The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1923-11-29
INDIAN VICTIM
BEATEN, BURNED
DIES IN AGONY
ERNEST PIPE. FOUND WEST OF
CITY IN PITIFUL CONDI-
TION TUESDAY A.. Nj.
John Joshua and Joe Garfield Are In
Jail-Night Mystery Courts
Solution

OOiut1On
Ernest Pipe, a reservation Indian,
aged about 38, is dead, to all appear
ances a victim of foul play, with
moonshine a contributing factor.
His face and head beaten to a pulp
and his legs badly burned, Pipe was
discovered on the ground near his
team and wagon three-quarters of
mile west of here early Tuesday
morning by Charley Hall who was
bringing his children to school. Ac-
cording to Hall, Pipe was unable to
speak but groaning in mysery. The
team, partly unhitched from the
wagon, was standing a few rods
away on the T. R. highway, Upon
reaching town Hall reported the mat
ter to the city authorities and also
to the sub-agency at Oldtown.
Dies at Agency
Officials from the Agency, Police
man Nichol, Judge Gordon and others
went to the spot where Pipe was
found and the injured man was
brought to the agency. Later in the
day he was taken to the agency hos
pital at Poplar where he died dur
ing the following night.
His legs were so burned that part
of the flesh fell from the bone. When
found by Hall his trousers were al
most entirely burned away and
quilt that was wrapped about him
was still smouldering.
Monday evening about six o'clock
Pipe and two other Indians, said to
be Joe Garfield and John Joshua,
were together not far from the Great
Northern yard Office drunk and fight
ing, with Pipe in the worst condition
of the three James Yandell, who is
sometimes employed as special police,
heard the screams of child from his
home on South Front street, and
found an Indian girl of about nine
years near the group of three men.
The Great Northern yard police had
also been attracted by the disturb
ance and arrived about the same
time as Yandell.
Child Senses Tragedy
The child was asked if she was
cold or what was the matter and re-
piled She feared those men were go
ing to kill her father. 1t was thought
the child was frightened by the fight
ing and as it was evident her father
was in no condition to take care of
her. she was pursuaded to go to Mr..
Yandell's home and later was taken
to the subagencyfor the might. Upon
their promise to keep quiet and go
home, the Indians were allowed to
go.
Alleged Boasts
Information concerning other act
ions of the three men, which hap
pened just before or after the Mon
day evening incident is incomplete.
One story is that the little Pipe girl
tells of two Indians, believed to be
Joshua and Garfield, climbing into
her fathers wagon, one grabbing
him and one taking the lines. lit is
also said that later in the night they
entered the wagon of another Indian
who was driving to Chicken Hill, four
miles west of here, and were extreme
ly abusive, one of them boasting "I
have killed one man and I will kill
you."
The mystery of the case is how
Pipes clothing and quilt that was
wrapped around his legs was set on
fire. One theory entertained by the
is that Pipes assailants,
believing him dead, set him afire
with the idea of either destroying
the body or establishing cause of
Death
Two Arrests
Joe Garfield was placed under ar
rest, arraigned before Justice Cor
don, and is held in the city Jail nu-
der S2500 bonds. He claims, it is
said, that he left John Joshua and
Pipe together. Joshua could not be
located until Wednesday afternoon
when he was reported to be at the
nome of an Indian eight miles west.
Chief of Police Nichol drove out and
brought him in. He was arraigned
n Justice Gordon's court and plead
I'd not guilty to a charge of assault
n the second degree. Bonds were
put at s2500 and not furnished The
federal authorities. it is understood,
will have charge of the investigation
md prosecution of the case.
Ernest Pipe was what is known as
a Yankton Sioux, born on the Fort
Peck reservation, and resided four
niles west of here. He had been
married three times and had several
children by his former wives Several
years ago he was the victim of a beat
ing and since then has been subject
20 periodic spells of fits.