Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1898-02-25
Last But One Of the spicer Murder
Suspects 10 Dead on the Reserva-
ton at Yates.
Defender Dies at His Home from
Consumption from Which He Has
Suffered Some Time.
Black Hawk is the Only One Of til.
Five Suspects Now Living, and
Still at Yates.
Indians Dying and Dead.

One Indian is reported dying on the
Standing Rock reservation, one, of them
the most famous chief in the Sioux tribe
at present, and another is dead-one
suspected Of the completely in the most
awful murder that ever disgraced the
history of any nation of Indians. John
Grass, the we'll known Indian orator,
is at the point of death from pneumonia,
having been ill for several weeks. Now
that Sitting Bull, Gall, and other lead
ers of the tribe are dead, Grass stands
out as the most conspicuous Indian on
the reservation, in point of character
and mental attalnments. He was one
of the chieftains at the time of the Sioux
massacre of the Custer command, and
has been on the reservation since the
surrender of the tribe, and their trans
portation to Standing Rock. At present
he is a mar perhaps so years of age,
erect, good looking, intelligent, and in
clined to heshiness, a popularity of
many of the older Indians. He is chief
justice of the Sioux tribe, and their
orator or all state occasions. The last
speech made by him in public was in
course of the Mandan fair when he ad-
dressed.a concourse of several thousand
through an interpreter, making a speech
which would have done credit in senti-
ment and expression to many white
speakers.
The other Indian dead is George De-
fender, imprisoned for a long time for
suspected completely in the Spicer
murder, and finally discharged after
the lynching of the three Indians, two
of whom were the only witnesses against
him. He was tried for the murder and
the jury disagreed, standing eleven for
conviction and one for acquittal. He
was then ordered confined in the Bis
marck Jail to await a new trial, which
was prevented by the lynching of 'the
witnesses. Defender suffered from con-
sumption, and was painfully emaciated
when discharged. 1t was then pre-
dicted he would not live a year. He
leaves a wife and family.
The Winona Times says of the death
of Defender: "George Defender, one of
the Indians accused of the murder of
the Sp;cer family, died at his home
south of Fort Yates, on the Standing
Rock Indian reservation, last Saturday,
of consumption. His death was no sur
prise as he had been gradually failing
for the past year. 1t is said by those
who we're present prior to his death,
that in their opinion, something was
bearing heavily on his mind. But he
would reveal nothing to anyone except
apriest to whom he made a lengthy con-
fession. Defender was a married man
and always bore a good reputation on
the reservation, never having been
charged with any crime until the Spicer
MURDER
The death of Defender leaves only one
of the five persons accused of the Spicer
murder now alive, Frank Black Hawk,
who was discharged the same time as
Defender, and who was believed to be
the most guilty of the five. and the lead
ing spirit iii promotion of the murder.
The best appetizer and regulator of
the digestive organs is DR.. Siegert's
Angostura Bitters. Try it, but be sure
you get the genuine.
Educate Your Bowels With Cascarets..