The Helena independent., 1894-10-24
So Nose Manuel Knows Something
Of James B HaggIn's Black
Hills Methods
The Tree That Was Moved Into
Court to SwoAr Bailey
Out OF II
A Training School In which witnesses
wsrs Taught How to wear For the
mig Combine

iut bllIludl lotuAoiH VI Aht iA'il'~
stake mine In the Black Hills were Nose
Manuel and Hank Harvey. Associated
with them later were Fred Manuel and
Aleck eng. The Homestnke was located
on April ?. 1876, and the partners worked
Il until 1878, Then they sold the mine
to parties acting for the present Home
stake company, 10 which II was trans
ferred. Nose Manuel ls now a resident
OF Helena. From his acquaintance with
the early life In the Black Hills he
speaks whereof he knows when he tells
OF the methods employed by Jamss Is.
Haggin and his associates In the Ana
conda company 20 gain possession Of
all the valuable claims near the Home
stake. and how they got all the water
In the country. thus shutting out all
other mining ventures. great or small.
Adjoining the Homestnke was the
HomeHthke No, ?, Next to the latter In
a direct line was the Gopher fraction,
and adjoining that was the Terry. The
Gopher fraction adJolned the Ophir,
which ran around TO one side OF the
Terry. on which by mistake, the discov-
cry, big tree, was fixed. I'VE had sold
the Homestake and the Terry, which
had been transferred TO Haggin," says
Mr.. Manuel. "Haggln also had the
Homestake No. 2. Between the latter
and the Terry was the Gopher fraction,
with the Ophir adjoining II was own
ed by n man named Bailey. who had
bought II OF uR. The company wanted
II but the owner wouldn't sell. So the
lIagsin people sent gang OF men out
and dug big trench all around the tree,
which they moved over 10 within the
lines OF the Ophir and outside the lines
OF the Terry. This changed the dis
covery, and when the company took the
case into court they actually dug up the
tree again and took that into the court
room also. They got the ophir and the
Gopher followed. Bailey and those with
him were worried right out OF their
claim and Haggin and his people got
II. Then by the same methods they got
the other adjoining claims, and as they
afterwards took all the water and own
ed all the courts and other officers they
soon had all there was worth having
In the country. When the company
wanted anything the owner had to sell
at Haggin's figures. or lose everything
and get nothing In return. Sam Nc
Masters managed everything for Hag-
gin and his people. McMasters was 10
the Homestake company what Marcus
DAILY is to the Anaconda company
their representative on the ground.
THE next big suit after the Ophir
was that over the Whltewood water
right, and II was that which settled
the ownership OF the Black Hills. We
had water right which came sir
months later than that OF the Boulder
Ditch company. So in order 20 re
turn the water TO the ditch compan,
and not interfere with their rights
We went above them. When we wer,
through using the water there we hat
tried TO sell out for $50 but nobod,
wanted IL. One day an agent OF Hag
gin, who said he had some friends
working a claim who needed the water
offered US $500 for our right. We sol,
out TO him then began the biz
fight over the water. IL cost the Hag
gin people over 100000. but they go
IT, There were over 300 witnesses ant
II took three months 10 examine them
While the big suit was pending tn,
town of Deadwood was burned ou
because there was no water TO stoI
the fire.
1T was generally understood tina
the Haggin people had regula
training school for witnesses. John
ny Flaherty and Angus McMaster
were the trainers. The witnesses wer
taken into the place and put through
a regular drill as to what they were L
swear TO. One OF these witnesses ha
worked for me while we still had tn
Homestake. He afterwards became on
OF the company's trained witnesses o
the water flight. The fact worrie
him so that II set him crazy. He me
me after my return from a trip eas
and told me he had sworn to thing
, that were not true. Afterwards
went on TO a stage station, where h
: nearly choked hostler to death. ii
tore Off all his clothes and bnrefoote
and naked. through the snow, he ra
of into the woods and perished.
There are lots OF others In the Blac
Hills who could substantiate what
, sny, or even tell more. but being ther
where the Haggin company is all pow
. erful, they daren't say anything.
! wouldn't be safe for them II they dit
"As for Sam McMasters, who mar
aged these things for Haggin. the con
, pany offered him sll5 900 when II cam
time ,for n settlement lie wante
Z more and brought suit for II. All IN
fury gave him was sib 000"