Evening times-Republican., 1911-02-13
FORMER MAYOR or DEC MONIES
OPENLY pEFlEs LAWS OF
rhE GOVERNMENT.
INDIAN OFFICIALS BREAK
UP soorLEoclNo GANG
ersnten One Of Several 70 Feel strora
Arm Of Uncle Sans Legal Depart
msnt-suppossd 70 Be Loader Of
Notorious Gang At conata-casss to
Be Tried in May.

the bars at Yankton Saturday, Special
Officer Brents. Of the United States
Indian service, has succeeded in skill
fully cleaning out, root and branch.
the entire gang OF bootleggers, who
have infested Conata for the past sew
eral months, defying all law. terroriz-
ing decent people. selling and peddling
liquor to Indians and even. 1t is said,
| robbing them Of their money after
doping them with the whisky. The
| total number taken in at Conata by
Mr.. Brents. in five, all Of whom will be
! tried before the federal court in May.
They are as follows. James Grass. J.
M. Brenton. Mike Daley, Charles GAL
lagher, and Mrs. Thelma Belay.
In each and every case witnesses
to the number Of no less than thirty
or forty will be brought into court
to testify against them and 1t is
practically certain that none of the
prisoners will get less than year and
day in the penitentiary. Evidence
in abundance. sufficient to convict
every one Of them. is to be had and
has already been secured by the spe-
cial officer
The places" conducted by the
blind piggers'' at Conata had be-
come a favorite hold-out for all the
criminals of the country and shoot
ing into houses, riding into stores.
etc. had become q mere pastime at
the little border village Their Gus
are wards of the government. to
whom the federal statutes strictly
prohibit the sale Of liquor under a
heavy penalty.
ersnton's Iowa Career.
Brenton, who may be classed as
the leader Of the gang. came to South
Dakota from Des Moines about two
years ago. after closing sensa-
tional career. which started with
his election to the Office Of county SUI
perintendent. He was bright
able fellow. quite an orator. and an
athlete. His education was ad-
| vanced. He had pleasing manners,
and 1t was with little difficulty that
he secured the supefintendency Of
the county schools. He made a
! great success in this capacity and
his popularity inspired him to still
higher ambitions. He wanted to
be mayor OF Des Moines. and
reached his goal. winning a republi-
can nomination and subsequent elec-
ton by SAFE majority.
| His administration was 'liberal' to
the limit. Gambling houses nourished
before he went into office and their
number did not diminish after his in-
stallation or before his retirement. the
testimony of old timers being to the
effect that there were even more houses
at his retirement.
Public sentiment against him grew
~ In HaSSt ~
was Strong" enough to be mentioned
for congress. Being a good speaker,
his services are said to have been
sought by Governor Cummins in the
fight made against him by Jerry Sulli-
van, democrat. Brentons assignment
was the second congressional distrist,
where he made many speeches and was
in general demand elsewhere.
Before his administration as mayor
Of Des Moines had ended. however. he
had come to be regarded by the repub-
lican managers as not being suitable
material for denomination. and one
two-year term constituted his life as
a Des Moines mayor.
Descent Was Rapid.
From this he fell to tending bar in
one Of the Des Moines saloons and his
acceptance Of such q job caused much
comment to which he replied, with the
spirit Characteristic of him at Conata.
that that was his business"
He also attracted some attention
about the Same time at Des Moines by
engaging in wrestling match, and the
''ex-mayor Of Des Moines in tights"
furnished much material for cartoon
lists.
From this he became engaged in
divorce proceedings. leaving his family
and coming here in company with the
woman prisoner listed above, Mrs.
Thelma Belay. The two established
quarters near Conata, Brenton claim-
Ing to be boarding with the woman.
Their quarters were one Of the "places"
where bootlegging was being done and
Mrs. Belay sold whisky at the 'place"
while Brenton even went so far as to
drive around among the Indians in a
buggy and peddle booze to them.
One Indian came to Brenton's place
after cashing a check for 800.
The complete taking in Of this MOTOR
ious gang at Conata emphasizes the
Importance Of the Indian service de-
partment, and that Of special officers
for such work. Had Sheriff Hewett, or
any other known local officer, have gone