National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1880-01-31

opments2"
"oh, think" he replied, "that It will re-
suit in thorough ovcrhauling of the present
system, its radical reformation and possible
transfer to the War Department"
The General went in and talked about tho
Indian Office in II general way, leaving tho
impression both by his manner and his utter
ances that he regarded tho management of
Indian affairs since Secretary Schurz had
taken control of tho Interior Department
about as bad as II had ever been within the
history of the Government.
A DENIAL f ROM GENERAL HAMMOND.
A note received last night states that Gen.
cral Hammond desires to deny the statement
gouoraly published yesterday that his illness
ut the Riggs House was produced by anything
connected with his transactions with tho
Indian service. He also states that his return
TO Washington was in accordance with his
agreement with tho investigating committee,
nado whom his testimony was given in the
hrst instance. He also objects to tho term
confession, us applied to his revocation of his
statements relating to the genuineness of the
Hart letter.
Continuation OF Governor Pitkin's Tcsti-
mOny.
Governor Ptkn, of Colorado, resumed his
testimony before the Committee on Indian
Affairs yesterday. During his examination he
referred to other incidents in the interview
between Captain Jack aud his chiefs at Denver
last August, in which Jack gave his viows
about Ouray and Agent AGccker He read II
statement from Colonel John w. Steele, who
was at tho White River agency short time
before the massacre describing the hostile
attitude of the Utes ut that time, which salts.
fed him that the agent and employees would
be massacred, aud that tho troops would be
attacked.
The Governor gave the reasons which led
him to believe that q considerable portion of
Ouray's young warriors were In the Thorn
burgh fight and presented letters giving the
names OF witnesses who learned from tho In
dians, before the fight, that they were to at
tack the troops In the canon whore the fight
took place, and that there were other Indians
engaged besides the White River Utes He
| stated that lie knew of no mining camp being
on the reservation ut tho time of the ou T.
break, and read statements from United States
Surveyors Kellogg and Gwendler that Irwin
the most Westerly mining camp, was one mile
of the Ute reservation, and that the Indians,
who were Mt tue camp frequently during tho
past summer, always claimed that the reserva-
tion boundary began at q mountain known as
Ruby mountain, which was mile west of tho
town; that miners would not locate camp on
the reservation for two reasons, viz: That
they could get 10 title to their mines until
the Indian title WAS extnguished and their
claims would consequently bo vulueless, and
tho miners were afraid of being attacked by
the Indians on tho reservation.
lie gave list of fOrty-hye citizens of Col
orado that had been murdered by Indians
stating the places and times of tho murders,
and stated that he had never heard Of but on q
Ute who had been killed by citizen of Col.
orado. The settlements along the border of
| the reservation were small, and the settlers
knew if they should kill ono or more Indians
the Utes would attack other settlement in re-
taliaton. He described the panic.striclsen
condition of the whole country within fifty
TO II hundred miles of the reservation after
the massacre, and pointed out to tho commit.
tee OIL the maps numerous localities which ap-
| piled to him for troops and arms, and also tho
localities that have made recent application
in anticipation of an Indian war in the spring
He described the present exposed condition of
| tho town of Ouray and the neighbOrng camps
by reason of the large force OF Los Pinos and
White River Uutes, gathered on the only road
| by which that country eau be reached
| The Governor occupied the entire session
of the committee and will resume his testi-
| mony to-day,