The Shasta courier. [volume] (Shasta, Calif.) 1852-1872, 1853-05-07
THE SHASTA COURIER.
The Indian Comm;..ioners.

The Indian Commissioners.
1t will be remembered that Lieut.. Edward F..
Beale arrived in this State in the month of Sep
TENDER last, in the capacity of Superintendent OF
Indian Affairs in California; in which position
he was required by law to exercise adminis-
trative examination over all claims and accounts,
and vouchers for disbursements. connected with
Indian affairs in the State of California :" and
also exercise general supervision over the ''of-
fetal conduct and accounts of the Indian agents
within his superintendency and also to dis
charge the duties of superintendent in relation
to the Indians themselves
In his report to the Commissioner of Indian
Affairs, he makes such disclosures as one might
well imagine would shame the devil himself
The manner in which parties connected with
the Indian Commission dispursed the funds of
National Government, is absolutely disgraceful
to the nation 1t humbles ones pride as an
American citizen to know that such unmitiga-
ted scoundres have ever occupied the position
of agent for the Federal Government. AS spe
cilnen of the manner in which these swindles
Statement mad. by Colonel Williams to the un-
dersisned, this 9TH day of June, 1859:
That DR.. Wozencraft proposed to Colonel
Williams that he would give to him (Nillams)
the contract for supplying the Indians with $500
head Of beeves upon the following conditions:
each beef to weigh 500 pounds at 1913 cents per
pound, or S62.50 each, provided he (Williams)
would pay to Wozencratt one-half the profits af-
ter allowing Williams $40 head each, which
Williams refused To do, but afterwards agreed TO
pay Wozencrait $25 900 for said contract as
above mentioned: and which agreement was
reduced to wiring by Wozencratt, and read by
him to Williams, which Williams signed without
reading, surprising the contents to be as read by
Wnzencrait. Upon IA subsequent interview al
San Francisco, Williams found the paper signed
by him to be in accoi dance with the first propo
sition of W ozencratt, Gas above) and not agreea-
BILE to the one subsequently, agreed upon, which
he signed, believing it TO be rs read by Wozen-
craft, for SIS 900 that he (Williams) refused to
| comply with said agreements; whereupon
Wozencratt said he should consider the contract
void, as he could do better
C. s. LOWELL.
G.. A. STURGEs.
With respect to Mr.. Barbour and the delivery
to the Indians of the cattle received from Colo
mel Fremont, and for which drafts We're given,
it would appear by the accompanying documents
that very small part only went to the Indians.
The agent, after receiving the cattle from Colo
mel Fremont, having put them in the of all
Indian trader named Savage, since killed in some
atfray, who converted the greater part OF them
to his own use. The following statement made
TO me by the person employed by Savage to de-
liver cattle to the Indians, will show the nature
and extent of this nalversation
Official statement of Joel H. Brooks to Superin-
dent Beale, dated San Francisco, September
81, 1852.
On or about the 29th of August. 1851, was
appointed by Major james Savage, the Indian
trader on the Fresno to take charge Of nineteen
hundred head of cattle that were delivered to
the Indian agents, Barbour and Johnson. by Col.
J. c. Fremont, on the river San joaquin.
My instructions from Savage were, that
when delivered cattle on the San Joaquin and
King river, and to other more southern Indians,
| WIS to take receipts for donble the number ac-
tually delivered, and to make second deliv-
cry In any should return to the baud; and
when to Indians on the Fresno, to deliver one
third less than were receip pied for. also had
orders to sell ali beef could to miners which
] did to the amount of about $3.50 $780, and
TO deliver cattle to his clerks. to be sold to the
Indians OH the San Joaquin, at twenty-five
cents per h.; aud know that such sales were
made to those indians
In October 1 received written order from
Savage to deliver to Alexander Cooley seventy
eight head of cattle, to be driven to the mines,
aud there sold to miners and others was al
SO requested in the same communication TO de-
stroy the order soon read-which was
done, after had read it aloud in the presence
of Cooley p. Rainbolt. Jose de Sofas and Theo-
dore McNabb. In November | received a SINH
lar order to deliver 10 Cooley four hundred and
fifty head. which done. The best of these
were to be sold AS soon as possible and the re-
mainder to be bearded by Cooley elsewhere.
About the last of November or first of December
| moved the cattle in my possession on to the
river Fresno and delivered to P. Ranbot, a
person appointed by Savage to receive them.
eight hundred head. | also gave to Savage re-
ceipts 10 the number of seventeen hundred head.
which had taken from the Indians. After the
cattle went on the Fresno, none were ever de-
Evered to The more southern Indians, although
| know that Tom Kit the chief of the tribe on
the San joaquin, frequently sent after them.
Some sent to the Indians working for
Savage Coarse Gold Gulch, and others to
stock his rancho on the San .Joaqnin.
Uia had charge of that rancho, and was a
partner OF Savage's, and have seen some of the
cattle had charge of in their corral
81 give the above account to E. +. Beale, SUI
perntendent of Indian Affairs, and intend it as
official statement"
JOEL H. Brooks.
Our REPRESENTATIVES, AT WAsHiSGToN.-A