New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-09
4 NTR1NGE STOHY.

strange story comes 10 Us from private
sources in Kansas, which needs explanation.
As orr readers know, suit has been brought by
the Ponca tribe of Indians to recover the prop
crtv of which they have been robbed. Upon
the dee sion of this suit (Which is to be made
q test case and carried, if nccdlul, M to the
SuDrcmc Court rests the future status OF the
Indians in this countly-whcther they are to
rank in future rs human beings or as now, as
beasts helpless and irresponsible.
The suit in which the chiefs are nominally
plaiptiGs is brought, and the expenses are
paid, 10y certain philanihrOpc, wealthy people
in the East There is not, we venture to say,
an honest, right feeling man or woman IN the
country who does not watch It's progress with
interest, ard wish success to the indians III tins
matter Their counsel, it appears, Mcssrs.
Webster and POppietOn (who give their sei-
vices glatutOusly in the case), sent recently q
messenger to the POncas, to advise them as to
thc;r action in the matter. The POncas, It will
he remembered, are still held as prisoners in
fine malarous Indian Territory to which they
were removed with such injustice and cruelty
The messenger. il is stated in Our letters, was
arrested by the agent at the Reservation, man
named Whiting, shamefully abused, neld pris-
oner. and finally driven ont of the Territory by
n band of armed men, VIII" followed INN to
Arkansas City. There he narrowly escaped
with his life, and was forced 10 fly, with the
warning that if he WAS found communicating
with the Poncas again his life would be for
felt. He returned to Omaha, and all communal
cation between these wrOnged people and their
counsel was cut of. The importance of the
outrage lies in the fact that this agent, Whit
ing. claims TO act under direct and plain in
structons from the Indian Department at
Washington.
Is this true If it is, the Indian Department
NAV as well understand at once that the POnca
case has passed out OF their control 1t Isl
matter of simple justice which the people are
determined to see rghted. These people, as
plaintifs in a suit, have right to free, unin-
terrupted consultation with their counsel and
! their messengers, as much and as often as they
| nlease. No petty Indian agent has the legal
right to imprison maltreat and threaten tho life
Of anv citizen totally gutless of offence beyond
that of working to give these serfs of the
| Government the standing of human beings.
| The whole outrage Is repetition OF the old
| story of the running out, Imprisonment, and
abuse of the abolitionists found among the
slaves In the Southern States before the war
with this difference, that in this case the slaves
are red-skinned, and are owned by the Govern
ment instead of by individuals, and that the
messenger has the law on his side. which the
abolitionist had not. 1t is the Government of
this great Republic. where all men are free and
equal that holds these 600 Poncas prisoners on
Il tract where to remain is death They are
innocent of any crime except that they have
been Robbed of their land, and that they ask to
bring suit, as a black man or convict could do,
in the courts for its recovery. IL Is the Gov
ernmeni if this story be true, that forbids them