
bers OF his family were returning from
a hunting trip in that section, were fired
upon by white men in Meade county
last January, the old indian being one OF
ttfffese -whe we're killed By tile bullets of
the murderers. The Culbertson boys
practically admitted the killing.