Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-02-08
POOR PLACE FOR A COURT.
Refugees, Barbarians and DesperadOes
the only Material for Juries I'm
the Indian Territory.
A Country where Defendants Assas-
sinate the Jurors and Witnesses
Tho Testimony.
New York TrIhuns.l

New York TrIbuns.l
WAsHINGTOE, February 2-Numer-
Gus citizens Of Arkansas nave sent to
congress q remonstrance a2ainst the es-
ta5lishmsnt Of q United States court in
the Indian Territory. They base their
objections To this court on the following
grounds; First, they say that of the
seventy thousand Indians in the Terri
tory about fifty thousand are not famil-
lar enough with the English language
to make them competent jurors. Sec
Ondly, the negro population Of the Ter
ritOry, having before the war not only
been slaves themselves, but subject to an
unciviliZed race, they are even less in
telligent than the freedmen ia the SOUTH
era Statee, and are therefore totally un.
Ii 10 act as Jurors. Thirdly, Of the
white population OF the Territory, it is
alleged hat about seventy per cent. are
refugees from justice from States the re-
QUESTIONS OF whose governors DO not run
into the Territory. Eolrthly, these des-
peradOes, with their followers among the
more vicious and uncivilized Indians,
are allegei 10 have organized system
Of terrorism which, il not positively en-
cOursged, is certainly not rebuked by
the Iudian politicians, who find profit
in the existing condition OF affairs; and
this utterly tOTbids anything approach
Jog freedom OF eGpres giOn or action, and
would render the administration Of
justice by fitting Jurors living in the
Territory simply imprsctiCable. Filthy,
bscause from three to five witnesses be-
fore the district court at Fort Smith,
Arkansa', are assassinated every year
between the semi-annual terms; for this
reason the witnesses rarely appear vol
UNFAIRLY, and, when constrained to ap-
pear, il is believed that in many in
stances their apprehension Of personal
danger is so gielt SIS TO deter them from
testifying u the whole Truth, if indeed
il does not impel them TO testify to the
opposite OF the truth. SiXthly, because
there have been sssassinsted in the In
dian Territory twenty-three deputy
marsha.s since 1865, and tWenty.seven
others have been wounded. Seventhly,
becsuse there have been issued from the
district court at Fort Smith, during the
past year one hundred and fifteen Writs
against persons in the Indian Territory,
accused either OF murder or OF as.
ssuIting with intent TO kill, and
vet the court has jurisdiction of
scarcely one tenth of the cases that
arise, since Il can take cogniZance only
OF cases where white persons are con-
cerned. For al these reasons the eiti-
zsns of Arkansas who sign ed the remon-
Stance feel authorized to assert that an
attempt to establish Federal court in
the Indian Territory while in its present
condition, and with its present popula-
u0n, would Prove a failure. II would
bring about an era OF assassination of
Jurors, witnesseJ, msrshals, lawyers,
etc unprecedented in the annals OF even
this Indian Nation. 1t would render
protection of lives and property OF the
better cisss of Indians even mole preca-
riOus than it low is. Ii would intensity
existing terrorism. 1t would in short,
they insist, be a cruelty as inexcusable
sE il would be extreme, and would be at
tended with very great pecunisry cost.
Four Persons Perish i'm burning
Building.
LASALLE, ILL, February 6.-NeWs
has been received that ths dwelling OF
q Gorge Heindle, near H0msyville, in
Bureau cCuuty, was burned FRIDAY night.
Nr Heicdle, wife sBd Two children per-
lshsd 10 the flames. A daughter nil e.
Teen yCa.s Cid Narrowly escaped by
jumping from the secOnd-stOTy window,