The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-01-08
REAL ANIMUS OF ATTACKS
E. H. Becker Explains How a Gang Of Character
Assassins Caused His Removal as
Crow Indian Agent.

For several months past the Hell
ena Herald has been making a bitter
personal campaign against the mana
ger of this newspaper, alleging that
during my brief term as United States
Indian agent at the Crow Agency 1
defrauded the government out of GER
tain sums of money.
I have paid but little attention to
these charges up to this time, being
willing to allow the records of the
treasury department. at Washington
speak as to whether or not the accusa-
lions Of the Helena Herald, made at
the instance of one E. L. Boardman,
are true or false. But in view of the
fact that the charge has been repeated
ly made I now here pronounce the
statements of the Helena Herald false
in every particular when it charges
that the writer defrauded the govern
ment out of any sum of money be-
longing to the interior department., or
any other department of the govern
ment. ~
Few people are familiar with the
details and the real causes Of my re-
moval as agent for the Grow Indians
within a year from the time / had
been installed il that position. My
removal was brought about by reason
of the fact that l did not meet the
demands of certain mercantile inter-
ests on the Grow Indian reservation
and the further fact that local politi-
cal influence and. perjured testimony
overshadowed any prestige that ]
could WELD at the time to secure fair
ness in the Investigation.
g. g. The charges against me as Indian
agent were of a trumped up character
and the alleged testimony taken in
secret at Billings, where the damnable
plot was Matched, has no equal in the
annals of star chamber proceedings for
reckless disregard for the truth and
deep laid plans at character assassi.
nation. At all these dirty and dam
nable midnight sessions at character
assassination, there was always pres
ent among others, whose names are al
present withheld, one E. L. Board
man, now active on the staff of the
Helena Herald, and then managing
the paper which I owned and had LEFT
temporarily to become an India1
agent. It was not only the purpose o.
these men to secure my removal al
Indian agent by holding out induce
ments for men to make false affdavit'
against me in the city Of Billings, al
counter afidavits now in my posses
sion show, but they deliberatel,
planned to hoodwink, brow-beat ant
defraud me out of my newspaper prop
erty. Failing to secure the latte
they offered to compromise and de
clare a political truce by %cancelling
lease of the Gazette newspaper plant
made between A. L.. Babcock am
myself. This lease in question wa
cancelled. Boardman left the tow
suddenly with the boast on his lip
that he proposed to go into a schem
with certain other men for the con
troll of the Helena Herald and tina
unless the republican party put u
the money to carry out these plans tn
J scheme would be manipulate
through democrats and the Heral
used to aid in the success Of the demo
cratic ticket in the state campaign.
E. L. Boardman, who is behind a.
the attacks made upon me throug
the columns of the Helena Herald,
a man who was taken out OF the gu
ter by me several years ago. He We
given every opportunity to make