New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1903-09-09
ROASTED CHILD 10 DEATH
Brutal Negro Boasts Of Cruelty
During Massacre.
Was With Little Crows Band ii
New Ulm Attack.
Joe Godfrey Has Never Ventured
From Santee, Reservations.

+ Yes Joe Godfrey is alive and living
on his farm or land on the Santee In
dian reserv alton, = remarked one of the
young Santee agency Indians who are
in the city to reporter for the Argus
Leader this afternoon.
"He was married to his second wife,
a girl about seventeen years old, afeW
months ago, his first wife having died
a year or two since"
Joe Godfrey is the negro who was
with the Santee Indians at the New
Ulm, Mimi, and the Spirit Lake, Ia,
massacre, almost a half century since,
and he is now about seventy years of
age. He returned to the reservation
after the war expedition of the Santees
with those Indians and married a
Esquaw, thereby becoming ward of the
government, or rather living off the
rations and annuities issued by the
government to his dusky spouse.
Men who know of Godfrey IS residence
on the reservation have often specu-
lated as to why he has been permitted
to exist at that point. He has never
left the reservation since he took up his
residence there and the reason given
for that is that he was afraid of being
killed by some of the white people who
reside near the reserv alton for his par
ticipation in the massacres mentioned
above.
It has been stated that two or three
men went from Minnesota to Spring
field many years ago and took up their
residence for the very purpose of kill
ing this negro at the first opportunity
when he was off the reserve and that he
has never Jared trust HIMSELF Spring.
field nor any other community of white
people.
1t is stated upon good authority that
Godfrey has frequently related at In
dian pow vows and councils on the
Santee reserve the part which he took
in the New Ulm mass acre and he seems
to have enjoyed what he did at that
time
One feature of his narrative is a
statement to the effect that he killed a
white man and woman and then took
their infant child, placed it in huge
sheet iron pan and then placed the pan
in the oven of the stove and roasted it
to death. ~e@ (
This story he told at the last time at
| an Indian feast at the Santee about
eleven years ago. Today he owns a
fine farm at Santee and his wife is a
young Indian woman. A number Of
the Indians who took part in the New
Ulm affair were hung for their crime
but Godfrey who seems to have been
the arch fend escaped and has lived
off the government ever since. His
hair is gray now, but whathehas done
is still fresh in the minds Of many PEG.
ple.-Sioux Falls Argus-Leader.
"Joe Godfrey is we'll remembered
here" said Judge S. A. George, of the
probate court, to Review reporter
Gin the early days he resided between
New Ulm and the lower agency anG
his frequent visits to this city made
him a familiar figure. He was {
medium-sized negro and there is little
doubt but that he practised atrocious
cruelties during the massacre. He
made partial paration for his bruta
acts, however, by exposing his former
comrades-in-arms after their capture
by the government forces. He was one
of theprosecution's strongest witnesses
and it was largely upon his testimony
that the thirty-eight Sioux Indian:
were convicted and hanged at Man
kato."
4 Issf raarre fl1o Ell;of