The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-16
TOLD OF THE TRIPLE
LYNCHING.
STATE NOW HAS NO CASE.
THE TWO REMAINING PRISONERS
CANNOT BE PUNISHED BY
THE LAW,
MORE SUDDEN DEATHS PROBABLE.
Feeling Bitter Against the Spicer
Suspects Who Are Still in Jail
at Bismarck.

BISMARCK, n. D., Nov. 15.-Frank
Black Hawk and George Defender were
informed this morning Of the fate that
had befallen the three men, who are
alleged to have been concerned with
them in the murder of the Spicer fam
lily. Both Of the men have realized
since their arrest that they were in
danger of lynching at the hands Of
enraged residents of Emmons county,
and both of them have felt far safer
since their removal from the Jail in
Emmons county.
Black Hawk is negro half breed of
huge stature and coarse, heavy feat
ures, and he stated at the preliminary
examination for murder that, if the
authorities hanged him, they would
have to provide an extraordinary
heavy rope. But when he was informed
by the sheriff, under whose custody he
was, that Coudot, Holy Track and Ire
land had been taken from the Jail and
lynched, he paled even beneath mis-
dark skin and showed visible evidences
Of nervousness and fear. The news
was a shock to him, and he was eager
to know if there was any possibility
of mob attempting to break into the
jail after him.
George Defender, who is a full-blood-
ed Indian, is a stole, so far as con-
cealing his feelings is concerned and
he received the news with a grunt,
apparently unconcerned and careless
as to whether there was any danger
of his meeting the same fate or not.
An extra guard protected the Jail in
this city last night, lest an attempt be
made to reach the two men who are
confined there, but there was no In
dication of trouble through the night.
An interesting legal aspect is pre-
scented by the execution of the two
men, Holy Track and Ireland. They
were states witnesses. and, without
their testimony, the state has no case
against the other two men, the sur
vfvors of the five murderers There is,
therefore, now no possibility of con-
victing them before any tribunal, for
the reason that the states witnesses,
the self-cOnfessed accomplices of the
murder, are dead. At the coming term
of court, when the two men are ar
raigned for trial, they must be dis
missed
The feeling against Black Hawk has
been intensified by the report that
Coudot confessed before his hanging
that Black Hawk and Defender We're
concerned in the crime. 1t has been
the opinion of a large number of peo-
pie in Emmons county that Black
Hawk was the instigatOr of the crime,
and if he is discharged it is predicted
that, unless he has an escort out of
the country he will share the fate Of
his comrades in crime.
Defender, the other survivor, has
consumption, and it is predicted that,
in the natural course Of events, he can
not live year.
Further particulars of the affair may
disclose some action that can be taken,
but nothing has been done so far. The
authorities at Fort Yates and the In
dian authorities at Standing Rock
were not aware of the lynching until
last night. Two Of the men lynched
were wards of the government, and
their lynching may bring about some
action by the government to discover
by whom they were lynched