The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-06-19
hot AFT[R
TIL RU5TL[R5!
Breaking Up of the Worst
Gang in the State Over
at Oacoma.


Circuit court convened at Oacoma,
Tuesday, with Judge Smith in the
the chair. The term promises to be
more interesting as each day goes
by. Among the criminal cases to
be disposed Of a. this term are:
The state VS.. Claude Eagle Pipe,
Rosebud Indian. who has at present
three charges against him and two
more coming, all grand larceny
horse stealing. State of South Da-
kota VS.. Henry Pipe, against whom
two larceny charges have been fled.
State of South Dakota VS.. William
Black Bull, who has two charges
against him. The State VS..
Moses Good-voice, charged with
stealing horses and against whom
three charges have been fled. There
are several more charges to be filed
against each Of the named defend
ants. Alfred Nelson was also I'M
plicated in horse stealing and
warrant issued for his arrest, but he
has left the country. Two other
men who were wanted at this term
are also missing.
Perhaps the most sensational
event during this entire term will
be the introduction as evidence the
sworn confessions of each of the
above named defendants. The most
striking part of this feature is that
the confessions were obtained in a
very short space Of time by Detec-
tive G. H. Wilkie from these prs-
oners who were then scattered many
miles from each other, each confess
sion corroborating the other in
dates. instances, etc. The facts
they bring out reveal situations
people on this side of the river new
er dreamed exist. One is the reign
OF the "Circle Society,"" which, by
the way, is supposed to still be in ex
istence. It's influence and scope
will perhaps never be known. Men
were required to take an oath of
secrecy and loyalty and in some in
stances ranchmen would join 1T to
protect themselves. One prisoner,
who is a member Of it, says he was
forced to join it because of threats
against his life if he did not. His
descriptions then of the workings of
the gang, while highly sensational,
are convincing. He also reveals
that the nearest point of the ''cir-
cle' was at the ranch of a promin-
ent stockman about eighty five miles
west Of Oacoma, and describes gra-
phically how the work was done.
One man would steal horse and
drive it immediatly to the nearest
"point" in the Circle Here the
brand would be worked over and
the animal rushed on to the next
"noint" and sold by him for small
sum, giving at the same time bill Of
sale for it. The next man would
hurry it on to the next ranch and
'sell' it for a sum a little larger
than the first, and so on to be Fl.
nally disposed of to some innocen,
purchaser for what it was worth,
The money was after wards divided
proportionately. II an official should
soon after the theft trace the ami
NAL for it's original owner down te
the ranch where the brand was
worked" the "circle" man would
say that an Indian, naming him
had brought the horse to him tt
| sell it. The officer going next tt
! this Indian would be met with thu
statement that he obtained the horse
| from another Indian, and, upon 90
ing finally to the last named Indiar
this man would claim that it wa.
brought to his place after dark ane
left there and he could not tell VIII,
it was. Thus, the officer would. b,
thrown off the trail and with prac
tically nothing further obtaiDabl
would go away disguised.
Other confessors tell of furthe
revolving acts. Frequently wher
hard pressed by the owners or off
Gals they would shoot the horses
i and then cut off the ears of the ami
: mails and cut out the brand. Fran
| McCusky, a ranchman near Battl
. crack, and for whom the thieye
have bitter hatred, has lost seve
: head within the last few weeks
His pet race horse, "Slim Neck