The New York herald., 1875-09-13
THE INDIAN FRAUDS.
The Testimony of Samuel Walker Be-
fore the Commission.
THE ENUMERATION AT RED CLOUD.
The Methods Of Dcfrauding the Government
and the Indians Explained.
wAsHISGrov, Sept. II, l


The investigation into the alleged mismanagement
and frauds in connection with the administration of
affairs at the Red Cloud Indian Agency was continued
yesterday. All the Commissioners were present and
also Professor Marsh and the Commissioner Of Indian
Affairs The day was devoted TO the examination OF
Samuel Walker who, well the Professor and Mr..
William Welsh, has given good deal Of attention TO
the subject Mr.. Walker clerk TO the Board OF
Indian Commissioners and occasionally acting secretary
and he visited Red Cloud and Spotted Tail agencies in
November 1873, TO examine the condition OF those
agencies 1t partly upon his report that the Com
mission, of which Bishop Hare was chairman,
was appointed TO make more thorough ex-
animation of matters there, includin Mr.. Walk
ers charges. Bishop Hare's Commission reported
that they did find affairs bad Mr. Walker rep
resented. Mr. Walker protests that the evidence col
ected by himself and subsequent developments fully
sustain his charges and suspicious with reference to
frauds and the completely of various persons, ncud
ing notably the responsible officials OF the Interior De-
partment and its Indian Office
WALKERS EXAMINATION.
Mr.. Walker was examined at great length yesterday
upon the grounds for the charges made in his report
first, with reference to his knowledge concerning any
mismanagement Irregularities frauds at the Red
Cloud and Spotted Tail Indian agencies, and then with
reference his knowledge of the alleged completely OF
Indian Affairs in them So far the examination
went he answered all the questions promptly. Mr.
Walker said when he visited the Red Cloud Agency
in November, 1873, the agent DR.. saville
absent, so that he did not him. But he other
persons at the agency and his conclusions the
agency founded information obtained princi-
pally from persons whom he had talked with there,
part of consisting of afdavits to which he referred
the Commissioners He said Otis W. johnson, en-
and vhrca
he could not now remember told him they knew of the
fact of Dr. Saville Withholding from the Indians pro-
visions which he charged to the government having
been issued to them With respect to the agent over
stating the actual number of the Indians for purposes
of fraud in connection with the issue Of sup
that he had counted the number ut the old agency
under DR.. Daniels administration, and there were
not more than 5000 at the most belonging to the Red
Cloud Agency. Red Clouds sonn-law, Nick Janis,
and his brother, Antoine Janis, had also told him,
that they had counted the number but that it
undoubtedly overestimated. Nick Janis gave 1890
lodges-about seven persons to lodge-as the whole
strength OF the Indian population at the Red Cloud
well as the Sioux. Martin Gibbons, who has been
acting agent at Red Cloud, put the number down low
as 900 lodges. This was III November, 1873. Mr..
Walker could not say whether the census of the
Indians, taken under the direction OF the agent,
in November, 1874, year later correct he had
not been there Mt that time and had no positive nor-
nation, but he argued that if the number reported
5000 he believed the actual number to be overest-
mated, because II the actual number was 5000 in 1873
he did not see how the additional 1900 could be
counted for according TO the laws of natural
When he was at the agency from all sources of nor
nation at his command he himself had estimated the
number Of lodges TO be not exceeding 100 nearly
5000 Indians, and unless there very clear
way of accounting for the increase, he would be in
clined TO think that 13 900 was not the correct
enumeration. Still, in answer to questions, Mr.
Walker said other Indians could have come
there since that time Taking the estimated number of
northern or wild Indians upon the authority Of Lone
Horn, an Indian chief who has since been killed, he
could not see how II was possible that the number re-
ported at the agencies could be Increased much
appeared by the official statements He based his CON
clusIon to the number Of Indians there upon state
ments made TO him by the persons he had already
named and also upon those OF Jules Coffee and General
Smith, who then commanding at Fort Laramie
Another for his conclusion that the enumeration
made IN November, 1874, was not correct was the
showing made by comparison of the number
represented the provision returns hav-
ing received rations with the number stated in the
report OF the Commissioner of Indian Affairs to be at.
the agency In 1873 Dr. Savle reported that he issued
ratons TO 49 lodges of about 933 Indians while In
the report OF the Commissioner OF Indian Affairs for that
year the number at the agency, appeared from Sa-
villes own report to the Commissioner did not exceed
5000 Mr. Walker testified AS TO the
CONDITION
furnished and to the general mismanagement of affairs
at the agencies. He went into the cattle question at
length and explained the various ways in which the
government and the Indians defrauded in the fur
nishing Of beef He said that Mr. Steele the delegate
to Congress from Wyoming, had informed him, IN the
early part of 1874 that he could bring forward good
reliable men who could prove that Indian supplies
being sold at Cheyenne.
With reference the charges OF Professor Marsh no
said he had to believe from his knowledge of
affairs in the Interior Department, while Secretary Of
the Board of Indian Commissioners that the Secretary
of tho Interior and the Commissioner OF Indian Affairs
had had the abuses complained of brought their
tention by the Board and in other ways, and
yet had not put stop to them that those officers knew
that the distance for which McCann paid for the
transportation Of supplies to the agencies greater
than the actual distance He detailed the manner in
which illegal payments were made to McCann for his
in other respects The deliveries of cattle
the Red Cloud Agency had also been called the
tenton of the Secretary and the Commissioner by the
Board but without avail He charged that the contrac
tors had been illegally allowed to subet their
other parties, by whom the government had
frauded Mr.. Walkers examination will be ed to-
morrow evening.