So he puts together an undercover team of these cowboys. The Osage - he was a friend of the Osage. So it was very hard to know who to turn to, who you could trust, who would stop these crimes, who would truly investigate them. 5(ish) Questions: David Grann and "Killers of the Flower Moon" And a big question arose was regardless of the evidence, would a jury convict a white man for murdering an American-Indian? Several people who had tried to catch the killers themselves had been killed. He then called the local sheriff and said, I've got enough evidence against one of the killers. [11] Two of his accomplices had died before the BOI investigation was completed. That's why they went on for so many years. Had there been no intervention, in all probability Mollie, who was already ill from poison, and Ernest would have soon died, with the manipulative Hale receiving the Kyle-Burkhart estate. By 1925, 60 wealthy Osage had been killed, and their land had been inherited or deeded to their guardians: local white lawyers and businessmen. how many osage murders might there possibly have been? And they've taken enormous efforts to protect themselves from this kind of criminal conspiracy again. I'm coming back. But hundreds of millions of dollars was swindled. "It could come down to . Executed But Possibly Innocent | Death Penalty Information Center The incentives for criminality were overwhelming; such guardians often maneuvered legally to steal Osage land, their headrights or royalties; others were suspected of murdering their charges to gain the headrights. William Hale, the "King of the Osage Hills," was found guilty for conspiracy to commit murder and was transferred to Leavenworth Prison. He turned state's evidence, naming his uncle as responsible for the murder conspiracy. They bought it. And at that time, the Osage had some hint that there was some oil, but nobody thought they were sitting upon a fortune. Kyle. What happened there? The former Texas Ranger put together an undercover team that included a Native American agent. Hale was formally charged with the murder of Roan, who had been killed on the Osage Reservation land, making it a federal crime. Yeah. DAVIES: We're speaking with David Grann. And it's a very vibrant nation. The other agents recruited were: a former New Mexico sheriff; a former Texas Ranger; John Burger, who had worked on the previous investigation; Frank Smith; and John Wren, an American Indian of the Ute Nation who had previously been a spy for the Mexican revolutionaries.[20]. Some sixty or more wealthy, full-blood Osage Native Americans were reported killed from 1918 to 1931. The priest told her not to touch liquor under any circumstances. Anna would be merely one of the first victims in a five-year-long Reign . GRANN: Yeah. The reservation encompasses all of Osage County, about a million and a half acres. how did lesley sharp lose weight julho 1, 2022. jack the ripper documentary bbc [16][g] Bigheart died at the hospital that same morning. It wasn't just Mollie's family that was being methodically killed on Oklahoma's Osage Nation Reservation in the early 1920s. Hale fraudulently arranged to make himself the beneficiary of Roan's $25,000 life insurance policy. You slowly can't breathe, but you're conscious throughout until finally you mercifully suffocate. how many osage murders might there possibly have been? In the 1990 U.S. Census, 10,430 people identified themselves as . Many of them were starving. Subsequently, an autopsy revealed that the cause of Brown's death was not alcohol, but a bullet fired into the back of her head. But the Osage because they owned their land, they had more leverage with the U.S. government. They were driven off their lands. He had been a longtime private eye, had a criminal history. But there was still a great indifference because the victims were Osage, were Native Americans. Generally speaking, what are they finding? After a break, Ken Tucker will review the new album by the Philadelphia band The Menzingers. So the Osage Tribe was allotted. how many osage murders might there possibly have been? There were other murders happening throughout the community, other Osage being targeted. PDF Book Review - Federal Bar Association (Credit: David Grann). They could deal with escaped federal prisoners, smutty books crossing state lines. This is FRESH AIR. We should go there because the earth is rocky and infertile. But ultimately their devious activity would catch up with them. David Grann's book. how many osage murders might there possibly have been? The rocky, barren reservation promised to yield littlewith the exception of their desire to be left aloneuntil the discovery of one of the largest oil deposits in the United States below the surface. She had two children with him, and she learned that he was one of the many willing executioners. Hes very insecure in his career at the time, Grann says. "A look at the Osage Indian murders", Ewen, Alexander and Jeffrey Wollock. She was born in the 1880s, growing up in a lodge, practicing Osage tradition, speaking Osage. DAVIES: Right. By the early 20th century, because of this kind of clash of cultural forces, so many whites were coming into the area because of the well, so many oil workers and oil men. And one of the most powerful things in all of the research was meeting with the descendants. Burkhart was eventually pardoned by Oklahoma Governor Henry Bellmon in 1965. DAVE DAVIES, BYLINE: Well, David Grann, welcome to FRESH AIR. You see all the seeds of his characterparanoia, ambition and manipulation. He was looking for agents who were college-educated. Vaughan complied, and the two men met that night. The Commissioner of Indian Affairs in the Department of the Interior sent four agents to act as undercover investigators. . It's called "Killers Of The Flower Moon." I'm Terry Gross. Because of the large number of leads and the perception that the police were corrupt, White decided he would be the public face of the investigation while most of the agents would work undercover. GRANN: Exactly. Pyle presented his evidence of murder and conspiracy and requested an investigation. He, too, had been stripped naked. In The 1920s, A Community Conspired To Kill Native Americans For Their About the film. Seeking a high-profile success to erase the bureaus stained reputation for its role in another oil corruption scheme, the Teapot Dome scandal, newly appointed director J. Edgar Hoover sent investigators to Oklahoma. She said, in many cases, they don't fully know even what their ancestors did, but we live side by side. how many osage murders might there possibly have been? Hale was even the self-proclaimed King of the Osage Hills. He was a wealthy rancher with several banking and business interests throughout Osage County. All along, it wasthe UnitedStates thatheld the threads of the lives . And questions arise about him. And The Washington Post later reported what had become increasingly evident, which was that - there was a conspiracy to kill rich Indians - was the title of their article. Fixico) and as Vaught in others (e.g. Failed Protectors: The Indian Trust and Killers of the Flower Moon They worked quickly and methodically. National Museum of the American Indian. Some murders seemed associated with several members of one family. But they ended up with a distinct advantage in their negotiations with the U.S. government. are now White (Albino) or Mulatto. The settlement also strengthened management of the tribe's trust assets and improved communications between the Department of Interior and the tribe. DAVIES: So plenty of jury tampering and all. And what it showed, though, and what is so important, is the reach and the power of the people who are carrying out these murders. He was a young man. The short film explores the systematic murders of the Osage from 1910 to 1930 in an organized effort to rob them of their oil and money. And she had spent years doing her own investigation, gathering evidence trying to pinpoint the killers. It literally looked as if the sun had burst into the night. An Indian Affairs agent said, "The question will suggest itself, which of these people are the savages?" (Credit: David Grann). Whats interesting is you get to see Hoover and the bureau in its formative period. how many osage murders might there possibly have been?does checkers use peanut oil how many osage murders might there possibly have been? By the early 1900s, the Osage - these 2,000 or so on the tribal roll - began to receive quarterly checks for the money that was used to pay for leases and royalties. And so while some of the Osage still receive royalties from oil money, it's nothing like the fortune that they had once had during the 1920s and the beginning of the 20th century. They would refer to him as kind of Boy Scouts, who looked - had very clean-cut images and were very presentable. In some cases, guardians dropped any pretenses and simply stole the moneyat least $8 million, according to one government study. Tell us about that. GRANN: Yeah. Our guest David Grann's new book tells the story of one of the biggest serial murder cases in American history and one of the most forgotten. A headright was hereditary, passing to the immediate legal heir of the deceased allottee. [5][7], At that time, eight lawyers were working in Pawhuska, the Osage County seat, which had 8,000 residents; the number of lawyers was said to be as great as Oklahoma City, which had 140,000 residents. David Grann: Killers of the Flower Moon | National Archives Thought that involved a certain level of forgiveness and understanding. You know, it's fascinating because you spoke with grandchildren of this era, and they would bring you documents and in some cases stories that they had heard of crimes that we didn't know about. It was very easy for the powerful to buy the law, to tilt the scales of justice. Register now and get started. In 1923 alone "the tribe took in more than thirty million dollars, the equivalent today of more than four hundred million dollars. GRANN: So, yes, the Osage were typical of many American-Indian nations. On May 27, 1921, local hunters discovered the decomposing body of 36-year-old Anna Brown in a remote ravine of Osage County. Following the shooting of a cousin less than two years later, Mollies sister Rita and her husband were killed when an explosion reduced their house to kindling. There was an enormous amount of prejudice. One night, there was a loud explosion in the community. Tell us that story. He showed up in Washington, D.C., and he brought with him a Bible and a pistol. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Juni 2022. GRANN: So - yeah. His accomplice, Bryan Burkhart, another nephew, had turned state's evidence. We'll talk about how J. Edgar Hoover's FBI handled the murders after we take a short break. [1] The Bureau of Investigation (BOI), the preceding agency to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), found a low-level market in contract killers to kill the Osage for their wealth. [1] However, newer investigations indicate that other suspicious deaths during this time could have been misreported or covered up murders, including people who were heirs to future fortunes.[2]. GRANN: At one point, they released an outlaw, a man named Blackie - very appropriately - who they hoped to use as an informant.