The Helena independent., 1894-09-08
Joseph TOusalnt Asks $1,000 Dam.
ages for Losses by Indian
nepredaIions
Yellow Eagle and His Band Stole
His Horses Many Years
Ago.
Famous Old sieux Chief, Rad Thsadsr,
In the Ctr Ysatsrday-restln for
the CiaimsaL


statea and Yanktonais BiouK, before ii. j.
Haskell attorney for the claimant and
OhAs. u. How y. assistant attorney general
Of the United States, and W. II. Robeaon.
assistant attorney for the defendants
Joseph TousaiuL the plaintiff, Ia an old
timor we'll known in certain sections Of the
state. In 1875 band Of horsos belonging
10 him were stolen by th0 Sioux Indians,
aud IN 1879 he Also lost a number Of vAiuA-
BILE horses In tho aAmo manner. He now
seeks 10 recover 1890 from tho govern
mont for the horses stolen 40 long ago. Mr..
Tousaint Ia nov In tho government employ
al Fort Buford hs tsams,er. He arrived
Thursday In company with II. A. Hunt,
clerk Of the Fort Peck Indian agency, and
and Dave Buishia, a halt bie eed; Philip
Alvares, government intsrpEeteTi Henry
Wsidmau. of Popias, and Red Thunder, Of
For, Peck. all Of whom. with the exception
OF Clerk Hunt wore witnesses for the
claimant.
Joseph Tousaint 10 quite q character In
his way. He came 10 the United States
from Canada whom boy aud has had q
the war OF the rebellion as q wagon master.
and in she early days oamo TO Montana.
where he trapped aud hunted for q living.
He 10 a typical pioneer. lie has seen many
an Indian fight aud had many barrow es-
oapes from hostiles IN the mountains aud
on the plains of Montana. Mr. Tousaint
was the 1rst witness examined yesterday.
He told o. his losses ns follows:
"In 1875, about the middle of April
wac wintering in the Snowy moantAins;
waa going TO Camp Cook with load OF
furs that | had on hand, aud ] eamped on
Big Spi ing creek during the niRht The
Indians came and took all my horses away
so then had to 60 10 Caro- TO get team
TO freight my furs away. stopped at Fort
Pock agency 10 see II the Fort Peck Indians
stols nv horses. X. Biedlor came with me
TO Geo II he could recover my horses. Whsn
we got TO Fort Peck we found the horses
there. They were running them around.
The agent was Major Anderson. He prom
ised 20 do all In his powe for me 10 recover
them. l remained there fo' three weeks
and all could get was seven Of the poorest
horses. ! got six Of my own and they
made me present of one small
all could TO recover them
and never cou got them and was at er-
pense all the time. Then in 1879, was on
the Mussoishell or the Boil mountains, at q
place they call Stanley's Crossing. The
Indians came there and took the whole
outht. Then / came 20 Fort Benton, and
from there proceeded 10 Cypress noun
tains. The hostiea were hronnd In that
part Of the county and | went all through
their camp and could find nothing there. 90
cams.down TO Fort Peck agency. When
/ - Ia
as they found out / was coming 10 claim
them they cached them. Major Porter
was the agent Mt that time and no prom
ised 10 do all he could TO recover them for
me. lie called council Of the Indians
and they asked ms there. They told him
that was telling the truth, that the horses
we're mine. bet when IL came 10 giving
them up they did not like IT, no ! 70.
covered altogether six head. leaving abou,
nt -ons heat OF horses anu one mulo that
lost in 1879"
To a question ss TO where he lived in
ls7i-75 Mr. I 1ousaiut replied: II was the
most OF the time hunting and trapping.
making my headquarters a'ound Bozsman.
In Galistin county, 10 the summer time,
and In tho wintes time was In the Judith
Basin. and some OF the time was on the
Musselshell" Tousaint saii that he paid
taiss In 1874 or 1875 in Gallatin county.
His horses cost him from $40 90 $50 pei
mead. Attorney Robinson asked TouaainI
II he hsd ever been naiu aliz d. Hs re-
piled that he had been nstu alizsd BY on
army officer at New Orleans during the
war.
1hsneIt most important witness was
Rcd Thunlrr, n famous old chief OF ths
Sioux. He'd Thunder h,s the typical fsa-
ture Of tue Sioux warrior. IL, hal wan
/ rum in bis cara ind was dressed IN Sioui
costume. Rcd II under was onoe fnmoul
va rio Hp has led his braves against the
Crows and other tribee. but lie IN, thu
rer Of HlwNys hRyine been friendly
towarl the wh,tis. Whom the Sioux took
up arms nHninst the Minnssotn settlera In
th, ehtly go, and massacrcd hundreds oil
them. X q Thruder left bis tribe with n
large bauI OF followers Rad came to Mon
tam. Itn reius'd to join in tho war ga ne,
ilp setlers and wns cont oiled Z,
ave hs home uu that account
liod Thunder Ia very cd. lie cmno
slrak u uorI OF English and all his te.ti.
muu, la To be taksn with tue Hs.ist inoa
o Philip, the interprstrr. llh wnioned
wnh great interest eve ything ih I went
on. When Attorney General HnsSel
pRsaed a'ound big uack OF uit thp old
chlu'a facs broke ont into a b oa grln oi
MIGHTY proportions. H. hslpel himssif
i.ha ally and seemed IN onjov ths eat i'm
mensrly. When IL came HI turn TO testif,
ho sou it'd down into Que OF the great OAK
chn ?, AMI drew up his knroa. assuming
the attltu 10 and gravity of n chief IN coun-
eli. He had large Rnd finely decorated
Sloux pipi and tobacco bag that ho ne yv
~ 20 out ot sight. When Philip Alyarea
propoon ed the first aueation, tho chic
laid hls pipe on tho door un did not pick
il ~ until tie examination wts oy'f.
Ina 4 "A
yerg interesting 10 all present Tho At
torn0y woul put the question 10 tue inter
p g. who 10 turn would stal u in SiOuI
10 The Indian. lie frply wOu u then hi
tur1sd into Eagllsh. Gsn. Howry at
tempted once 10 oross-Fxamini tie ohiof
bus with very uooT succ 49, X q Ihundg
s,iL that be had told tho uth and all h.
knew and he refused 20 answer any ques
tions az TO him on : oss- -ex iminhti1u.
Oa a rect examination X II Ilundof aniS
that ho hHd known Joseph rcu,ainl twantr
rwu ysbr-. He SAN tnal he was NJ For
peck when thu ln1inns brought In lou
sRtnra horses. Yellow Eagle and Tn
Gftet, his two sous, hhd Is en with the part!
OF braves who stole tho horsoa. lhu oil,
Indian hAs remnfkable memorf, for h'
drac iDsd infinitely tho ivo o'sns and
muio b ought 10 him by ha son ihs q asa
He snld they Wers hil FIST horaai, and whei
asked 10 Give M Ind IA dshuilon OF a fas
horse 70 lied; When the Indians &c
whN. they call fast horse he IA = hors'
that when hs ruui can come right up 10 1
buffalo 20 you o,n yet hin. A good horA'
generally aalls for twenty hyo lobss and
common one for zen pr nftoeB." Rs,
Thundst remembered X, BiSlier ne "fh
lame man" An Ia Ian knows moth
inR whategof Of dates, bat the Ole
siouI said that tbs horses we're stolen th Al
yoAfa after he had gone 30 Washington ~
delegate from ha tiiho. lie iurthoT sal,
ihot the Indians al that time " re- IN nams
at ,elst. under government control an,
that the band that stole Tousainia hOrBei
are ali dead,
Ilenry Wsilman. who now ren,dea a
Poplar swOre thAt ho was M Fort Peel
when Tousaint NJ iyod aud claimed hi
horsss. HE testimony eofrohorated tha