Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1904-07-21
TOO MUCH CRAFT
UP At BoNEsTEEl
Town Has Suffered a Severe
Disappointment in Its
Share Of Crowds.
Correspondent Recently in the Rosebud
Gateway Town Tolls Something
About the Actual Conditions
There.

Sioux CITY Tribune
What's the matter with Bonestcel?
A correspondent who was recently IN
Bonesteel is able 20 answer the question
with authority.
There Is a great deal the matter with
Bonesteel. md 1t is largely too much
graft"
Bonesteel is disappointed. 1t expected
to draw the largest crowds during the
registration. and yet Yankton is beating
1t daily. This Notwithstanding the fact
that Bonesteel 10 on the edge OF the res
a personal investigation OF the reservation
may be made.
The tented city has a large population.
the large majority In the graft business.
What's our graft?'' Ia a common salu-
tatfor on the STREETS of Homestead.
IT," trustees OF Homestead made an ar
ranEement with a firm OF gamblers. for
which the gamblers paid them 800 a day.
Magner 4 Stanton are the head of this
fr'r. Wagner Is ono OF the squarcst gam
gIevs In the business. as gamblers go, but
he has been unable to cope with the stu
atton The trustees. anxious to make as
much money as possible. failed to provide
sdequate police protection. They have
employed two good men. assisted by a
force of locals so green that the Bonesteel
cows have an Irresistible inclination to
n'bblc at them at they pass.
Bad Crowd in Control.
The result is that the town ID absolutely
In tho hands OF grafters. thieves and
thugs. Some OF the best men" In the
country are at Bonesteel. daily plying
their trade. II all the well known GRIM
inals who are unblushingly in evidence at
Bonesteel were to be arrested the result
would be a small fortune In rewards. The
gamblers and grafters realize they can
mt RnlU nm thn s~r~Ao~So. - A. --na-- g.
their own interests. Each one that has
any money interests at stake has provid-
ed an arsenal OF his own. and WOO to the
man who would attempt to rob these
'~.joints."
To minimlse what little police protection
IL oforded. the gamblers and grafters
have i~naugurated a policy OF intimida-
former Sioux City police detective, in
CURED the enmity OF the gar because
he was supposed to hav tipped on some
OF them. He was waylaid In broad day.
light and knocked down. kicked and bru-
tally beaten into insensibility. AZ soon
az he recovered he left town. Nothing
was done about the matter. which was
accepted az Q matter OF course.
There II hardly a square gambling
game In the town. Everything II a brace
game. For several days the street was
filled with nat Joints In which none but
the booster and the 'capper" can win.
These became 30 fragrant that they were
finally taken on.
The Various "con" Games.
Confidence games are IN full swing.
The Reuben with q roll has about one
chance In Ion OF 9et&ing out With IT,. One
OF the favorite games 10 ''progression."
In this game tho stakes are constantly
doubled until the outsider has reached his
limit. n the none Is then taken in and
the man elbowed out Of the crowd.
Touches" Of all sorts are pulled on daily,
and the telegraph office at Bonesteel 10
crowded with people wiring home for
money. man OF them with a ICON" man
At tho elbow. urging haste.
The fraternal order dodge 10 being
worked to = inish. Men are here who are
possessed OF the grips and passwords Of
the different orders. When a promising
subject arrives In tow he II given the
grip and the high sign of distress. and be-
foro he learns what II being done with
him no II relieved Of his coin. A gang
Of pickpockets. four in number. from
Omaha. has been working the town ever
since The opening and do 10 with the ut.
most impunity. People are safe in com.
ing to Bonesteel II they are cautious, but
for the sake Of the green ones II IL up
to the people Of Bonesteel TO do some
thlng.