The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1906-12-13


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Sturg.s. <. d.. Dec. t..-Prcs.dent Roose-
welt can md plenty anu sincere backing In
his attitude against the colored troops In
this town and In Valentine. Neb.. both OF
which places havc been shot up by
members OF the Twenty-nfth infantry.
which has finally exceeded tho lint at
Brownsville. Tex. :
Both here and at Valentine murders
were committed IN the most wanton man
ncr and az the latter place the guilty men.
although seen To leave the scene OF the
Grim. wpse never caught because for fear
of thcif'bwn lives and OF the ''stlck-io-
gether" policy OF the colored men. wit
nessc~ could not be found who would tes-
tify To- tho truth. AZ Sturgis. September
25-2t. lSS5. the raiders were under command
OF one OF their number. but at Valentine
Just after their return from the Philip
pines. October y. lyot. the affair was OF a
more clandestine nature.
From an account of the SturgiS raid. In
q local newspaper. the following u taken:
Terrorixed Town; Killed One.
Last Saturday night n crowd of color
ed soldiers from Fort Meade. members
Of Company II. Twenty-ffth infantry.
marched up the main street OF sturgis. I'm
crty OF the United States and under COM
mand OF one OF their number. fired up
wards OF fifty shots into various buildings.
They killed one man. an inoffensive cow
boy who was looking out OF window.
This crowd OF murderous men arrived
about 2 In the morning. They had cacap-
ed sentry. guard and patrol and taken
their guns from the barracks. with which
10 commit this crime OF murder. They
NsA.
cision and nj the command given by John
Taylor. In command OF the squad. came
co a halt In front Of Hlll's place. Taylor
gave the order TO IRE and the place was
riddled with bullets. After this these de-
tenders OF our country fired several more
voileys at random, Judge Ash experience
tng n narrow escape as he was looking out
OF his window. Whenever n citizen show
ed himself these men fired and hut for the
poor markmanship OF the mob there
would have been more deaths. The whole
town was terrorized and At the mercy
OF the raiders
Four Sent Up for Life.
The newspaper relates that troops from
the fort scattered the mob. that a cor
oner's inquest on the body OF Robert 4.
Bell the murdered man resulted In identi-
Tying Evans, Watson. Greer and Taylor.
A later Issue rays the four men were SEN
fenced TO life imprisonment.
IL was In the fall OF lSSS that DIR. ".
Lynch was murdered In cold blood By Cor
poral Hallcn OF the colorcd troops and al
though the murderer was summarily dealt
with by the cnraged citizens. the shooting
OF the doctor is still remembered here with
feelings OF hatred for the negro soldiers
Dr. Lynch had been called To- treat Name
Lewis. sweetheart of Corporal Hailen.
whom the latter had brutally beaten. lie
remarked TO the woman that Hallcn
should be- prosecuted and when she later
related this 10 Hallcn the trooper swor,
he would Kill Lynch " he hung for a..
The following nigh, dressed as "A private
he sncnkcd into Lynchs office and finding
the doctor snoozing ia his char shot him
through the heart.
Woman "Peached" on Him.
The woman told on iInllcn aud when he
was placed IA the jail the citizens broke
ia and with a rope around Hailcn's neck
led him away toward Fiddlcr's tree. They
were oycrtakcn By soldiers sent 60 save
the prisoner. but II WAS dark and twisting
ia. rope so Iiailen could not call out. they
hid until the cavalry men swept By. Tho
hanging then took place.
The shooting up OF Valentine. Ncb
was related the other day by G. II. Cornell
OF that place. who said: ''if those colorcd
pastors ana people would investigate at "a
little closer range they would moli.fy their
resolutions and memorials directed against
an honest and courageous president"
Two battalions OF the Twenty rcgi-
mcnt were stationed az Fort N.obrara
bearing about the same relations TO Val
entine. respective distance and commercial
interests. as Fort Brown does TO Browns
VILE. Tex. The raid was on "A dance hall
kept by a discharged colored soldier. nam
ed Stratton.
Woman Killed. Others Wounded.
Firing on the hall began just ~ a wagon
with four occupants drove To the door and
Lulu Johnson. "A colorcd woman. appeared
10 gree, them. She was killed. Trumbull
the driver was shot through the arm.
Raymond Smith who was IN the wagon
was shot through the body. one horse was
killed and a stove In the we'll filled hall
shattered. the dancers miraculously es-
Gaping injury. sixteen empty KraE-Jor-
gcnscn cartridges wer. found and at least
two soldiers In uniform were seen leaving
with their rifles, still as before stated,
they were never punished.
Mr.. Cornell points out that whatever
excuse prejudice In the south might give
for violence on th" part OF the negro SOL
dicrs no such Justification existed in the
north where they were given every cou-
SideratIon.
Describing some OF their orgies he said
Among the soldiers. themselves and
their camp followers. principally dis
charged colorcd troopers. there were des-
pcratc characters. IN their many brawls
they seemed to place no value nj all on
human life. In the dance halls ans re-
sorts. which followed them into the coun-
try and went out Of business Immediately
upon the departure % the troops. they
would light like demons. aud the records
OF our district court have been loaded
down with criminal cases. due to there
fights. A goodly number were sent TO the
state penltentiary and Others were pun
"a. -