James Somers Biography, Charles Mix County, SD

	This biography is taken from the "Standard Atlas of Charles Mix 
	County" (1906),published by Geo. A. Ogle & Co. Page 53

	Transcribed by Joy Fisher, sdgenweb@yahoo.com and may be copied for 
	non-profit purposes. All other rights reserved.

James Somers occupied the island near Wheeler for a few years which he 
sold in 1869 to Charles Marshall. He had been preceeded on the island by 
Joe Emerson, "stuttering Joe," a shiftless fellow who spent some years 
around Papineau bottom, usually working for others. Somers was the 
notorious character who served as sargeant at arms in the house of the 
"Pony Congress" in 1862. He was an all around tough character, shot the 
sheriff at Yankton, and years later got into an altercation with his 
nephew at Brule City and both were shot and killed.