Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-10-06
The ORIGIN OF the Outbreak.
Washington Special.

washington SPECIAL.
At the Indian Office much anxiety is felt TO,
the safety of Agent Meeker and other whites
at the agency, respecting whom nothing has
yet been heard. In abiding to efforts which
have been made to create the impression that the
outbreak was in degree owing to the failure OF
the1ndian Office to act upon certain reportswhich
bureau, it was promptly taken up and neces-
sary steps taken to prevent as far as possible
the outbreak.
THE FIRST INITIATION
received of any trouble was on July last
when Gov. Pitkin, of Colorado, telegraphed to
the Indian commissioner as follows:
''Letter from Indian Agent Meeker just re.
ceived. He asks me to appeal to the military,
and says the commander at Fort Steel pays no
attention to his repeated request to keep the
Indians where they belong. He says Chief
Douglass has sent out scouting parties to re-
call his band. The Utes have burned more
timber within the last few weeks than white
settlers have cut in twenty years.
Indian Agent Meeker also advised the Indian
Office that Indians had left their reservation
and were
BURNING LARGE TRACTS OF TIMBER
in North and Middle parks. On the 9th of
July, Commissioner Hayt telegraphed Gov.
OSSAA
quested to send troops to bring the Utes back
to their reservation. On July 7 word was sent
to Agent Meeker to take immediate stops to Sc
cure the return of the Indians to their reserva-
ton, and that under directions of the secretary
Of the interior he was authorized to call on the
military for assistance, if he found such aid
necessary. The earliest report on this question
received from the war department was on Aug.
Is, and its general tenor was more calculated
to produce the impression that the trouble had
been overestimated by the Indian bureau than
to suggest impending danger of serious out
break. It was we'll known by the bureau that
the Indians had
REUSED THE IRE OF SETTLERS
in many instances by destruction of
their property by fires kindled to drive game
to some particular spot and that serions
threats had been made. A communication
from tho war Office, received August Is, con-
the Indians, and stated that though they had
killed plenty of game, these statements were
not credited. The commissioner received a
letter from J. B. Thompson, who resides
somewhere in the vicinity of Middle park.
stating that Utes were burning timber and
property near him, and threatening to burn
his property. Again, on August -, Thomp-
son complained of further depredations, and
advised the department that he proposed to
ascertain if these Indians were not
AMENABLE TO STATE LAWS.
1t is stated Thompson was advised that State
courts had no jurisdiction on the reservation,
but an effort would be made to secure the iden-
LITIGATION and arrest of Indians, in which event
they would be turned over to the civil authori-
ties for punishment. Instructions to this end
were sent to Agent Meeker. It is known that
Thompson, with a sheriff and posse, went to
the agency to make arrests, but couldn't find
the Indians complained Of Subsequently an
other communication was received from
Thompson, in which he complained of damage
done to his property by the Indian bureau.
His letter closed with the following
UNLESS the department takes immediate
steps to punish Indians who have DESTROYED
my property and attempted to burn my house,
l will take such steps in the matter as will at
tract immediate attention.
1t is believed the efforts of Thompson and
other settlers to secure the punishment of
these Indians was the prime cause of the out
break, which the Indian office and war depart
ment had used their utmost endeavors to pre-
vent.