Arizona silver belt., 1885-11-21
TmR rnUrH or HISTORY VrNMCAFED.


 The following statement of the Citi- zen of the 7th, in commenting on an article iu Forest and Stream, which has just been brought to our notice, that "tho last break of the hostile Chi fieahuas, that has already cost much blood and money Is, by eX-Agent Ford, charged upon the inhumanity of Captain Pierce, the present agent, in withholding provisions from then because he was not privileged to dis tribute them through the regular agent, is Q grave mistake in attribut- ing the charge to ex-Agent Ford and is calculated to do Captain Pierce great injustice, Captain Emmet Craw- ford is the culpabie person, but it is presumed, as a subordinate officer, he acted under orders from Crook. It was not provisions that were with held, but clothing, blankets, &c., winch were received last fall by the Agent and set apart in due time ready for transportation to tho Chiri- cahua camp, and upon Crawford be- ing notified that the goods were ready for delivery he ordered a pack train from Fort Apache to carry them from the San Carlos Agency store room to their destination, some sixty miles dls- tant. Upon the arrival of the trainat San Carlos, the Agent informed Cap tain Crawford that hc was especially 0dered by the Interior Department in conformity with Sec. 20SS of chap tor two of laws regarding the per formance of engagements between the United States and Indians" which reads as follows: "The Superintend. ent Agent, or sub-agent, together with such military officer as the President may direct, shall be present. and certify to the delivery of all goods md money required to be paid or delivered to the Indians" Craw- ford, upon being appraised of the order of the Interior Department and the law in reference to- the duty of the Agent to be present and witness the distribution of the goods, was en- phatic in his denial of the Agent to witness the delivery, and having so determined returned the pack train, without the goods, to Fort Apache and thus 1t was that the Chiricahuas were obliged to pass the winter of l864-5, without necessary clothing, which largely contributed to their de- termination to leave their oncamp- ment on the 17th of May last, and which resulted in numerous murders and robberies of citizens of the Terri tories of New Mexico, Arizona and the Stats Of Sonora, Mexico, during the past six months. The resulting re- sponsibility of that peryerse act rests wlth either Gen. Crook or Captain Crawford and not upon Captain Pierce who did not relieve Crawford of the command at the agency for months after the time when the goods should have been distributed, and, therefore, was in no position to have taken part in the act complained of. Ford did not charge that Captain Pierce re- fused to make tke delivery, but placed the blame squarely upon Crawford, who having thus been charged with an offsnse against written law, so DOT tentious in its results should be re- quired to either exculpate himself or suiSSr the consequence of the act.
 The Rip Van Wrinkle of the Indian Department, was duly appraised of the conduct of Crawford, but being g lit- tle thick under the hat did not realize the situation until after the hills were deoked with flowers, and about 10th Of May by 8 reitsrating order from Washington, the distribution was made in the presence of Agent Ford, to the Chiricahuas, Warm Spring and White Mountain Indlans, who had weathered the storms and pinching weather of the previous winter with out clothing, which was accordingly done, at that time, doubtless, with view of giving the Indians a sweat. The major part of the Chiricahuas lett their eneampment seven days af- ter receiving their share of the appor- ionment. Captain Pierce only en- tered upon the duties of military com rnander of San Carlos, March 2s, 1885, and Agent, September 1st, and there fore cannot ba made a cats paw for the commission of anothers wrong.
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 Louis Reil was executed on tho