Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-01-09

Gus other agencies are dealt with in much the
same manner as those respecting the Cheyenne
AID ArrapahOe Agency. The general drift OF
the reply is to the effect that where there has
been any destitution among the Indians it has
either been owing TO Insufficient appropriations
by Congress as in the case OF the Fort Hall
Indians whose allotment was A. cents per
head day, or TO the fact that Indians have
gone off hunting and have exhausted their pro-
visions before finding game; that where proof
of corruption in the Indian service has been
secured by officers, it has been obtained by
them, in the main, as they have been put in
charge, as acting agents, by the lnterlordeparI-
ment TO secure evidence Of irregularities al
ready discovered or suspected by the depart
ment: that where proof OF wrong doing has
been discovered the offender has been replaced
by a better man, and that all the defects OF
business methods reported by the board OF
Indian commissioners, Inspector Hammond and
others quoted by General sheridan have been
rtmedied.
SEPARATE ANSWER FOR LIEUT.. LEE.
The reply concludes with a full review OF the
statement of Lieut.. Lee, (which. though dated
six weeks after the charge made by Gen. Sheri-
his veIdict.' IT is shown that the delay in de-
hvering annuities; OF which Lieut.. Lee COM
plains, is not due, as might be inferred, to bad
management OF the Indian bureau, but to Con-
gressional delay in passing the Indian appro-
priation bill; that a transportation contract was
let TO McCann because the law requires that
such contracts shall be let absolutely to the
lowest bidder; that OF seven agents on the Mis-
souri, river, six gave opinion that it would be
best TO receive cattle for freezing while Lieut..
Lee, with no previous experience Oh the river
was of contrary opinion; that at all the other
agencies. except Lieut. Lees, the beef was
frozen successfully. and none of the dangerous
consequences stated by Lieutenant Lee as i'm
pending. If such course was followed
nave taken place. 1t is suggested that .eX-
Agent Lee" in one OF his statements, ''must
have drawn some upon his own personal expe-
rience at the Spotted Tail agency, for it now
appears that his most trusted clerk was noto-
li0us for cohabltatiOn with SquaWS. besides
being habitual drunkard. Lieut.. Lees farmer
was also indicted for felony shortly after Lieut.
Lee left the agency. 1t is needless to say that
as soon as these facts became known both these
employees were promptly dismissed by Special
Agent Pollock" After touching upon other
charges, the reply concludes The remainder
Oh Lieut.. Lees statement consists OF mere gen
eralitieS, the value of which can be estimated
10y the correctness OF those which were more
specie. 1t is worthy of note that Gen. Sheri-
dan produces Lieut.. Lee as his particular wit
Less. While 1t is Wtll-knOWn fact in this bureau
that when an effort was made by the Stanley
commission to induce the Spotted Tail Sioux to
consent to remain On the Missouri river Lieut.
Lee did everything in his power to neutraiize
TIE efforts OF the commission and to defeat the
OBJECT which. in Gen. SherdanS own opinion
was 30 very Important