Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-08-06
INTRUDERS ON INDIAN LANDS,
An Order Of the ProSident,
THE MILITARY FORCE 10 BIZ INPLoYKD TO HXPEL
TH. WHITE INVADERS OF INDIAN TERRIroRY-
HISTORY OF THAT TERRITORY

Az o~~SANaACO Will luc IcQueSG VI GQc StCTSlhEy
OF the Interior the President has issued an order
directing the Secretary OF War to employ the MILL
tary forces In the removal Of intruders from the
Indian Territory. In obedience to the order Of the
freAoent the lieutenant general has directed, by
teiegrapn, the commanding general division Of the
missouri 10 remove from the Indian Territory all
persons who may be within the limit Of said terri
tory In violation Of law, and Of the Presidents
proclamation Of July 1st These orders bear par
ticular reference to the removal Of Capt Payne's
followers, who have SO persistently endeavored to
settle upon the Oklahoma lands With view Of
learning the status of the Oklahoma matter, which
has often before nearly resulted In bloodshed be-
IWeen settlers and soldiers, STAR reporter hunted
up the following facts:
THE INDIAN TERRITORY
Is tract OF land which originally belonged to the
Lousiana purchase, and which was set apart by
the United States as home for such Indian tribes
as were willing TO settle there containing 240
acres congress by act OF May 28, 1880, author
nea snS ; exchange OF Indian lands generally for
otners mat should be acceptable to them west OF
Cne mississippi. The ChOctaws and Chickasaws
removed to the Indian Territory in $780, BY treaties
Creeks, seminoles, Choctaws and Chickasaws, in
@ me inasn territory about 0oe acres OF land
Ihe Creeks sold $50 SEQ acres for s975 l6S the Sem
Chlckasaws about 100000 acres for $500 900. OF
these ceded lands the United States has since ap-
pr0p'asea f9r M the use OF the Sac and xes 47O6e7
making Total Of ,055, ,3A acres.
Rich PORTION OF THE TERRITORY NOT OCCUPIED
BY INDIANS.
These lands are occupied by virtue Of treaties
and acts OF Congress. By executive order Kiowas,
Comanches, Arrapahoes and other wild Indians
have been brought upon a portion of the ceded
lands. but such lands are q part Of the public
oemaln OF the United States and have all been sur
several million acres IN extent and lying west of the
Ttn degree Of west longitude and south OF the
Thsrokes @ territory, has never been appropriated.
1ne lano Is as valuable as any in the territory.
Inc sOu ls well adapted for the production OF corn
wheat and other cereals is unsurpassed grazing
and Is well watered and timbersd. The government
has an absolute and unembarrassed title to ali
Of the Il acres ceded to it. unless it be 10 the
aoa ,5A acres now occupied by the Sac and Fox,
practically forSdding the int oducton Of any more
mon e!o Of fne ssa to y sayng
pied, and an integral part Of the pubic domain.
TIE TERM ''oKLAuoMA DISTRICT"
mas been OF late years applied to the unoccupied
lands above referred TO- and sometimes 1t is applied
to all lands OF the Indian Territory not occupied by
steaIy stipulations or In other WORDS occupied by
virtue OF executive orders The term, however has
not been used In official documents
These uaOccupied lands are then the subject OF
dispute between the government and the settlers
ana nave Deen 1or the past five or six years. There
are other lands In the Indian Territory under dis
pute, but the principal ones are the Oklahoma
tory.
THERE ARE TWO SIDES TO THE QUESTION,
as near as can be learned, follows: The govern
ment holds that the lands were sold to 1t for the
express purpose Of being occupied by Indians, and
therefore the land which remains unoccupied can
not undsr the treaty, be utilized for any other pur
pose The settlers led by the indefat1gable Capt.
Payne noid that the disputed land is an undOubted
PaIC nn. o. tne puoiic domain and that they have
fignI 70 settle there and they have at different
Times attempted to assert their rights.
GEN. AUGURs SUGGESTION.
Gen. Augur recommended that the difflculty be
settled satisfactorily by giving the disputed lands
to the Seminole aegroes who are now located near
Fort Duncan, in Texas. These negroes were slaves
OF the Seminoles in Florida and Georgia, and accom-
dian Territory. After the war they left them how
ever, and drtfted to Mexico and elsewhere The In
teror department declined to favor the proposition
OF Gen. Augur and the dispute over the land still
continues.
TIE IRREPREssIBLE CAPTAIN PAYNE
The recent history Of the attempts of the Interior
department to have the 1ntruderS removed by the
military may be summarized as follows:
In June last Indian Agent Tufts was directed by
the Commissioner OF Indian Affairs to call upon the
Indian Territory Payne and his followers ~ The
military commander requested the presence Of the
Indian agent in making the removal. but at the
request Of the Indian agent the acting Secretary of
the Interior requested the Secretary Of War to
u!tcCt I40 IcloONdl WlInOuC MS (lQ0 agentS)
presence. Upon this particular request no further
orders were issued. On July 11th the Secretary of
the Interior addressed another communication to
the Secretary Of War referring to the occupation BY
Payne ana his followers. and stating that they
should be forthwith removed This letter was
referred to the commanding general. department Of
the Missouri On the ed July the acting Secretary
Of the Interior again addressed the Secretary OF
War, asking that Payne and his followers, number
Ing from 1900 to 1900, DO removed before they
assumed greater proportions The lieutenant gen.
eral was Instructed by the Secretary OF War to COM
ply with the request Of the Interior department. and
copy OF the letter was sent to the commanding
general, division Of the Missouri. Under date Of
July lst. the President had issued q proclamation
warning all tntruders that they would be removed
by the authorities OF the Interior department. aided
by the military, II necessary. Gen. Augur, COM
mandny the department Of the Missouri, was un-
willing to act In the Oklahoma matter without Or
ders nom the President, on the ground that the
of1icers In making the removal, would incur per-
sonal responsibility II not acting under direct Or
ders OF the President The War department was
informed through Gen. Schoneld, on the esth July,
Of Gen. AugurS unwillingness to act AS 1t did not
appear that the proclamation OF the President car
RED With 1t the necessary Order the Secretary of
War recommended that such an order be issued by
him, which has just been done, as stated above.