SNIPPET: The Brule tribe was a branch of the Sioux Nation, a group that lived in SD and who, before the arrival of European settlers, led a peaceful existence. Regrettably, however, relations between the Brules and their new neighbors became strained and marked by frequent skirmishes. In 1855, in response to a Brule robbery that ended in the deaths of three white men, General William HARNEY, known to the Native Americans as "White Whiskers Harney," led a punitive expedition against the tribe, killing 85 Brules and taking many more captive. The Brule men pressed for peace, and a conference was arranged for the two sides to air their grievances. Among those present at the talks, though not a part of the negotiating team, was an Irish-born priest, Fr. Joseph TRECY. While the conference was in progress, Fr. TRECY heard a voice call out from the Brule ranks - "Brathair, an bhfuil Gaeilge agat?" TRECY,who had left Ireland in 1835 at the age of 11, recalled enough Irish to translate the plaintive cry as "Brother, can you speak Irish?" Looking into the Brule delegation, which was decked out in full warpaint and clothed in deerskins, he thought better of the notion until the call was repeated. This time he answered in surprise, "Ta, cuid de" - "Yes, a little." At that moment a Brule Indian chief stepped out from the ranks and shook the priest's hand. The Irish-speaking Brule chief, he soon learned, was actually a Tipperaryman who, along with a companion, was wanted in the 1838 killing of an Irish landlord in Tipperary. The two men had escaped to NY, but were trailed by the authorities all the way to MO. In a last-ditch effort to elude captors, they befriended the Brules, learned their language, and before long became chiefs and took wives from among the tribe. Despite feeling welcome in their adopted community, the Irishmen apparently yearned for spiritual nourishment. The meeting with Fr. TRECY allowed them to catch up on their sacraments, and before long the priest had baptized and married 40 Indian families as well. After his departure from the tribe, Fr. TRECY went on to continue his ministry, eventually becoming a chaplain during the American Civil War. He staunchly refused, however, to disclose the identities of the men from Tipperary or the name of the men they had killed. Thanks to the Brule's hospitality and Fr. TRECY's discretion, the Tipperymen were able to escape prosecution, eventually leaving the tribe and along with their wives and children, continue on with their lives in America. The mystery of their identities and the details of their crimes were never resolved. Yet, by the process of elimination, the case comes nearer to closure. There are three recorded cases of killings of landlords in Co. Tipperary in 1838. In two instances men were tried and hanged for the crimes, although a persistent rumor, never proved, suggested that others might have escaped. In the third case, the shooting of Charles O'KEEFE in Thurles, after two early suspects were able to demonstrate their innocence, no additional suspects were ever charged. It is quite possible that the "Sioux chiefs" from Tipperary were the same men who shot Charles O'KEEFE on October 27 1838. Unlike the story of Fr. TRECY, the fate of the Brule, Teton and Yankton tribes of the Sioux Nation is not a happy one. In treaty after broken treaty, they lost their lands and hunting grounds. -- Excerpt, "The World of Hibernia" magazine.