New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-19
THE UTES AGAIN.

Reports from the Ute Reservation are begin
ming to come in of L" terrible massacres of white
prospectors" by the Indians. certain John
Allcndorh sta'es that he and seventeen other
whites set out armed and equipped for gold
hunting expedition; that they at once found
rich placcrs yielding from $4,000 to $1,000
from the first day that a band of 500 Utes fell
upon the party, killed and even chopped them
ND into small bits, and he alone escaped to tell
the tale. lie gives the names of the party, with
the emphasis which would belong to them If
they had fallen martyrs III some holy cause,
and swears by high Heaven that if the Gov
"eInment does not avenge their deaths he will
"rouse the people of Colorado and exterminate
@the murdercrs." The people of Colorado,
however, 1t appears, receive Mr.. Allcndorlfs
bowling story cOmpOsedly, with very large
grain of allowance. Another more credible re-
port comes from Lcadvie, to the effect that
twelve of twenty-five men prospecting on the
Gunnison River were killed by the Utes. A
column of troops from Fort Garland, it is
stated, are on their way to the scene of the mas
sacre. Still another report is brought by Cen
cral Adams, who has Just reached Washington,
and comes directly from the reservation. He
saws there are n thousand wagons on the bOr
ders of the Ute territory, containing emigrants
who have arrived with their families and house
hold gear intending to settle on the reservation
surprising that 1t was to be thrown open at
once. The Indians are said to be masscd mt IA
single point, ready to carry out their share of
the contract, but uneasy, fearing they are to
lose their lands, and get nothing for them.
These stories, whether true or exaggerated,
are precisely such as we may expect to hear
Congress unfortunately left the Ute matter in
such an unsettled condition that the wretched
tribe believe themselves still to be absolute
owners of their reservation, while the gold
miners know it is speedily to be given up to
them. The latter make up what they are pleased
to call EARNED and equipped expeditions to
trcspass on the land OF the Utcs, and the Utes,
having no right to appeal to the law i'll defence
of their homes, defend them against these pre-
datOry bands by the bullet, as the most civil
lied reader of THE TRIBUNE is legally empow-
cred to do when rObber trcspasscS on his do
main. 1t is as we'll that the public should keep
the facts concerning this matter clear Ill their
minds. This land rs yet belongs to the UteS by
force of solemn treaty and pledged National
honor. We may intend to abrOgato the treaty,
but we have not yet done So The prOspectOrs
knowingly take their lives in their hands when
they go into the reservation, and 20 prepared
TO fight for the chance to make money. They
play for high stakes, and they are beaten. 1t
is fair fight between the miners and the men
who are, or ut least believe themselves to be,
the owners of the soil. If United States troops
have any business there at all, it is to protect
the Utcs, not the intruders.
1t is high time that something definite was
done about these people. They number about
A. 900, are poor, uneducated, with, rs was tcsti-
lied at the investigation before the Senate " the
"appearance of paupers." But the agents among
them, certainly not prepOssessed IN their favor,
bear witness that they are "a patient, amable
"people," anxious for schools and trades" with,
rs rule, "quick comprehension of business"
Agent Abbott testifes: Not n single instance
has come to my knowledge of violence or
crime committed by them against tho person
u or property Of any white" Agent Meeker
wrote: "They are honest peaceable. There
" are perhaps not halt dozen among them who
apIlfer," etc. A missionary testifes: " In four
"years among them, l never saw but one
drunken man." This is assuredly not the
drunken, brutal, scalp girdled savage, swagger-