The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1881-08-24

number Of horses. They can identify Til en-
as Santecs, for they tracked them to the
Santee country, and made the complaint at
the time to the Indian agent at that time,
but nothing was ever done about it. In
addition, the Omahas, he stated, were quite
frequently murdered, but never retaliated.
In 1864, as refugees, poor and naked, the
Winnebag0 Indians came to the Omahas
begging for home. They gave it to them.
Instead of approaching their kindness the
Winnebagoes started in on wholesale
horse stealing trade, robbing the Omahas,
and have kept it UP ever since.
Fontinclle gave every evidence to
identify the Winnebagocs as the thieves.
When tho first robbcrics began, the Oma-
has saw the Indian agent and made their
complaint. The Government compelled
the Winnebagoes to pay them $1,000 dam
ages, but turned around and for some UNI
known reason Immediately took from the
Omahas $1,000 and gave it to the Winncba-
goes.
He stated that the omahas had always
been friendly to the whites, and with but
onc exception, never had any difficulty.
That was thirty years ago and then the
participants were put up to it by bad white
men. They wish to abide by the laws Of
the white men and of the Government.
He complained of the white settlers
having entered upon their reservation, and
in defiance of their protests cut down and
carried off over $1,000 worth of timber. This,
he thought, under the contract, that they
would be protected by tho Government the
United States is responsible for. Its treaties
with the Omahas should DO as valid and
sacred as if made with Great Britain or any
foreign power. Their object here, he con-
Guided, is merely to have justice done them
Joe Ia Flesohe.
Fontinelle concluded by presenting u
petition from the tribe petitioning for the
expulsion of Joe La Fleschc from the tribe.
He preaccd his offering of the
pst1 nso Sy os say hing to that ae it but
Flesche had for eleven years past been u
source of trouble to them, and the tribe in
structed him to make this request and pre-
sent the petition, and as matter of duty
he did it.
Joe La Flesche is the father of Bright
Eyes and of Frank La Flcschc, the young
Indian in the Interior Department. Frank
denies that his father ever caused any
trouble among the Omahas, but on the con-
trary has always been wise and right in his
advice to them.
The WinnebagOes' Reply.
White Breast, of the Winnebagoes, acted
as their spokesman, in reply to the charges
of the Omahas anent horse stealing. He
said that the Winnebagocs had always been
friends to the Omahas-they smoked
the pipe of peace with them; but he
admitted that some of the Winnebagoes had
stolen horses from the Omahas, but they
did it in retaliation for the Omahas steal
ing some of their women, and he thought
that stealing horse was not much worse
than stealing o woman. The Indian idea
of woman is not very high. He said that
many of the horses stolen from the Omahas
were stolen by the whites and other In
dams than the Winnebagoes.
Aleck Payer, another Winncbago chief
also told the Secretary, in response to his
inquiry, that there was no doubt about 1t
that the young Winnebagoes had stolen
horses from the Omahas. He said
however, that the great trouble was
that the courts for the trial of theft among
them were very lax and the police system
bad, and if thew could have court like
the white people, petty crime would dimin.
ish. They have no proper jury system, and
he suggested that change in that direc
tion should be made. nN