The sun., 1888-12-14
oLD CoLoRoW,s OUTBREAK.
The Death ofths Chief VIII Probably FsciI-
itate n Settlement OF the Ute Claims.

WASHINGTON, Dec. l3.--Last winter the
Secretary Of the Treasury sent to Congress a
deficiency estimate made by the Secretary OF
the Interior TO meet losses sustained by Colo
rows band OF Utes through being driven from
Garfield county, Colorado. q few months pre-
yious. by the military authorities OF that State.
The War Department and the Interior Depart-
ment agreed that the Indians had been treated
harshly and were entitled to indemnity for tho
horses, sheep. and goats they had been forced
to abandon. The claims aggregated s30925.
and the view taken was that Congress ought to
meet them in the first instance, In order to
promptly aid tho Indians. and then call upon
the State OF Colorado for reimbursement.
Commissioner Atkins in his report declared
that this Ute affair recalled vividly the Sand
Creek and Camp Grant massacres. which blot
the history OF the dealings OF the American peo-
pie with the Indians" This may be an extreme
statement. but the reports OF the officers who
investigated the matter show that the Indians
were Ill treated They were no doubt, of their
reservation, and some OF them had been
charged with stealing horses and violating tho
game laws. An attempt made by the Sheriff
and Game Warden to arrest the alleged offend
ers resulted In their attempt to escape, and
they were fired upon. Colorow and his imme-
date band, who were at a distance. agreed to
horses and sheep. But militia had been sent
to the scene. and through some misunder-
standing or breach OF faith on one side or the
other. the Indian camp was attacked on White
River. at a point which the Indians believed to
be within the UncompahRre reservation. The
attack was a surprise. but the Indians defended
themselves. The whites lost Lieutenant and
deputy sheriff killed and several men wounded,
while one Indian boy was killed and one buck
and one squaw were wounded. The arrival OF
regular troops probably prevented renewal
Of the fighting, The Indians lost more than
Crook gave this summary Of the affair:
From the outset the Indians with but slight
n II s tag
S oS to r a and S SSs % bis
eidren sue bnrST the Whole ms
81 a aisa Io m he s.s II II ae &eds s
w Tr s' s.Sss ss Sos %s
perhaps mortally.
Gen. Terry. who was at that time the division
commander. made this comment:
These facts speak for themselves Moreover 4 not
authorities whose part these s1f forh %
e Ss The
aIres o OF o GaTs XIV say The u
0ssapsd P,6ta,ions a. q the
i Of
and e an ss
for whose arrest have been issued are sup
posed to be- are usual steps in tho service of
There is no doubt that old Colorow was n
great trouble to the settlers Of that region and
that he risked the disaster which at last came
upon him by refusing to stay on the reserva-
tion where he belonged. Still. there was some
dispute: or at least some MISUNDERSTANDING as
to the right OF Col crows band to be of the
reservation, and in any case the emphatic
reports OF the army officers made the necessity
OF compensation for the Indian losses very
clear. Old Colorow was an intractable char
acter, whom 1t was difficult to deal with in this
matter, but probably now there will be one less
obstacle In the way OF doing substantial justice
and securing peace for the future