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Murder of Constance Cartier by Nazarre La Flamme
February 1890

19 February 1890, Deadwood Daily Pioneer, Wednesday edition The Elk Creek murder account of which was given exclusively in yesterday's Pioneer will be made subject of a coroner's inquest today. No particulars further than those given yesterday, which indeed were full enough, have yet been learned. 20 February 1890, Sturgis Advertser, Thursday edition, Meade County During the latter part of November Constance Cartier, killed by Nazarre La Flamme last Friday, sent up his last will and testament to the register's office to be recorded, where it now is. It is supposed to be made out in favor of a nephew, living in another part of the country. Cartier had no relatives in the hills. 20 February 1890, Sturgis Advertiser, Thursday edition; , Meade County A Sad Affair Last Friday afternoon a feud of long standing between certain settlers on Upper Elk creek was brought to a sudden and sad termination by the killing of one of the active participants in the case. For several years past Constance Cartier and Nazarre La Flamme have lived as neighbors to each other, but without any of that mneighborly love for each other that is generally found among those who have struggled hard and labored early and late for many years in trying to settle up and develop a new country. For a long time past they have been bitter enemies on account of differences araising over the possession of certain lands. Many and many times have they passed hard words back and forth, and many times have ugly threats been made by each. Both had their friend, and as a consequence, the French settlement of which they were a part has been in a state of unrest on account of the enmity. The trouble culminated Friday afternoon. There are always two sides to every question and this is no exception. From the friends of Cartier we learn that the two men met, had a very loud and angry discussion, in the French language. Hard words and threats passed back and forth. Cartier stood with an axe over his shoulder. Suddenly LaFlamme picked up a heavy stone and hurled it at Cartier, missing him. When he saw he had missed his man, he threw a short billet of wood. This also missed the mark. Grabbing another heavy club he rushed toward Cartier and threw the weapon with all his force. This was more effective, as it caught Cartier alongside of the head, on the right side, cutting through the ear and crushing in the skull. La Flamme, on seeing what he had done, walked away leaving Cartier laying on the ground, where he laid until his friends removed him to his cabin. Saturday morning, Sheriff Souter and Coroner Cheney went down to the settlement and removed Cartier - who was still alive but insensible - to this city and brought up LaFlamme and committed him to jail. The latter was placed under $5,000 bond to await the result of the injuries of Cartier. During Sunday night Cartier died at the Sheridan house, never having regained consciousness. Sheriff Sonter immediately took charge of LaFlamme and confined him. Coroner Cheney and Dr. Smith held a post-mortem examination Monday afternoon, in the presence of the coroner's jury, and the skull was found to have been terribly crushed and broken and large clots of blood resting upon the brain, enough to have caused death almost instantaneously. After the post-mortem the body was turned over to Undertaker Cornwell who interred it yesterday afternoon. There is another sied to the story, told by the friends of La Flamme, and others. It is to the effect that the two men met and had an angry dispute. Cartier, having an axe, advanced toward La Flamme in a threating manner. La Flamme warned him not to approach. He kept on coming, when La Flamme threw a rock to stop him, but it had no effect. Another stone thrown did not stop the angry man. As a last resort LaFlamme threw the club of wood, which, in the end, resulted in the death of Cartier. Eye-witnesses claim La Flamme guiltless as he was compelled to do as he did to save himself. Other witnesses claim he could have escaped without committing the act he did. Between the two stories the court will have to decide. The coroner's jury, composed of H. C. Ash, Charles French, and John Woods, met yesterday afternoon and, after a full investigation brought in a verdict to the effect that Cartier met his death from wounds received from a club thrown by the hands of Nazarre La Flamme. The case at the best is a very sad one. Both were men near the end of life, Cartier 72 years of age and LaFlamme about 65 or 68. La Flamme is a man of family while Cartier was a bachelor or widower. Both were old timers in the Hills, having come here in 1877-8. The cause of the whole trouble was the avariciousness of both men, each wanting what the other had. The killing is the result. It should be a lasting lesson to the balance of the settlers of that section, who by it ought to learn to settle their troubles in some other way than by taking life. 20 February 1890, Deadwood Daily Pioneer, Thursday edition The Coroner's Inquest Coroner Cheney summoned a jury yesterday and held an inquest at Sturgis over the remains of C. Cartier, who died Monday morning from the effects of a blow received at the hands of N. La Flamme. The verdict was in accordance with the facts as published in the Pioneer. La Flamme is still in jail, and will have his preliminary examination before Justice Jewett on Monday next. 20 February 1890, Black Hills Daily Times, Thursday edition. The City Henry Frawley went to Sturgis last evening to prepare for the examination of La Flamme on Monday. 21 February 1890, Black Hills Weekly, Friday edition, Rapid City, Pennington County From Tuesday's Daily - A Tragedy One Elk Creek Farmer Inflicts Injuries Uon Another Which Results in a Fatality Last Friday afternoon C. Cartier, better known as "Old Frenchy," an Elk Creek farmer, met N. La Flamme, another farmer living on the stream, in front of the farm house of Rock Poirier. Both men stopped and commenced an animated conversation in the French language. They had been talking very long, according to an eye witness, before La Flamme stooped down and picked up a rock and threw it at Cartier, who had an ax on his shoulder. The rock missed its mark, and La Flamme, catching up a billet of wood, threw it at Cartier. This also missed him, Cartier not having moved from his tracks or made a hostile demonstration. La Flamme, after throwing the billet of wood, picked up another, and going closer hurled it with great force at the old man. This time the aim was true and it struck Cartier on the side of the head, cutting his ear in two and fracturing his skull. Bystanders who had witnessed the commencement of the trouble at this juncture reached the men in time to interfere with La Flamme before he could inflict further injury on his victim. Cartier was picked up and carried to his home. He regained consciousness for a few moments and then relapsed into insensibility. He died yesterday morning about ten o'clock from the effects of his injuries. La Flamme, when he saw how badly he had hurt Cartier, expressed great sorrow that his anger had led him to such an extent and pleaded that he was forced to it by the injured man, who was of a quarrelsome disposition and who had repeatedly tried his temper. The trouble which led to the sad fatality had been engendered over some land matters. La Flamme and Cartier, both old-time settlers in the Black Hills, have always been considered good citizens and well liked. La Flamme, when he heard the result of his blow, proceded to Sturgis and gave himself up, and is now in jail at that place. 22 February 1890, Black Hills Daily Times, Saturday edition Henry Frawley, retained as counsel for La Flamme, charged with the murder of Cartier, the Elk Creek Ranchman, appeared with his client before the committing magistrate at Sturgis yesterday. Examination will take place next Monday. The plea will be self defense, accused stating that Cartier attacked him with an ax, when he knocked him down with a billet, fracturing the skull for a distance of five inches. 25 February 1890, Deadwood Daily Pioneer,  Tuesday edition Preliminary examination of N. La Flamme for murder of C. Cartier commenced before Justice Jewett yesterday. H. Frawley for the defense, and District Attorney Harvey for the state. The examination will be continued and probably concluded today . 25 February 1890, Sturgis Weekly Record, Tuesday edition, Meade County The La Flamme - Cariier Case The local officers of the land office have been notified that the commissioner had ordered a rehearing of the old case of Nazarre La Flamme verse Constance Cartier. The case was ordered reopened by the commissioner because of an affidavid made by Cartier before his death that La Flamme was trying to get a patent on the land, not for himself, but for other parties to whom he had some time ago disposed of all his right, title, and interest in and to the land in dispute, and the case will now be tried on that issue. The case involves title to but forty acres of land, and has been before the land office for a number of years. Both parties to it have expended a great deal of money in the contest, and it has been instrumental to the killing of one of the contestants by the other. The land involved in the dispute is not worth the trouble it has caused, certainly not worth the life which was given up in the struggle for its possession. 27 February 1890, Black Hills Weekly, Friday edition, Rapid City, Pennington County Land Office Cartier-La Flamme Case Again Decided The following business was trans acted before the United States land office in this city yesterday. Word was received at the local land office yesterday that the celebrated case of Cartier versus La Flamm, about which columns have appeared in the different Black Hills papers, has again been decided. The commissioner of the general land office affirms the decision of the local land office in favor of La Flamme. It is still possible to appeal the case to the secretary of the interior but it is not thought that it will be done. If it is not, this is probably the last appearance in public of a case which has been tried and retried a number of times in the last ten years. in the local and general land office; a case out of which has resulted a more than lifelong feud among the families directly interested as well as arraying former against each other in the neighborhood in which the forty acres in dispute is situated; and a case which caused the killing of one and the confinement in the penitentiary of the other principal is it. 28 February 1890, Sturgis Record, Friday edition, Pennington County The La Flamme Case The preliminary examination of N. La Flamme for the killing of Cartier on Elk Creek occured Monday. Henry Frawley appearing for the defense. The trial occupied the entire day, and was concluded until about nine o'clock that night when defendant was held without bail to the grand jury which meets in May. District Attorney Harvey prosecuted with his usual vigor, and even then didn't turn loose all the evidence he has in hand. The defendant, through counsel, indicated that an application for bail would be made to the circuit judge, but it is hardly probable any action will be taken. 30 May 1890, The Journal, Friday edition, Rapid City, Pennington County The grand jury for Meade county in session at Sturgis, has found an indictment for murder against La Flamme for the killing of Cartier on Elk creek a short time ago. 6 June 1890, The Sturgis Weekly Record, Friday edition, Pennington County Circuit Court Hon. C. M. Thomas, Presiding Sessions of circuit court have been badly broken up during the past week by a legal holiday, absent witnesses, delayed trains, etc. It is no fault of Judge Thomas or State's Attorney Harvey, but a combination of circumstances impossible to avoid. The La Flamme case occupied the attention of the court for three days. The jury went out about 6 o'clock Monday evening and until Thursday morning were not heard from. Yesterday morning it appeared in court and reported a verdict of manslaughter but naming no degree. The court could not accept this and sent the jury back again. 8 June 1890, Black Hills Daily Times, Sunday edition, Meade County Circuit Court The Term For Meade County Cases The first term of the Eighth circuit court in and for Meade county closed yesterday, all business having been disposed of. The most important case tried was that of Nazarre La Flamme, charged with the murder of a neighbor named Cartier. A family feud had long existed and encounters occured whenever the parties met. During one of the melees, La Flamme threw a heavy stick of wood striking and crushing in Cartier's skull. At trial, accused interposed a plea of self-defense, but without avail.After a retirement of ninety-six hours, forty-eight of which were on bread and water diet, the jury returned a verdict of manslaughter in the first degree. La Flamme was sentenced to five years imprisonment. A stay of execution for ten days was granted. Henry Frawley conducted the defense for all there was in it, while Tom Harvey displayed great force and ability as states attorney. 13 June 1890, Deadwood Daily Pioneer, Tuesday edition Nazarre La Flamme, convicted of manslaughter at Sturgis and sentenced to five years in the pen, was taken down the road Sunday. He was well satisfied with the result of the trial and thanked his attorneys, Mr. Frawley of Deadwood and Mr. Gardner of Rapid, for their efforts in his behalf. It is said by those who witnessed the trial that the defense was very ably conducted, otherwise the verdict would have been murder in the first or second degree. 13 June 1890, The Sturgis Weekly Record, Friday edition, Meade County Meade County's First Sheriff Souter left Sunday afternoon for Sioux Falls with the first contingent ever sent from Meade county to the state penitentiary. Three unfortunate men were taken for crimes of the worst degrees. Nazarre La Flamme, whom everybody pitied, went down for five years for murder. Joseph Smythe, deputy, went along to assist Sheriff Souter. 13 June 1890, Black Hills Weekly, Friday edition, Rapid City, Pennington County For the Penitentiary Among passengers on the east bond express Sunday evening was Sheriff Souter of Meade county, having in his charge three prisoners sentenced to terms of confinement in the state penitentiary at Sioux Falls. Among the prisonerz33Qs was N. La Flamme, who will have to serve a five years' sentence for the killing of Cartier on Elk creek a short time ago. The judge had allowed him twenty days in which to arrange his business affairs before he entered upon his term of imprisonment, but Mr. La Flamme thought that the sooner he commenced upon it, the sooner he would have it served out, and at his request the sheriff took him along with the other prisoners, but unlike the other, he was not manacled or shackled, and had the freedom of the car. The sheriff did not at first wish to take him with him, but La Flamme insisted that if the county would pay his fare he would go to the penitentiary and give himself up to the warden, and everyone acquainted with the man believes it would have been perfectly safe to have allowed him to have done so. He was met at the depot by his attorney and a large number of Rapid City friends."