The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1906-03-08
u In an0 About the State -
INDIAN UP FOR r

Red Who Murdered Two Men Sen
fenced for Life at slsseton.
At Sisseton the jury in the case Of
Zach Flute, charged with murder.
found him guilty, and directed a SEN
tence Of Imprisonment for life.
Early in last August Flue shot and
killed a collector and his clerk who
went to Flutes home to collect an &C
count against the Indian. Whatever
Of trouble there may have been with
the collector, the Indians own confess
sion showed that he killed the clerk
in cold blood, pursuing him and shoot
ing him while he pleaded for mercy.
The details of the crime are as fol-
lows:
Flute had purchased from c. l.
Folkestad of Sisseton merchandise
amounting to Sill. In May last he
made a payment Of $11 and gave his
note, secured by a mortgage on sever
al head Of horses, some harness and
buggies for the balance.
Mr.. Foldestad decided to drive out
and try to collect the note. but his
father, who lives in Southern Mime
sofa, arrived on the oon train, SO he
sent C. M. Colby, a collector from Day
county, and his clerk, Edward Peter
son, to make the collection. Shortly
after they reached Flutes home a dis
pute arose. He rushed into his house,
grabbed a single-barreled shotgun,
and, stepping outside the door. shot
Colby dead at the point Of the gun.
Peterson started to run. The Indian
reloaded the gun and shot him in the
legs. Somewhat crippled, Peterson
continued to run, while Flute reloaded
the gun and followed him. He chased
him half a mile. Peterson, unable
to run longer, fell on his knees and
begged for mercy. AS the Indian
raised the gun and pointed it at him,
he put his arms before his face and
received in them and his face the full
charge. Lacerated, bleeding and faint,
he still begged for mercy, but the
blood-thirsty Indian gave him another
charge through the neck, killing him
instantly.
The sheriff went out and arrested
Flute and brought him to town. While
the sheriff was away, a posse Of citi.
zens gathered In the streets ready to
hang the Indian as soon as he reached
the city. Couriers were fastened out
to notify the sheriff Of the mob's in
tentions. He changed his course
somewhat, drove into town by another
road, stopped his team a short dis
lance out and walked into town with
Flute, undetected by the crowd until
he had him in Jail. Goodness pre-
vailed, and the posse soon dispersed.
Peterson and Flute were good
friends. He did nothin 40 aggravate
the Indian at all, and what caused
Flute to follow him and shoot him
down in cold blood, without compass
sion, is a mystery, unless he did it
to destroy Peterson's evidence in
court, and thus leave him free to ad-
vance the self-defense theory in his
assassination Of Colby. It is more
likely that Flute was simply blood
thirsty, and that had any other white
man been near he would have shot
him also. The murderer says he had
no reason for killing Peterson, as he
liked him, and that he don't know
why he did it.
Flute claims Colby shot at him first.
A loaded revolver was found near Col
by's body, with n barrel discharged.
Those who knew Colby and who saw
him when he started out claim that he
vas unarmed, and that Flute or his
son shot off the revolver and laid it
near Colby's body for a ruse to justify
the shooting. Colby was a fearless
man, and, had he been in possession
Of a loaded revolver, when Flute
came out Of the house with the shot
gun, it is certain the mix-up would
have had a different sequel.