Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1873-05-09
MONT4NA,s INDIAN RING.

a corr spontfeht Of the New York Sun.
writing fl ON Helena, under date of March,
10Th, weaves quite little ronance sof tour
columns. pisrporting TO be anextosc OF the
operations of the Indian Ring Of Montana.
lie secms perfectly familiar with the subject,
and We have no doubt that much OF The article
gives facts, bnt we know from personal know
ledge that much OF it is untrue TO make
his article smooth, and tiesronnections per-
feet. this correspondent fails to separate the
good from the bad--the innocent from the
guilty-and IN order to place the former ia
tile same category with the latter, he resorts
10 falsehoods, known 10 be such by large
number of our people, which strips the
whole Of credibiity. We know that there
have been heavy pecnlations in this Indian
business, the most gigantic being that allud-
ed to by this respondent-the disposition
of the enormous appropriation of $7oO,OOO
for the Teton Sioux and the Indians at Milk
River. That gross swindle was pelpetrated
upon the Government and the IndiMs We are
not prepared to deny, but we do deny that
the statements of this correspondent rs to
who got the stcalings are correct. We believe
that the Indian appropriations 90 far as they
relate to the { tablshed agencies OF this Ter
ltory, have been honestly applied. The APP
preparation alluded to aboye--that of S750, GOO
for the Teton Sioux and Milk River Indians
was obtained through the influence of out
siders principally. as a gigantic swindlc, and
they "got away with it."i What connection
Wall, Simmons, Ciagett ana Judd had with
lit we do not know, but the mention Ct Col.
Black as one Of the recipients ofany part of
the proceeds of this grand swindle, directly
or Indirectly is ali lnmitigated falsehood. The
Iowa Indian Ring fought Col. Black from the
first moment these bids were advertised, and
haying Col, Wall, the Superintendent, at its
head, the proposals, instead OF being con i'd
cred in the regular order, ona given to legitl-
mate bidders, weie apportioEed out among
the ring, Col. Black and others being ruled
out. The fling at Major Pcasc, the present
Crow Agent, shows so much private spleen,
without giving any cause Tor alluding to him
at all, leads Us ig the conclusion that the
writer wished only to vent his private malice
by bringing Major Peasc before the people in
connection with the dishonorable acts OF
othels, for which he is not responsible nor in
any way connected. We will in this conliec-
ton say this in regard to the Crow Indians,
the appropriate rs, etc, male for them, and
the disposal of the same. During the past
four years Col. Black, Maj Camp and Maj.
Pease liaye successfully acted as sgclts, and
Col Black most OF the time as contractor
for furnishing supplies ard transportation,
and we are cognizant of the tact that the
Crows have not only lad what Government
allowed them, but in some instances Col.
Black cxtendt d their allowance when occa-
sion required it on his own responsibility,
trusting to the lberality OF the Government
and his own integrity, which was well known
and recognized by the Department, for re-
cornpense. And we know thar under thead-
Of Maj. Peasc the Grows have
every thing allowed them by the Govern
ncnt. which is really in excess OF their pres
ent wants, being unable recently. on reinoy-
ng to their. summer camp on the lower
Yellowstone, to transport their supplies.