Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1910-09-29
SHERIFF OF CORSoN COUNTY
IN HANDS OF UNCLE SAM
ON SERIOUS CHARGE
GAVE LIQUOR TO INDIANS
Had Them Arrested For lntoxication
and at Mock Trial, Under
Threats. Extorted Money
by Fine

10. Brents, a United States special
officer attached to the Indian serv-
ice, William Wallace, United States
commissioner for this city, has held
George P. Perry, sheriff of Corson
county, to await the action of the fed
eral court, his bond being placed at
$1,000, which he could not furnish and
will therefore be sent to Jail at Sioux
Falls until federal court convenes.
The charge against Perry is that of
furnishing Indians on the Standing
Rock reservation with liquor the spe-
cific charge being that on the night OF
November 26, 1909, Perry supplied
Martin Red Bird and Frank Sees Bear
whisky, one pint of beer and five pints
OF other Intoxicating liquors, the two
men in question being Standing Rock
Sioux Indians. The government will
bring other charges of a far more ser
ious nature against Perry and some
accomplices who are yet to be ar
rested.
According to the story told by Mar
! tin Red Bird, and sworn to by him,
Perry in November, 1909. came to
Red Bird and Sees Bear on tie Stand
ing Rock reservation in Corson coun-
| ty, and pulling a gun on them, told
! them they were under arrest for lntox-
| ioation. He then informed the In
dams, who We're badly frightened,
| that there was no judge at Mcintosh,
/ the county seat of Corson county, and
/ they would have to be taken to Mo-
] bridge, in Walworth county, where
there was a judge, Tor trial. Accord
ingly the Indians were placed on
board a train and taken to Mobridse,
where they were lodged in jail. The
next day they were taken before what
purported to be a judge and a duly
organized court, where a mock trial
was held, and the Judge" imposed a
fine of $500 Before the trial. Perry
is alleged to have supplied the Indians
with the quantity of liquor above men
toned, in order to render them in
toxicated and therefore apt to be
/ more easily impressed with the pro-
1 ceedngs of the mock court. The treat
ment appeared to be effective, for &C
eording to Red Birds affidavit, they
were assured by Perry that If they did
| not pay the fine imposed by the
Judge" they would be imprisoned in
the county jail for twelve months.
Red Bird and Sees Bear thereupon
wired a wealthy Indian named Agar,
on the reservation, urging him to send
them the $500 at once. He did so, TAX
ing a mortgage on their live stock to
secure the Indebtedness, and the In
dams turned the money over to the
court, to pay the fine imposed. They
also, it is alleged, paid Perry some
thing over $53 for mileage and ex-
penses in bring them to Mobridge. The
red men were kept in Jail for several
days while the deal was being car
ried through.
Major Belden, the Indian agent, fin
ally heard Of the treatment the two
men, who are fullblooded Indians, and
wards of the government had recefv-
ed. The Indian bureau was notified,
and Mr.. Brents, who was then on his
way east from Seattle, was assigned
to the case. He has been working on
it for the past month.
Yesterday Perry, fearing arrest, at
tempted to make his getaway by hid
ing in box car on a Milwaukee train.
Mr. Brents located his man, however,
and effected his arrest between Mcln
tosh and Morristown. He brought his
prisoner to Aberdeen, where he was
turned over to United States Deputy
Marshal Barney McVey, and taken be-
fore Commissioner Wallace. 1t is ex-
pected Perry's accomplices will be in
custody in a short time.
The instance in question, it is
claimed, is not the only case of the
grating Of the Standing Rock Indians
by white men. 1t is charged that
many others of the more ignorant
members of the tribe have been "bilk-
ed of more or less large amounts on
similar trumped up charges, the
whites taking advantage of their 1g-
norance of the customs of the law tc
brighten them into disgorging all the
ready money they could lay their
hands on in order to square them
selves with the officers on some pure
ly imaginary charge. The extent Of
the grating, when the case is fully
worked up, will, it is believed, prove
the most startling that has ever oc'
CURED in the northwest.