Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1876-08-31
from the Portsmouth Tribune.l
HON. HENRY 8. MEALS SER
VICES In EXPOSING
FRAUDS
Perpetrated by Indian Agents.

Indian Agencies. He found nothing
wrong. DELANo was compelled t.
retire from public life in disgrace
1t is not safe to send a man in whom
CoLuMBUs DELANo confided, and who
did his bidding, to the halls Of Con
gress."-TImes.
Since the publication of the above
unjust insinuation against the char
acter of our candidate for Congress
Mr.. Neal, we have taken the pain:
to procure q copy of the report made
by him in the investigation of frauds
committed in the issuance of half
breed scrip, under treaties made by
the Government with the Chippewa
Indians September 20, 1854, April 2
1868, and April IL, 1864.
The report was made September
4th, 1871, and is embodied in House
Ex. Doc, 1913, Forty-second Con-
gress, second session. 1t being too
lengthy to print in full, we make the
following extracts therefrom, stating
that the report itself is in our office
for the use of any who may be inter
ested in further examination of it.
1t appears that the Chippewas
have been for many years divided
into several and distinct bands, as
follows: The Chippewas, of Lake
Superior and the Mississippi, who
range around Lake Superior and
east of the Mississippi River; the
pillage bands, Red Lake and Pembi-
ma bands, who inhabit Western Min
nesota and Eastern Dakota as far
north sthe Canada border.
September Both, 1854, treaty was
made with the Lake Superior and
Mississippi bands, which contained,
among other things, the following
provision:
Each head of family or single
person over twenty-one years of age
at the present time, of the mixed
bloods, belonging to the Chippewas
of Lake Superior, shall be entitled to
eighty acres of land, to be selected
by them, under direction of the Presi-
dent, and which shall be secured to
them by patent in the usual FORM"
June 10, 1856, the Commissioner
of Indian affairs decided that the fol-
lowin g classes of persons were en-
titled: "Each head of a family or
single person over twenty-one years
of age, females over twenty-one years
of age being single persons, as well
as widows heads of families" and
that the term "mixed bloods' inclu-
ded all persons having mixture of
Indian and white blood.
Under this ruling H. G. Gilbert,
Indian Agent at La Point, Wiscon-
sin, prepared with much care list
of all persons entitled to land under
this clause, containing 278 names.
Hon. 7. A. Hendricks, then Commis
sioner of the General Land Office, re-
fused to issue certificates to these
parties, expressing the opinion that
''the plan, if adopted even Temporal
rily, would be fraught with many
evil results" and that patents should
be issued to the reserves and MOTTO
assignees.
1t being found impracticable to do
this, the Secretary CT the Interior
approved the recommendation of the
Commissioner of Indian Affairs that
land scrip be issued to ''mixed .bloods
of Chippewas of Lake Superior, as
residing among or contiguous to va
rious bands of these Indians, as dis
tinguished from the Chippewas of the
Mississippi
Afteward, September 3, 1857, Hon.
M. M. Rice, Democratic Senator of
Minnesota, asked for re-examination
of this ruling, which was declined by
the Secretary of the Interior. Again,
in March, 1868, Mr.. Rice made
similar request of Mr.. VIM. P. Dole,
then Commissioner of Indian AZ
fairs, who recommended change in
ruling so as to admit as beneficiaries
"all mixed-blood persons who had
been connected with the Chippewas
of Lake Superior, whether residing
among or contiguous to Chippewas
of Lake Superior or not" This was
assented to by Hon. j. P. Upsher,
Secretary of the Interior.
Here the foodgates of fraud and
corruption were opened, not again to
be closed until the report made by
Mr. Neal and his associated, in 1871.
In 1870 H. F. Crowell, of st.
Paul, was appointed Special Com
missioner to ascertain what persons
were still entitled to scrip under the
provisions of this treaty. In 1871
he made partial report, and in May,
1871, Mr.. Neal, together with Mr..
Crowell, E. p. Smith and S. N.
Clark-the two latter being agents
were appointed Special Commis-
sion not only to ascertain who were
entitled. but also to examine into the
frauds committed in the applications
before made. In September, 1871,
Messrs. Neal, Smith and Clark made
their report as follows:
"That Luther E. Webb, agent at
BAYFIELD,, Wisconsin, took into his en-
ploy certain men, one of whom he
procured to be elected Justice of the
Peace, and prepared large number
of fraudulent applications, which
were witnessed by two of his con-
federates, verified by this justice,
and certified by Mr.. Webb. On
these applications he secured the is
suance of 1919 pieces of scrip, which
he sold at the rate of $3.50 per acre
and one half of any profit thereon
that might be made by his assignee "
"A portion of these applications
were made in Washington City, and
of course the names of the pretend
ed applicants were forged; some be-
ing dead at the time, others never
having any existence. Other par
ties, prominent citizens of Minnesota,