The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-02-17
WHEELER,
An Indiana Republican, in Trouble in the
Far West.
Charged With Defrauding the Government
at the Pima Indian Agency,
Arizona.

Roswell G. Wheeler, of Terre Haute, Ind,
received his appointment as United States
Indian Agent at the Pima Agency by Presi-
dent GARFIELD. He seems to have harvested
large amount of trouble during the last few
years. The charges against him, as they APP
pear in the Arizona Enterprise, published at
Florence, Pinal County, Ari., read as fol-
lows:
CHARGES AGAINST WHEELER.
Charge No. I-Of freighting with Govern
ment teams, with Government employees,
driving said teams for private persons, and
dividing the money so earned with one Phil
lips.
Charge No. 2-Of having sold in May 1885.
to one Olesen, OF Temple, one complete set
OF new Government harness.
Charge No. 3-0f having had a Board of
Survey, who had previously condemned Gov
eminent property at the agency, appear at
the agency in June or July, 1855, TO destroy
said property, and report that they had done
so, when in fact none of said property had
been destroyed.
Charge No. 4-Of having purchased of In
dams two cows and calves, kept them in the
Government nay corral, and subsequently, of
having turned said COWS and calves into the
Government on a beef contract under the
name of one --.
Charge No. 5-Of having from December.
mules out on the mesa TO live on grass,
while he was at the same time keeping in
the Government corral and feeding on Gov
eminent grain and hay from four TO eight
estray mules and horses claimed by him, son
and one Phillips an employee.
Charge No. 6-0f having issued to Lewis,
the interpreter, a Government check on De-
tober 10, 1885, for S40l 80 in payment for
| eighteen and one-quarter tons of hay, said
hay being one and half tons short. The
ground upon which hay was raised was
| cleared off by the school boys, the hay was
hauled and stacked by Government en-
| ployes, and the seed for such hay was fur
nished from the Government grain-room.
| The check aforesaid was Endorsed by Lewis
| and turned over TO Wheeler.
Charge No. OF having issued, on the
31st day of March, 1885, to John Ruckel-
| hansen, a Government check Tor $3.50 for
| eleven days' services as farmer, and filed
out another check for $50 in the name OF
said John Ruckelhausen, and ordered and
| directed the latter an emplOye, to indOrse
| said check and turn it over to him (Wheeler)
| when no services had been rendered for said
| $40, and the said John Ruckelhausen re-
ceived no part OF said money nor derived
any benefit therefrom.
| Charge No. S-Of having during the quar-
| ter ending March 81, 1885, ordered, directed
| and caused John RuckelhauSen, an emplOye
| to place upon the issue list twenty-six
| blankets as having been issued to Indians
and of having ordered and directed the said
| John Ruckelhausen to use upon the list
| the names of any Indians he might think of.
Charge No. 9-Of having gone 10 Aaron
| Mason's ranch at Florence Arizona, during
| September, 1885, and informed the said Mason
| that he had received orders from the depart
| ment TO purchase two stations for the use oil
| the Indians at price not exceeding 1926
/ and that if the said Mason would sell him the
| two stations for less than the price and sign
| the voucher for 1926, he, Wheeler, would
| purchase the stations from the said Mason
| and then divide with him the difference be-
| tweed the amount paid for the horses and
| TIL amount of the voucher.
| Charge No. 10-0f def-auding the United
| States Government of 81 in travelling ex-
| penses on or about May il, 1885, on his trip
| to arrest Quarjate Indians, and that he pre-
sented false voucher to that amount to the
| United States
| Charge No. 11-Of collision with an out
side party or parties to defraud the United
States in the purchase of beef the Govern
ment school at the Pima Agency for tht
| quarter ending June So 1885. Said Agent
| Wheeler kept five or six hogs at the agency
and claimed to be the owner of them dur
| ing 1884 and 1885. They were fed and killed
| by government employees, and turned in fol
the use oil the school as beef in the name o
| during the quarter ending J unt