Iowa Old Press
The Sioux City Journal
Sunday, July 11, 1926
STAGE HOLDUP 63 YEARS AGO
When Steve Coleman Had His Hat Shot Off by Indians.
By Gertrude Henderson.
Dimes, dollar bills and postage stamps tempt the brethren of the dark masks to mail robbery even in these days when armored police cars, telegraphic alarms and ample protection doom the attempt to an almost failure. In the old days, when madam had to send east for her linens and laces, when St. Louis or Cincinnati were favorite shopping centers for this territory, when banking was not the highly developed institution of the present day, when gold folded in paper was the means of transmitting currency, mail robbery flourished in its prime.
Besides the richness of the haul, which tempted outlaws, there was another factor which made carrying the mail a hazardous business. In the Indian’s sworn purpose to annoy and harass the white invader, he soon learned that to rob the mail was the supreme annoyance. The letters he could not read, but he could throw them on the prairie to scatter before the four winds and the gold he could exchange for whiskey or sew on his shirt, no matter; to kill and scalp the carrier, to loot the white man’s treasurers, to steal his horses, to make a fire of his property, was reward enough and an exploit to be boasted before the lodge fire.
A Journey of 63 Years Ago.
In August, of the year 1863, John Bruguier, son of Theophile Bruguier, was driving freighters between Fort Randall and Fort Sully. John was a lad of 16 and when he became ill he wanted to come home to his father, who, as everyone knows, lived by the Big Sioux at Riverside. John was at Fort Randall. Steve Coleman drove the Sioux City stage. John asked Steve to let him ride with him on the trip from Fort Randall to Sioux City. There was one other passenger, a cavalry sergeant from the fort going to Sioux City on furlough.
John was very ill and he rode inside the coach. The mail sacks, too, were inside on the floor of the coach. The mail was heavy, as the soldiers were sending money “back home” either to their families or for merchandise or for any of the reasons that men in the wilderness would find for sending money where it could be spent. Sioux City was the frontier postoffice and the Sioux City stage was the authorized carrier of the mail from the forts along the river.
Ambushed by Indians.
On this particular day in August, the stage left Fort Randall with Steve Coleman driving, the cavalry sergeant on the seat with Steve and the sick boy riding inside. The stage and team belonged to McElhaney, of Sioux City, and, according to Sam Bruguier, the horses were sorry old plugs, not at all suited for the emergencies, which might be waiting around any bend or curve. The narrow road dug from the side of the bluff along the Missouri river was passed without a break in the monotony of the lonesome trail.
Late in the afternoon they drove through Greenwood. At sunset they began the descent to the ford across Choteau creek. Just as the horses got to the water out from the bushes sprang five Indians. One grabbed the nearest horse’s harness. Another exploded a shotgun full into the body of the sergeant so that he fell dead, the charge going through him from hip to hip.
Steve Coleman, who was on the opposite side from the Indians, jumped from the seat and made a dash for the shelter of the bushes. The Indians were not mounted. They followed Coleman on foot, but Coleman was noted foot racer and he headed for the Tackett house, which was not far from Choteau creek. An Indian shot at him with bow and arrow and the arrow left Steve’s hat from his head, but he was able to make his escape and reached the Tackett house without injury.
Young Bruguier’s Life Spared.
In the meantime the Indians had opened the stage and began dragging the mail sacks out. At the sound of the first shot, the shot that killed the sergeant, John Bruguier had slipped to the floor of the stage and covered himself with the mail sacks. When the Indians began pulling out the sacks it was not long before the boy was discovered and dragged out, too.
When he found himself facing the Indians, the boy, who had learned their language from his mother, spoke to them in their own tongue, saying “Don’t kill me. I am an Indian.”
“What are you doing then hiding under the mail sacks?” they asked.
John told them his errand, and then he recognized one of them. Calling him by name, John said, “That is Little Santee; he has been at my father’s house. I am Bruguier’s son. Little Santee, don’t you remember me?
Little Santee looked at the boy for a while in silence and then nodded to the others, “Yes, he tells the truth. I saw him there.”
Take Everything but the Stage.
The Indians said they would let him go, but they ordered him to take the horses out of the harness for them. John protested that he was too sick. So they went about it themselves cutting the horses from the harness with their knives. They stripped all the clothes from the dead cavalry sergeant, leaving the body there in the creek. They took all the mail sacks and everything else that they found. John had a bundle with him in which was a white shirt and a pair of heavily beaded and handsome moccasins, which his sister, Mary, had made for him. John told the Indians to take the shirt, but to leave him the moccasins. They said they did not want to take anything from him, but John made them a present of the shirt. When the Indians had taken all they wanted they went on their way, leaving John to make his way to the Tackett house where Coleman was.
Some of the men from Tackett’s rode back to Fort Randall to report what had occurred and to tell them about the sergeant. Troops were sent to hunt for the Indians and to bring in the body of the slain soldier for burial in the Post cemetery.
No trace of the Indians was found. The carcass of one of the horses was found not far from the scene of the holdup. It had evidently been killed by fast riding.
Mr. Coleman continued to drive the stage for several years and then went into business in Sioux City, where he lived until his death, which occurred in March, 1911.
[Transcribed by LZ, Feb 2020]
Sioux City Journal, Sioux City, Iowa
Monday, July 12, 1926
AUTO TRAGEDY CLEARED UP
Sioux City Man Tells of Fatal Accident Near LeMars.
Details of the accident near Brunsville, Ia., Saturday night that resulted in the death of Laverne Basselli (sic Boffeli) 17-year-old farm hand, were disclosed when L. H. Henry, vice-president of the First National Bank, of Sioux City, driver of the automobile that figured in the accident, reported it to Sioux City police.
From Mr. Henry’s account of the accident, it appeared that Basselli (sic Boffeli) may not have been struck by the automobile, but may have received the injuries that resulted in his death when he was thrown from his horse.
Mr. Henry’s account was as follows:
“I was driving west on the Akron highway from LeMars towards Sioux City, and started up a small hill a short distance east of Brunsville, Ia. Another machine was approaching from the west with bright headlights.
“I did not notice the boy riding on the horse at first, but the occupants of the other car apparently saw him, for they veered to the lefthand side of the road. They said afterwards that they turned to the left in order to miss the lad.”
Did Not See Boy.
“In an attempt to pass the other machine, and not knowing that the boy was in the center of the road, I swerved also to the left. The other car was so far on the wrong side of the road that I did not have room to pass it by keeping to my right.
“Just as the cars were about to pass I saw Basselli (sic Boffeli) on his horse. Unable to turn back to the right on account of the other machine, I turned still further to the left, went off the road into the ditch, and stopped.
“The other machine came to a halt. I got out of my car, and the occupants of the other automobile asked me if anyone was hurt. I immediately asked what had become of the boy on the horse. We glanced around and found the horse standing in front of the headlights of the other machine. A moment later we discovered Basselli (sic Boffeli) lying near the road.
“We examined him and found that he was breathing. The driver of the other machine, who gave the name of Pease, and said that he lived at Pierson, Ia., stated that he was going to LeMars, and would be glad to rush the injured boy to the hospital. We did not think that he was seriously hurt.”
Cleared of Blame.
“I do not know whether the boy was injured by striking my car or by being thrown from his horse, but I believe that my machine passed six or eight feet to the left of the horse and rider before going into the ditch.”
An investigation by Sheriff Hugh Maxwell, of Plymouth county, following the accident exonerated both Mr. Henry and Mr. Pease of any blame in the matter.
Funeral services for Basselli (sic Boffeli) will be held Tuesday morning at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church at Farley, Ia. Interment will be in the Catholic cemetery at that place.
Surviving the dead boy are his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Basselli (sic Boffeli) four brothers, Merland, Wilmer, Allen and Eldon, and four sisters, Della, Katherine, Celia, Marietta and Pearl. All reside at Farley.
For three years the young man had been employed as a farm hand by John Theisen, who resides four miles west of LeMars. The father of the boy arrived in LeMars Sunday, and will return with the body to Farley today.
[transcribed by L.Z., Apr 2020]
Sioux City Journal, Sioux City, Iowa
Wednesday, July 14, 1926
S. C. BANKER IS INNOCENT.
Coroner’s Jury Clears Henry of Blame in Fatal Accident.
A coroner’s jury at LeMars, Ia., Tuesday afternoon found that L. H. Henry, vice president of the First National Bank, of Sioux City, was not guilty of criminal negligence in connection with the death there Saturday night of Laverne Baffeli (sic Boffeli), 17-year-old farm hand, who was killed when an automobile driven by Mr. Henry struck a horse young Baffeli (sic Boffeli) was riding.
Mr. Henry appeared at the inquest as a witness in his own behalf.
The accident occurred Saturday night when Henry attempted to meet a machine driven by Otto Marineau of Pearson, Ia., on the Akron highway near Brunsville, Ia. The two cars met at the point where Baffeli (sic Boffeli) was riding, and the horse plunged in front of the banker’s car.
Attempting to miss the animal and rider, Mr. Henry drove into the ditch. The coroner’s jury found that the boy met his death as a result of being thrown from the horse.
[transcribed by L.Z., Apr 2020]
Page 11, Col 5
WOMAN DIES IN CHILDBIRTH
Lifelong S. C. Resident Passes Away at Hospital Tuesday.
Death Tuesday afternoon claimed Mrs. Vern Darville Burris, 32
years old, a lifelong resident of Sioux City, as the result of
the birth of a daughter, Olive Faye, at a Sioux City hospital.
Although still alive at an early hour this morning, the babe was
said by hospital attendants to be in a critical condition. Born
at LeMars, Ia., July 11, 1894, the deceased, who prior to her
marriage, was Miss Olive Darville, came to Sioux City with her
parents when she was less than a year old. A graduate of Morningside
academy, she completed her studies at Morningside college with
the class of 1915, and was also a graduate of the National
Business Training school.
On November 4, 1922, she was married to Vern Burris at Elk Point,
S. D. The deceased was a member of the Morningside Presbyterian
church. Surviving her are: her husband, Vern Burris, and her
parents, Mr.
and Mrs. George Darville, all of Sioux City; two brothers,
Harrison M., and George Lynn, both of Chicago, Ill.; and five
sisters, Mrs. O. L. Britton, of Tyndall, S. D., Mrs. D. J.
Murphy, of Sioux City; Mrs. J. V. Graves, of Ashland, Ore., Mrs.
R. C. Jackson, of Englewood, Cal., and Mrs. Grace T. Orkleson, of
Seattle, Wash. The infant daughter was still alive at the
hospital early Tuesday evening. Pending funeral arrangements, the
body is at Christy's undertaking establishment.
[Transcriber Note--Sadly, five days after the death of the
mother, the infant, also named Olive Fay, died on July 18, 1926.]
[transcribed by V.R., January 2006]