Dakota County, Nebraska - Chapter 8, 1893

In September, 1855, twenty-one Sioux Indians came upon a small company of settlei-s on the Omadl town site, stealing everything they had, including theii" boat, which was their only source of reaching supplies on the Iowa side; but fortunately, after fasting three days they found a half decayed hawk, with which they appeased their hunger, until a Fi'enchman happened to come along with a boat.

During the summer of 1855 Adam Benners, with his family settled in the northwestern pai-r of the county, and one day while Mr. Benners was absent tiiree Fonca Indians came aloi;g and aftei- ransacking the house entered the room wliere Mrs, Bennei's lay sick in bed, with her new born I)abe by her side. They pulled the feather bed off onto the floor, the woman and child with it, which so friglitened her that she died from the exposure aiid shock of the fright, who was survived but a few days by her babe. The three Indians were delivered up to Cien. Harney, at Ft. Rimdall, ti-ied, conoemned and executed for the crime.

This is the only killing of white people, by Indians^ in Dakota county, although the Winnebiigo Indians have killtd several white men in this vicinity. C. S. M.unson was killed in 1870 by five Winnebagoes on the western border of the Reservation, and Holly Scott, a Winnebago, killed Geo, Skinner near the Winnebago Agency in May, 1879, and another white man was killed there about this time. Scott was sentenced to ten years in the state penitentiary, but died before his time had expired.

Dakota county is bounded on the south by the Omaha and Winnebago Reservations, (now Thurston county,) and contains about 1,200 Winnebagoes and 1,100 Omahas. The U. S. Indian Agents have been for the Winnebagoes: St. A. D. Balcomb, who in 1864 came with them from Crow Creek, in Dakota Territory ; Cliarles Matthewson, appointed in 1865; Howard White, in 1869; Taylor Rradly, in 1874; Howard White, again appointed in 1878; Arthur Edward, in 1880; Dr. G. W. Wilkinson, Oct. 17, 1881; Charles H. Potter, Aug. 7, 1885; Gen. Jo'^'-ph HoUman, appointed in 1886, but failed to take cl...rge; Col. Jesse F. Warner, Nov. 1, 1886; Robert T. Ashley, Sept. 16, 1889; Captain W. H. Beck, June, 1898. Agents for the Omahas: John Hepner, appointed in 1851; John Robertson, in 1856; William Wilson. 1858; W. E. Moore, 1859; Geo, B. Gralf, 1860; O. H. Irish, 1861; Robert W. Furnas,' 1863; William Gallon, 1866; Edward Painter, 1869; T. T. Gillingham, 1873; Jacob Yore, 1876; Howard White, 1878; since which time one Agent has had charge of the affairs of both tril)es of Indians.

Another chapter was added to the history of Dakota county when three Winnebago Indians were called upon to take their seats in the tribunal of Justice as jurymen at the JMarch term of the district courc, 1889, and there, in the presence of their paler brothers, wielded the power confided to a jury in behalf of right and justice. Surely the world doth move, while the vast and rapid strides of civilization g02o sweeping onward. A few years ago the Winneb,i;]i; j Indians decked in waipaint sent forth a war-whoop in the terrible "Minnesota Massacre" which will go on s )undingdown through the jears, reviving in the minds of coming generations the most cruel and cowardly drama to be found throuahout all the pages of history. And today, three nieniLers of this self same tribe are cbosen as jurymen to decide in the court room the fates of members of the race whom a few short years ago they slew with the tomahawk.

David St.Cyr. - Was born on Christmas Day. 1864. at Crow Creek, D. T.; was eldest sou of Mitchell St.Cyr, who died at Louis Jopu's place in 1889. David attended the Hampton Indian School, Virginia, three years, where he receivsd a good common school education. Here he also learned to be a firstclass penman and for this reason was chosen as one of the clerks of election for Winnebago piecinct. After all the poll books had been received at the court house, it was the general comment that David St.Cyr had sent the neatest and most complete poll book oi any polling p'ace in the county.

Prosper Amell. - Was born March 14, 1845. at Four Lake Madison, Wisconsin. Came with the Winnebago Indians to Nebraska in 1865, and located on the north boundary of the reservation near Omaha Creek, where he bus resided to the present time, except three years when he was a cow boy and with '*the cow boys stood." along the Elkhorn and Logan rivers. He has a fair education and can talk both the Indian and English languages.

Alexander Payer - Was born March 18. 1820. at Milwaukee Wisconsin. Moved to Nebraska with the Winnebago Indians and has acte<i as U. S. Indian interpreter, captam of police and held various other offices at the WinneLago Agency. Has a fair education - talks both Indian and English. Is a good carpenter by trade. Now living on a farm near the agency. Was one of the judges of election in 1889 for Winnebago precinct.

In order to protect themselves against ^'ont-side claim jumpers" the pioneers organized claim clubs, one at Omadi and one at Logan. In the sprino: of 1857 there was a difhcnlty at Logan, growing out of a claim contest. Joseph Conley had jumped another man's claim and on the 16th. of April the quarrel reached to something like a riot - Conley was l)esieged in a bouse guarded by Harlon Baird, John W. Virden, Alfred Elam

:iiid otliers, who were iiiarchiiigai-onnd the buildino- wit'i their gniiS. Some time previous to this, during tl.t' <l:vy, a few shots were ti)'ed by each side in whicdi Josepii Conley was shot in tlie slioulder, and by evening, things assumed a war like appearance. The Omadi club was appealed to, to quell the disturbance, late in the night, and in less than an hour thirty armed n)en vvei-'j march, ing through the darkness to tlie scene of the conflict, -led by the courageous Deputy Sheriff, Tom Jvyan. It was aftei- midnight when they halted at the Chihuahua House in Dakota City, where Col. Bates was indulgiuii' in his tirst sleep in Dakota county. lie was aroused from his slumbers, and looking out of the second stoi-y window he be'neld the war-like scenes below, and wondered what kind of a country he had gotten into, where armed men met in such boisterous conclave in the darkness of the night. In that mass of defiant faces he saw (Jeo. T. Woods. A. li. Baker, Henry Ream. ]\[oses Ivreps, Jolin Taffe, John B. Arteaux, Jacob Rallock, Tom Ryan, Robert Alexander, Charley Morse, Abraham liirsch and W. C. JMcBeath. Here the sheriff, Geo. W. Williamson took charge ot the '-warriors" and ;j^ave the command, '"forward," and they hurried away to Logan, arriving tliere just as the first rays of light were peeping over the eastern hills. At first the rioters showed signs of resistance, but the brave and fearless sheriff, knowing the flghting qualities of his supporters demanded peace and ordereJ Conley turned over to him. which was immediately complied with. Thus quiet was restored without bloodshed, and the prisoner taken to Omadi for pi-otection.