Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1883-12-13
FALSE CHARGES.

and all the Nez Perez headman and sent
to the Commissioner Of Indian affairs
relative to the Idaho, Clearwater and !
Montana Transportation Company, and
Agent Monteith's action in relation to
the Nez Perces granting permission to
make a survey through the reservation,
is tissue of falschoods and misrerresen-
tations. In the first place James Moses
neither wrote the letter, nor dictated its
language. In the second place no one
Of the Nez Perez headmcn wrote nor
dictated the language Of the letter. The
Kadian Inspector has come from Wash
ington and investigated the facts, and
found that the authors true name is not
attached to the letter. James Moses de.
MES writing the letter, but said that he
knew Of its being written and sent, and
at first said he did not remember who
wrote it, about six hours afterwards he
said Jim. Lowry Gan Indian wrote it
When asked where it was written. Ills
answer was, at the garrison. When asked
what headmen were there. The answer
was many, but not one headman conld
be remembered When asked at what
house it was written The answer was at
the telegraph office When asked if the
gathering was in room or out of doors
The answer was, ont Of doors. But no
admission was made that any white man
had any hand in framing the letter.
When the fact is known that neither
James Moses nor Jim. Lowry can read
or write, much less frame such letter,
tho fraud of the whole thing becomes ap
parent, and the endorsement of General
Wheaton at Vancouver shows that he
was imposed upon and that he ignorantly
imposed upon the Commissioner in for
warding it to him as genuine No Indian
acknowledges to its authenticity, or that
he knew that such letter had been
sent till long after it had gone, save James
Moses and one other Indian. Again at
the council on the 9th of April never was
there such a reason assigned by one sin
gle or any body of Indians why the re-
quest of the railroad company should no,
be granted, as this letter says there was.
Nor was there in single instance the
question asked by any Indian or white
man regarding the ability of the company
to cause the survey and the building OF
tho road Had there been the answer
would have been promptly given, that
permit us the right of way, We will cause
the road to be built with rapidity equal
70 ether roads of the same magnitude.
The names Of the incorporators embraced
old tried men of many years good tinan-
cial standing in this section of country.
and well known to every person even to
most of the Indians thcmselves.as men
Of capital sufficient to construct the road
across the reservation themselves with
such aid as their financial standing, energy
and influence could command, although
they were not practically railroad men.
Such men as John Brearley, the banker,
L. p. Brown, John NJ. Crooks, b. +.
Morris, Vim. Pearson, Martin Maui,
Joseph Alexander, II. Squier, A. Nc.
Gregor, w. +. Kettenbach, c. c. Bun
nell, c. A. Thatcher, Alonzo Leland,
Jasper Rand and others to the number
Of seventeen. Among all of whom was
concentrated more capital than Leland
Stamford and his crowd possessed when
they first projected the Central Pacific
railroad, and no Indian or whteman who
know these men would dare say ought
against the integrity, honor or want of
energy in this body of men to carry for
ward this work to completion with the
aid they could command, if allowed tc
mako sufficient surveys to demonstrate
the praetibility of the route contemplated
The man who wrote that letter and in
duccd that Indian to sign it to the Com
missioner, knew that he induced him to
sign a deliberate falsehood. Again he
knew that he wrote falsehood when he
wrote that they only asked the right 10
make the survey for purposes of sale and
speculation, without even intending to
cause the road to be built. He knew he
wrote lie when he charged c. 4. Mon
teith as having said, at the said council,
that he would put the survey through
whether the Indians we're willing or not. |
All he did intimate, which can DO proven
by eight or nine as good citizens as Nez
Perce county affords, who were present at
said council and heard all that was said
to the indians on that occasion and by
the interpreter who interpreted the ian