, 1879-04-04
AN ACT OF UNNECESSARY CRUELTY.

AN ACT OF UNNECESSARY CRUELTY.
Tho story Of tho Ponoa Indiana, now held
IS prisoners Of war al Fort Omaha, pending
thoir removal sonth, is pitiab1o one. There
lnay be graye REASONS for removing them Of
which tho public is not aware, but, whatever
The roasons may be, tho case Is mono tho loss
pitioblo, aud has already aroused the deepest
sympathy among tho people Of Omaha,
which has taken shapo in petition to the
Secretary Of tho Interior, headed by tho
Baptist, Methodist, Presby ytarian, and Con-
ministers, asking him to resoind
tho orlor. Thern are but a handful Of those
Indians. They aro not hostile. They havo
committed no crimes. They havo 1ivod |
pcacoably upon their farms, have worked /
hard, and have supported themselves and !
their families, Their Agency was originally |
on the edge Of Dakota, where thoy had good |
firms, houses, schools, and church. Thoy
were not hostile to tho whites; on tho othor |
haud, they suffered 60 much from tho raids |
of tile Sioux that thoy went to tho Omaha |
Agency. Prior to this they had been Or
dored to tho Indian Territory, and some
Of them went. Those who remained
and aro now: hold prisoners soon becamo
lonesome, apd went down to the Territory
to sec thoir kinsmen. As soon rs thoy hnd
loft, tho Agent took AWAY all thnir farming
implements, and they have never seen them
since. When they arrived in the Territory
they wore not allowed to leavo. Thoy
nearly starved, and had to beg from the
other tribes. They could not stand tho
warm climate, md sickness broke out among
thom In Il short timo LEO Of their number
diod, and then in sheer desperation they took
their sick ones md went bnck to their old
Agency, whore they woro arrested, aud Con-
Qaoog was ordered 10 return them to the
Indian Territory.
The Omaha Herald OF tho 10th inst. prints
several columns Of interviews with their
Chiofs, Us vol as Of interviews between Con.
CnooK and STANDING Bean, tho head Chief,
and their statements cannot bo raad without
fceling Of profound pity for thom. They
aro evidently superior class Of Indians in
intelligence and industry. The interpreter
informed tho utraM tint wAan they
were arrested they had good houses
and farms, mud woro working hard md
supporting themselves Evcry head Of
family had house. They had big field,
over thousand acros. broke up by tho Gov
ernment. They had corn-plows stirring
plows, Neutrality-suspicious., mowingma.
chinea, reapors, n good school-houso holding
fifty or sixty children, q church with n Meth
odist preacher (whito), aud saw-mill, grist-
mill, and blacksmith shop" Everything was
taken from them by the soldiers, aud they
wore forcibly removed from their peaceful
homes and prosperous folds under orders to
90 to country where it hns already boon
shown they cannot live, and whore tho death
Of tho whole Of thonl-thero aro but four
toon men aud twelyo women and girls-is
but question Of timo, and worry short time
at that, as gotne Of them a1o now siok md In
no condition to be movsd. 4 few oxtrnots
from tue simple but thrillingly eloquent np-
goals OF thcso Indians will show tho docp
injustioe Of tAoir taking-oh. TA-zuA.pur
e. Buffalo Chip y said;
"We agreed that wc would raiao cattle, horses.
! r!gs, and all kinds Of stock. We said we would
isarn to plow; We would build houses out Of wood !;
we would learn 10 do Ilka tho white people. They
always hava good clothes and enough to sat. We
told tho men tho osoat Father sent 70 talk to us
that VIC wouau 90 ma yeass aeo' W. aesc kep1
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TO liye an ths 0o1etnmsnt, Va want to sunuof
ourselves. we commence to p'ow and SOW wheat,