The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1886-10-27
INDIAN :DEVILTRY.
Exploits of the Raiding Reds in the Bears
Paw Country with Some General Reflect
ions on the Subject.

Exploits of the Raiding Reds in the bears
Paw Country with Some General Reflect
ions the Subject.
The same Indians who have made such
havoc in the Judith have disturbed the
freighters at work between BroadWater's
Landing and Assinaboine. Press Lewis
saws that on the morning of the 10th, they
stole eight head of horses, one from Ben.
Swigart, two belonging to L. q. Power g
Bro, one from Richie, eight mules above
Broadwater's Landing, three from Lewis
and one government horse, The troops
are out all over the country and are work
ing diligently. There are detatchments
at the Sandy, Coal Banks, Box Elder, On
Milk river beyond ~Assinaboine, two
companies at Belknap and one company
below Belknap. The road is lined with
Indian freighters, hauling their supplies
to the agency. By some means the RAID"
ing party did not discover them.
There is no fooishness in regard to the
action Of the troops; no one could ask
them to do more than they are doing, and
the RIVER Press is pleased to give them
the mead of praise. There is great diff
Guilty in rounding up the Indians as the
ground in that country is badly broken
and the redskins can conceal themselves
notwithstanding the vigilance OF the
troops. The only way they could be cap
tured in any numbers is to surround the
Bears Paw and Little Rocky mountains,
but with the available force this would be-
impossible.
The Indian question as far as North
ern Montana is concerned has al
ways been a vexatious one. Before the,
advent of the Mounted Police in the North
west Territories Indians were doing just
as they are doing now, only then to gain
their object, they held human life very
cheap; butsin most instances they went
across the line and escaped. The Cypress
Hills affair grew out OF stealing horses Dy
Indians. In this case, however, they
were followed by body of resolute men
who wreaked summary vengeance upon
them, scarcely one Of the raiding party
| being left alive. These Indians We're
Assinaboines belonging this side of the
line. In those days it was not safe to leave
Fort Benton unarmed. The lower conn-
try was infested with Sioux, and from the
base of the Rocky Mountains to the Bears
Paw the numbering Blackfeet roamed,
/ while remnant Of the Gros Ventres and
| Assinab BONES roamed on Milk river north
of the Bears Paw. Freight trains from
Fort Peck were always guarded and in
many instances a small howitzer was car
ried; but this did not prevent frequent at
taeks by Indians. When the Carol route
to Helena was established nearly all trains
were under military escort. Hunters and
trappers must have led a charmed life to
have escaped, and even they were oftimes
killed. The murder Of Joe. Wey, on the
Marias; the killing Of Buekshot and Polite
at Rocky Springs by that numbering
wretch, Little Mountain; the murder of
Jack German and Frank Keezel at the
Sandy hay field by the same excellent
Indian, is remembered by many people liy-
| ing here now. After the establishment of
the post of Fort Assinaboine, and the
| coming Of the Mounted Police to the
Northwest, killing was not indulged in to
such an extent, but the propensity of the
Indian to appropriate horses cannot be
checked short Of removal or extermina-
tion. The former would perhaps be the
most humane method of disposing of them.
Until the reservation is opened and the
Indians removed to some other locality,
the annual raids will continue. Montana
furnishes an asylum for Indian criminals
from the Northwest, and those from this
side of the line find a safe refuge under
the Union Jack