Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1876-07-26

Simon speedily disposed Of the first
class of duties con6dcd to him, viz
The alleged debts Of the winnebagocs.
Wherever Broadhead could buy sup.
posed creditors claim at . heavy shave,
he did so; and where he could not buy,
no bulled tho creditor into employing
him as an attorney to present it,'rcp-
rcscnting that unless no was employed
the claim would certainly bc rejected,
These arrangements complete, tho trad.
crs held a meeting under Broadhcad's
overshadowing and protecting wing,
and resolvcd that some Wimebago
unmcntionci owed each one Of them a
certain sum. This was altogether sat
isiactory TO Simon and ho freely grant
cd the certificates Of tho commission
on the strength OF these resolutions
II was not considered worth while TO
ascertain the namc Of the debtor. No
items were required. No books, notes,
memoranda, or other evidence Of in
debtedness were demanded by this
liberal minded commission. The claim
would be stated thus:
"The winnebago Nation OF Indians to -
DR.. 10 amount due for losses on goods sold from
--, 1919, to - -, 1881, s..
And this was quite sufficient for
Simon. Hsbroad, Judicial mind would
not stoop TO trifing details; and Broad.
head, standing there an advocate, with
his pockets stuffed with assignments
and contracts for collection, speedily
cleared mp every donbt respecting the
validity of these singular accounts.
The division of tho 800, 900 among
The halfbeed relatives was conducted
in q manner even moro shameless than
this. Simon made an arbitrary division
Of them into three classes. Those for
whom Broadhead appeared were put
in the first-class, and received the arg.
est dividend. Those for whom Lock.
wood or Dansman--cerlain conieder.
ates OF Broadbead-appeared, were put
in the second and those who came
with their simple little case, and no
attorney but the members Of this high.
minded commission, We're placed in the
third class, and got little or nothing.
Under the treaty, and under the in
structions OF tho Department, Simon
was bound to pay to each individual
Indian the sum due him, and take his
receipt for it, except in cases of minors
and orphans, where il was to be paid
to trustworthy" persons, as father or
uncle OF claimant, who should be select
ed with the advice and consent Of the
chiefs. And yet when the business
was done it was asccrtained that out
OF ninety.two Indians, TO whom distri-
button was made, only thirteen received
certificates for their own money, either
by themselves or parents. Nineteen
certificates were given TO "so-callcd
trustees" as Major Hitchcock put it,
and sixty to attorneys in fact. Broad.
head had the bulk of the claims, and
Middletown bank notes, IS. Cameron,
Cashier were thick as autumn leaves,
For instance, Broadhead bought of
John Baptist Peon the claim Of his
two minor children for $500, and re.
ceived Simon's certificate and draft for
$4,000. After the Commissioners left
the place, private docket was found
in their room wherein every claim for
which Broadhcad appeared was marked
allowed, and, if it was that of halt
breed, placed in the first class.
In the meantime the money to pay
tho halfbrecds had been sent up to
Prairie Du Chicn by Hitchcock. But
nothing was further from Simon's vir-
tuous intention than TO have this money
disbursed there. Such a course would
have deprived the spectators of every
o,o,,aa No.. tal,;n,, ,,o,,a,.. .f ottorno,,
ASSIGNMENTS. and trustecships. II the
money ana inc commission ana .ne
INDIANS shou'd al DC Drought .oge'ner
AZ rrairie Du onleh' 'nero cou'd DC no
possible excuse Tor not paying each